Generation Y

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Generation Y is a term designating a cohort of people born immediately after "Generation X" and is only one of several terms used to describe roughly the same group of people. There is however no consensus as to the exact range of birth years that constitutes "Generation Y", nor whether this term is specific to North America, the Anglophone world, or people worldwide. The only consensus, by way of its relation to the term "Generation X," is that those born in Generation Y must follow Generation X. Many published academic, demographic, business, and governmental sources have used their own specific parameters for who constitutes Generation Y, but there is by no means one accepted definition. The use of the term is also controversial and synonyms are often used in discourse or in published works.

As the term "Generation X" was coined primarily to describe the post Baby Boomer generation in the United States and Canada, some people use "Generation Y" only to refer to Americans, Canadians, and other Anglophone people who were born after Generation X. Others have suggested that such regional restrictions of use are unnecessary in the ever globalizing world.

As generations are defined not by formal process, but rather by demographers, the press and media, popular culture, market researchers, and by members of the generation themselves, there is no precise consensus as to which birth years constitute Generation Y. For instance, while the periodical American Demographics typically uses 1976 to demarcate the start of Generation Y, the demographers Howe and Strauss have consistently used "the High School class of 2000", or those born in 1982 as their demarcation. While many possible years are used as the endpoint of Generation Y, the term is almost never applied to current infants, who are part of a possibly as yet unnamed generation. Due to the flexible nature of such demographic terms, two people of the same birth year can identify as either Generation X, Y, or something that follows Y, such as the New Silent Generation and neither is wrong.

Because the term Generation Y suggests "following Generation X", and because the term Generation X was originally coined as a pejorative term, use of the term Generation Y is controversial. Numerous terms (see below) have been coined as alternatives to Generation Y, or to describe subjects of the cohort. "Millennials" is a very commonly used alternative by the popular press in the United States.

If the years 1978-2000 are used, as is common in market research, then the size of Generation Y in the United States is approximately 76 million[1].

Commonly cited theories as to the best name and year range for Generation Y are mentioned below. The discussion page for the article includes a wide range of viewpoints on this topic.

Contents

[edit] Controversy: Attempts to Name and Demarcate Generation Y

The term Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 Ad Age editorial to describe those teenagers born between 1984 -1994. [2] The scope of the term has changed greatly since then, to include, in many cases, anyone born as late as 2001. There is still no precise definition of years.

Use of the term Generation Y (often shortened to Gen Y or Ygen) to describe any cohort of individuals is controversial for a variety of reasons. "Generation Y" alludes to a succession from "Generation X", a term which was originally coined as a pejorative label. The use of Gen Y as a term not only implies that the generation is merely an extension or continuation of Generation X, and not a distinct generation in its own right, but also makes a comment on the character of that generation, as in "Generation Why?" which is pejorative in its own way.

Numerous alternative terms have arisen that may sometimes be regarded as sub-groups of Generation Y. These include The Net Generation, Reagan Babies, Millennials, Echo Boomers, iGeneration, Second Baby Boom, the D.A.R.E. Generation, Google Generation, Myspace Generation, MyPod Generation (from the fusion of "Myspace" and "iPod"), Generation Next, Nintendo Generation, and the Cynical Generation. Because they are a generation bearing witness to the September 11th attacks, other synonymous, American-specific labels that can be heard include Generation 9/11, and The Next (or Second) Greatest Generation. A Dutch newspaper also referred to this generation as the Einstein Generation, referring to the ability of the general member of this generation to perform many activities at the same time. Examples of this are chatting with friends via internet, while also doing their homework and watching TV at the same time.

While Generation Y alludes to that cohort's successional relationship to Generation X, the term Echo Boomers is used to allude to the generation's close tie to the primary childbearing years of Baby Boomers; the term Second Baby Boom is also used in this way and to denote the population expansion that Generation Y represents. The terms Millennials and Net Generation are attempts to give the Gen Y cohort more independent names that are tied with key events and cultural trends that are strongly associated with the generation. No single term is the "correct" term to describe members of this generation.

