Who are the Millennials?
The millennials are the group of people born between 1980-1995, or some stretch this from 1980-2000, and this category primarily means the group of people born to at least middle class families in the US. The term millennials might be used interchangeably with Generation Y, Gen Y, Igen, Echo Boomers or Internet Generation. By popular vote via the Internet for ABC, many in this group voted for millennials as their favorite term. Much discussion of who and what the millennials are has entered the mainstream, especially as children born in the 1980s enter the workforce or are already in it. Generalizations about this group are easy to find. A 2007 60 Minutes report had many people bristling with rage. It described this generation of kids as having been coddled by parents, repeatedly told they’re special, been overscheduled, and less “responsible” in terms of getting summer jobs than previous generations. This generation, according to Morley Safer, was given a world of all carrots and no s
The Millennials, Generation Y, the Digital Generation, Echo Boomers… whatever they’re called, the children born between the years of 1981 and 1993 are shaking things up in the workplace. Unwilling to conform to traditional standards and yet surprisingly savvy about the way business and the world work, Generation Y is demanding that companies adapt to their needs. This paper outlines behavioral characteristics, defining life events and work styles of the millennials. It’s intended to inform and inspire executives as they hire Generation Y to work in their organizations.
As Claire Raines wrote in 2002 in a master article about their characteristics: Born between 1980 and 2000, they’re a generation nearly as large as the Baby Boom, and they’re charged with potential. They’re variously called the Internet Generation, Echo Boomers, the Boomlet, Nexters, Generation Y, the Nintendo Generation, the Digital Generation, and, in Canada, the Sunshine Generation. But several thousand of them sent suggestions about what they want to be called to Peter Jennings at abcnews.com, and “Millennials” was the clear winner.
