Each generation plays a role in shaping the way we live and how we see the world. The Baby Boomers, in their youth, rejected the status quo and challenged conventionality, while seeking greater meaning from within. They set the tone for dramatic shift is cultural norms, and established the “politics of meaning”, putting vision and values at the center of their lives.
Generation X grew up in a time of hands-off parenting, and often fended for themselves with a survivor mentality in their youth. A generation largely ignored by the media, Xers bring a new sense of pragmatism to life and to the workplace, and produced the largest number of entrepreneurs.
Millennials grew up in a time of rising parental involvement, overwhelming technology development, and a structured, regimented youth culture of service and achievement. Still in their youth, the Millennial story is still being written.
Who are these Millennials and how do they differ from other generations? What is likely to be their lasting contribution to society?
In this presentation, Warren Wright takes the audience through each generation’s life story, their contribution to how we live, and makes some surprising predictions about the future.
8. 8
53%
45%
43%
43%
42%
38%
37%
25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55%
My generation
My income/social class
My race/ethnicity
My gender/sexual orientation
My religion
My political view/party
My taste in music/fashion
Source: Congressional Institute-LifeCourse survey (2014)
11. 11
Baby Boomers
Idealistic
Individualistic
Challenge Authority/Rules
Work focused
Generation X
Ignored
Self-Reliant
Avoid the rules
Pragmatic
Millennials
Special/ Confident
Collaborative/Team-focused
Civic-minded
Protected
12. 12
Through
the
Genera?ons…
• Exis?ng
genera?ons
view
the
incoming
genera?on
nega?vely.
• They
never
live
up
to
their
expecta?ons.
13. 13
Even as I said it, I knew
the phrase, “To make a
living” could have
absolutely no meaning
to these children of the
affluent society”
- Earnest Fladell
Life Magazine
1968
34. 34
1964 Children of the Damned
1968 Rosemary’s Baby
1973 The Exorcist
1974 It’s Alive!
1976 Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby
1976 The Omen
1976 Carrie
1977 Exorcist II: The Heretic
1978 It Lives Again
1978 Damien—Omen II
1978 Halloween
1980 The Children
1981 The Final Conflict
1981 Halloween II
1984 Firestarter
1984 Children of the Corn
Brief
Chronology
of
the
“Evil-‐Child”
Movie
Era
42. 42
Millennials
by
the
Numbers
• Born
in
the
1980’s
and
1990’s
• U.S.
Popula?on
=
100
million
• 35%
of
U.S.
popula?on/
33%
of
workforce
• Most
ethnically
diverse
genera?on
• Most
educa?on
genera?on
in
U.S.
history
• Risk
behaviors
lowest
on
record
50. 50
52%
44%
41%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Millennials Gen Xers Boomers
Source: Congressional Institute-LifeCourse survey (2014)
“How optimistic are you about the future of America?”
Percent optimistic
Special/Confident
56. 56
College
Senior
List
of
“Ideal
Employers”
2001
1. 3M
2. Amazon
3. Accenture
4. IBM
5. Walt
Disney
6. Microsob
7. Cisco
Systems
8. BMW
9. Abbot
Labs
10. Dreamworks
2015
1. Google
2. Walt
Disney
3. Apple
4. U.S.
Dept.
of
State
5. FBI
6. Teach
for
America
7. Peace
Corps
8. NASA
9. PricewaterhouseCoopers
10. Ernst
&
Young
58. 58
Examples
of
Child
Protec?on
Policies
Since
1982
• child
restraint
&
helmet
rules
• “child-‐proof”
homes
• blanket
Medicaid
coverage
• school
vaccina?on
checks
• “youth
rules”
in
the
workplace
• V
Chips
• Zero
Tolerance
rules
at
school
• video
game
ra?ngs
• Megan
laws
• Amber
Alerts
• “graduated”
auto
licenses
• “cops
in
shops”
•
dragnets
for
“dead-‐beat”
dads
• urban
curfews
• “safe
place”
havens
for
kid
•
drug-‐free
zones
near
schools
63. 63
Rela?onship
with
Authority
Teens
that
say,
I
have
“no
problem”
with
my
parents
*Source:
Na?onal
Associa?on
of
Secondary
School
Principals
(2015)
2013 82%
1983 75%
1974 48%
64. 64
I
Love
My
Friends
“My friends are the most important thing in my life”
Millennials
55%
GenXers
44% Boomers
40%
*Source: Percent Strongly Agree and Agree, LifeCourse survey, 2014
81. 81
Civicality–
Be
Nice,
Be
Fair
Source: CNN/ORC poll, Feb 2014
"The government should work to substantially reduce the
income gap between the rich and the poor."
72%
of Millennials
Agree
82. 82
83%
74%
69%
0%
30%
60%
90%
Millennials Gen Xers Boomers
Source: Congressional Institute-LifeCourse survey (2014)
“Helping others in need is a strong priority for me.”
Percent agree
Serving
Others
83. 83
Community
vs.
Self-‐Reliance
50%
60%
71%
50%
40%
29%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Boomers
Gen
Xers
Millennials
Source: Congressional Institute-LifeCourse survey (2014)
Government
should
promote
the
principle
of
community
Government
should
promote
the
principle
of
self
reliance
84. 84
Socially
Conscious
“It is important to me the company I buy products
from supports social causes.”
*Source: LifeCourse survey, 2014
Percent Agree
Millennials
54%
GenXers
46%
Boomers
48%
85. 85
Equity/Fairness
70% of Millennials agree with
the statement “If a company is
unfair with me, I’ll figure out how
to make things fair.”
Nick Shore. “Millennials Are Playing with You.”
Harvard Business Review. December 12, 2011.