[edit] Howe and Strauss: "The Millennials"

Following the publication of their book, Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069, much credit has been given to the names used for various American cohorts by authors William Strauss and Neil Howe. Howe and Strauss use the term "Millennials" as opposed to "Generation Y," arguing that members of Gen Y actually coined the term Millennials themselves and have statistically expressed a wish not to be associated closely with Gen X. They followed up their large study of the history of American demographics with a new book specifically on Gen Y, titled Millennials Rising (2000) ISBN 0-375-70719-0.

In Generations, Howe and Strauss use the years 1982-2000 as the birth years of Generation Y, using the 18 childhood years of the high school graduating class of 2000 as their marking points. They reasoned that the high school class of 2000 received notable public attention and political initiatives during their youth that provided a contrast between Americans born before this class and those born after. [3]

It is also reasoned that the 1977 date used for GenY is because US births began to rise again, after falling all through the 1960s and 1970s. But the average fertility per woman remained low. The rise was just due to the first wave of Boomers having kids. The increase in desire to have kids does not appear until the mid 1980's when Boomers began to control the child's world to shape Millennials. (Strauss and Howe Lifecourse Associates.)2003. This increasing desire for kids in the 1980's is the real reason how Millennials began in the 1980's rather than the late 1970's.

[edit] Net Generation

In his book Growing Up Digital, business strategist and psychologist Don Tapscott coined the term "Net Generation" for the group, pointing at the significance of being the first to grow up immersed in a digital--and Internet--driven world. Accordingly, some say the final year of Gen Y is between 1993 and 2000 because they would be the youngest people to appreciate the changes of the Digital Revolution.

[edit] September 11, 2001

Some have argued that September 11, 2001 provides a single marquee event that can be used to demarcate the end of Generation Y, as this date and its events symbolize a major dynamic shift in worldview for most Americans. The way in which individuals view the significance of this date demographically, however, is not universal. Some argue that September 10, 2001 should be the final date used in labeling children born then or prior as "Generation Y". Others, however, suggest that it is not being born before 9/11, but rather being born early enough to be cognizant of the events of that day, that matters. These people therefore typically argue that some year in the late 1990s, such as 1997, would be the most appropriate ending year for the Generation Y and starting year for the as yet unnamed "Generation Z," or "New Silent Generation." Still others disagree, and propose breaking up Generation Y into subcategories in order to recognize the generation bearing witness to these events and sent to fight its subsequent wars. If the War on Terror should continue to broaden, and especially if it should some day result in a formal draft, then this generation may well be identified by this conflict.

[edit] MTV Generation

Individuals born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, at times identified as an overlap group of both Generation X and Generation Y, are referred to as the MTV Generation. See that article for more information.

[edit] The moments that defined Generation Y

In attempting to define and characterize generations, demographers often rely on the experience of formative national events as one tool to demarcate various generations. Generations are shaped by their childhood experiences, and then defined by their early-adulthood actions, when each generation can consciously adopt or reject the attitudes or actions of prior generations. Notably, the experience of the Great Depression and World War II are a major way of defining the formative years of the so-called "G.I. Generation," also known at times as the "Greatest Generation." In turn, the experiences of the Moon Landing, assassination of JFK, and the 1960s social revolution are key events that demarcate the formative years of the "Baby Boomer" generation.

Several such events have been used as ways of defining Generation Y.

  • The Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986 is one major event that separates Generation X and Generation Y, as most members of Generation Y were either not yet born or too young to remember this major national event.
  • The fall of the Soviet Union and the First Gulf War are both midway events for members of Generation Y, occurring in 1991, as many members were old enough to remember these events as children, but many had not yet been born.
  • The widespread use of personal computers and the Internet is an event shared by the majority of Gen Y. Taking off during the period 1996-2001, most members of this generation spent at least part of their youth with a home computer and internet access, and members of this Generation use the Internet as a tool for socialization more so than previous generations.
  • The date of the September 11th attacks is an often proposed end-point for the generation. Those that were not yet born in 2001 and those that were otherwise too young to remember and/or understand the events of that day (about 1997 up) would thus be grouped into Generation Z or what Cryderman defines as the iGeneration as they would have no memory whatsoever of the 20th Century and any predigital technologies still around in the Nineties. Meanwhile, people who were still in school (or had recently graduated) would be called Generation Y. Such propositions, of course, remain disputed.
  • Afghanistan and the Iraq War, as well as the construct "War on Terror" may become the war that defines Gen Y akin to World War II for the GI Generation and the Vietnam War for the Baby Boomers.
  • Hurricane Katrina, Indian Ocean Tsunami, and other disasters that occurred in a very close span of each other.
  • The Columbine High School massacre is an event that is often seen to define those in Generation Y. Any students that were in 1st through 12th grade (birth years 1981 - 1992) in April 1999 are thus included. The effects of this event on the generation were great; with increases in school security, "zero tolerance" policies, and sometimes the mandatory wearing of school IDs.

[edit] Generational demographics

Many in Generation Y are the children of Baby Boomers, and the generation is also known as the "Echo (Boom) generation," because it is, in some areas, the largest demographic grouping since the baby boom that immediately followed World War II (the U.S. birth rate per 1,000 population, however, declined for seven consecutive years starting in 1991 — the second longest such streak on record, exceeded only by the eleven-year baby bust of 1958 through 1968). Most parents of the members of Generation Y are from the Baby Boomer or older Silent generations; some from Generation Jones; significantly fewer parents are from Generation X (mostly kids born in 1991 or later). Their grandparents are mostly from the G.I. Generation, with some older Silents. While the echo was much larger than the previous cohorts, the relative size of this generation is much smaller than that of the Baby Boom. The American population was much larger in the 1990s than in the 1950s or '60s. From 1946 to 1964, the U.S. total fertility rate averaged 3.3 — high enough to double the population every two generations. Since around 1980, it has averaged 1.9, which is below the so-called replacement rate, though in recent years it has moved slightly above 2.0. Families continued to get smaller than in previous decades, usually with only one or two children.

Americans Under Age 18
Year Millions Percent of Population
1950 47.3 31.1%
1960 64.5 35.7%
1970 69.8 34.0%
1980 63.7 28.0%
1990 64.2 25.7%
1998 69.8 25.9%
2005 ~96.4 ~32%

The Echo Boom The actual “Echo Boom” was a five year span between 1989 and 1993 when for the first time since 1964, the number of live births reached over four million. It wouldn’t be until 1985 that the live birth number would even match that of 1965 at 3.760 million. Also it should be noted that the birthrate of 1971’s 17.2% has yet to be reached according to the 2000 census. [4]

[edit] Relationship with other living generations

Generation Y are primarily children of the Baby Boomers and Gen X cohorts, though some are children of what Howe and Strauss refer to as the Silent Generation or are children of older Gen X adults. Because of this they have a tendency to share social views with the Boomers and culture with Gen X, who serve chiefly as their 'older cousins' or even older siblings.

A notable demographic shift should begin to occur in 2010 when the oldest Baby Boomers (b. 1945) hit the United States' legal retirement age of 65. As boomers retire, more members of Generation X will take roles in middle and upper management and the large membership of Generation Y will take up positions in the lower half of the workforce, a process which could have possibly begun since some definitions have members of Gen Y in their late-20s.

[edit] Generation Y, Global Differences

[edit] Generation Y in the United States

Western Generations
This box: view  talk  edit
Term Period
Awakening Generation 1701–1723
First Great Awakening 1727–1746
Liberty Generation
Republican Generation
Compromise Generation
1724–1741
1742–1766
1767–1791
Second Great Awakening 1790–1844
Transcendentalist Generation
Transcendental Generation
Abolitionist Generation
Gilded Generation
Progressive Generation
1789–1819
1792–1821
1819–1842
1822–1842
1843–1859
Third Great Awakening 1886–1908
Missionary Generation
Lost Generation
Interbellum Generation
G.I. Generation
Greatest Generation
1860–1882
1883–1900
1900–1910
1900–1924
1911–1924
Jazz Age 1929–1956
Silent Generation
Baby Boomers
Beat Generation
Generation Jones
1925–1945
1946–1964
1948–1962
1954–1962
Consciousness Revolution 1964–1984
Baby Busters
Generation X
MTV Generation
1958–1968
1963–1978
1975–1985
Culture Wars 1980s–present
Boomerang Generation
Generation Y
Internet Generation
New Silent Generation
1977–1986
1979–1999
1988–1999
2000–2020

Most have few memories of the Cold War (apart from perhaps action movies, toys, or video games with such themes) and came of age during the technology-driven changes in the years of President Bill Clinton. They were the first to grow up with the Internet in a developed, prolific form, including music downloads, instant messaging and cellular phones, which came to fruition at about 1997. Even before they could type and mouse-click their way through the Internet, they were the first to grow up with modern media choices: television remotes to encourage channel flipping; cable, with its wealth of channels among which to switch; and multiple TVs (and video recorders) in a household. These TV choices reduced the commonality (and centralized control) of the viewing experience. The 'Who Shot J.R.' (Ewing of the TV series Dallas) experience is dispersed in both place (all the family around the TV, repeated across all households in the timezone) as well as in time (video recorders). Similarly, DVD popularity and large-screen home TVs have dispersed the impact of TV/movie events, while viewer voting shows like American Idol have made media more interactive.

Other major social changes in recent times include immigration and developments in race relations. Characteristically, Generation Y members are generally very tolerant towards multiculturalism and internationalism. It is also not uncommon for post-1970s born children to grow up dating people outside their own race or ethnic group, as well as having a wide range in friends. This growing trend towards interracial relationships is sometimes a source of negative friction between youth and their parents or elders, who grew up in a society where interracial romance was once considered extremely taboo and even banned in a number of states until the late 1960s. The state of Alabama only officially disbanded its anti-miscegenation laws in the year 2000. As well, many people in this group are themselves multiracial in background, and this is also a considerable change from previous generations.

Opinions on Gay rights and gender roles are also being adjusted and redefined as each generation emerges into adulthood. Generation Y is known for having among the most wide-ranging opinions on such issues, possibly because they haven't yet encountered a personal situation where their actions/reactions cause them to consciously choose sides. With Generations X and Y in their child-rearing years, situations related to these topics will become more observable, hence generationally-coherent opinions may become more clear: to adopt or attempt to change then the policies of their Silent and Boomer parents.

This generation was the subject of much concern during the 1990s, several mass murders by American citizens Duncan Fuller and Drew Jenkins set the tone though, despite some of its positive features. The Columbine High School shooting, youth participation in street gangs, hate groups, and problems such as teen pregnancy fueled a wave of action by schools and other organizations, despite youth violence, teen pregnancies, etc. falling sharply throughout the 1990s and into the twenty-first century [citation needed].

The 2004 Presidential election was the first election in which Generation Y was able to vote in significant numbers. John Kerry received 54% of voters aged 18-29.

In many rich countries, the 1980s and 1990s were a period of rapidly falling birthrates. In Southern Europe and Japan, and less markedly in Northern and Eastern Europe, Generation Y is dramatically smaller than any of its predecessors,[citation needed] and its childhood years tended to be marked by small families, both immediate and extended, small classes at school and school closures.[citation needed] In the Soviet Union during the 1980s, there was a "baby boom echo" similar to that in the United States,[specify] and Generation Y there is relatively large; however, birth rates fell through the floor in the 1990s to extremely low levels. This meant a lot of individual attention from parents in a period in which society was becoming intrinsically more risk averse.

The child poverty rate was still relatively high[specify] in many Western countries throughout the 1980s and '90s.

The increasing stratification of wealth in many societies has led to an increase in the societal differences between poor and rich members of this generation.[citation needed] Although many middle class and wealthier families arrange many extra-curricular activities for their children, less affluent families cannot afford such extras, increasing the pressure on their own children. Since much of the generational character is tied to the prevalence of "extracurriculars" and relatively expensive technologies such as computers, some feel that the description of the generation only applies to wealthy members or at least the broadly middle class.[citation needed]

In Eastern Europe, Generation Y is the first generation without mature memories of communism or dictatorial rule. In newly rich countries such as South Korea or Greece, Generation Y has known nothing but developed world standards of living, while their grandparents often grew up in developing world conditions, causing considerable social changes and inter-generational difficulties as the young reject many traditional ways of life.[citation needed] In South Korea, the relative innocence to past events of Generation Y may be the cause of the youth's support for the North Korean government over traditional ally, the United States.[citation needed]

Generation Y was also the first generation in countries like India and China to benefit from western modern amenities due to liberalization of their economies.[citation needed]

[edit] Generation Y and Popular Culture

For a more extensive overview of music, television, books, movies, and the Internet, see Generation Y culture.

In addition to the passing of major external events, Generations can be identified by internalized cultural experiences shared by members of a Generation. Many definitions of Generation Y span over 20 years, such as 1977-2000. Thus, different sub-cohort's of this generation will remember different cultural experiences and the passing of different fads, crazes, and manias.

Some of the major cultural events that are often associated with Generation Y include:

[edit] Trends/problems among Generation Y members

As with previous generations, many problems began to surface as Generation Y came of age.

  • Underage drinking and illicit drug use is still prevalent among high school and college age members of Generation Y. In urban areas, rave culture was known for its influence on Ecstasy usage. Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and inhalants seem to be most favored[5].[citation needed] Drug usage prevails even in spite of (and, in some cases, because of) most Gen Y members undergoing programs such as D.A.R.E. during childhood.[6] However, statistically, today's teens are less likely to smoke, drink, do illegal drugs, get pregnant, commit a crime, or drop out of school than their counterparts in the 1970s. [7]
  • The use of legal prescription medications illegally is an emerging trend of Generation Y, including the appearance of "Pharming parties" where youths trade, share, and try each other's prescription medications. [8]
  • Generation Y is prescribed, in relative terms, a much greater number of pharmaceuticals than previous generations, [citation needed] with many Generation Y-ers prescribed antidepressants and other behavior-altering drugs like Ritalin, which has existed since the 1950s but was seldom prescribed before the early 1990s based on evidence supporting its pharmacological etymology prior to the 1990s. [citation needed] It is interesting to note that Generation Y is more depressed and world aware than any generation previous, which has led the Generation gaining a stereotype as the "sad generation."[citation needed]
  • Childhood obesity is another health problem that has plagued Generation Y, and X before them. In response, many local school boards have started to remove junk food from school cafeterias in an effort to reverse this trend.[citation needed]
  • Members of this generation are facing higher costs for higher education than previous generations.[citation needed]
  • As members of Generation Y in the United States begin to enter colleges and universities in large numbers, some of their Baby Boomer parents are becoming helicopter parents. Many college advisors and administrators worry that this could have a negative effect on Generation Y's social progress, ego, and developing maturity.[9]

[edit] Generation Y Famous People and Cultural Contributors

Further information: List of people of Generation Y

[edit] Firsts

[edit] Technology

This generation was the first generation to use or witness the following technology from an early age:

[edit] Culture

These are the events that this generation experienced while coming of age:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Scenes from the Culture Clash" Fast Company January/February 2006, pp 73-77.
  2. ^ brandchannel: Dr. Pete Markiewicz: Who's filling Gen Y's shoe's?
  3. ^ William Strauss and Neil Howe Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069:Perennial; Reprint edition (September 1, 1992)
  4. ^ CDC report- Table 1-1. Live Births, Birth Rates, and Fertility Rates, by Race: United States,1909-2000
  5. ^ http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/HSYouthtrends.html
  6. ^ The Effectiveness of D.A.R.E., Richard Clayton, University of Kentucky [1]
  7. ^ "Drug Survey of Students Finds Picture Very Mixed" by KATE ZERNIKE, New York Times, 12/20/05}}
  8. ^ Time Magazine, August 1, 2005.
  9. ^ The Wall Street Journal, 7/28/05.

[edit] External links

[edit] Film

[edit] Foreign

[edit] General

[edit] Generational Succession

Preceded by
Generation X
(1961-1965) – (1980-1981)* [citation needed] [3]
Generation Y
(1976-1982) – (1995-2001)* [citation needed]
Succeeded by
New Silent Generation
2001 – TBA**
 * NOTE: These years are estimates only based on the sources referenced above, the exact year ranges of the generations are debated, different sources state different start and end dates.
 ** NOTE: The term New Silent Generation is a placeholding name used by demographers Neil Howe and William Strauss to describe the generation born after Generation Y. It is in no way a widely accepted or official name for that generation.