The Millennial Generation - Essay Example

? The Millennial Generation Who are the Millennial Generation? The Millennial Generation or Generation Y as it is commonly called directly follows the Boomer Generation (Generation X). According to Neil Howe and William Strauss’ Millennial Rising’, the Millennial Generation refers to those born after 1980 and would graduate high school after 2000. The generation in spite of severe traumatic events demonstrated positivity and is considered to be extremely optimistic which would contribute to their academic success and our economic growth. According to Julie Coates author of Generational Learning Styles, expressed that this generation is the tech savvy generation-members of this generation know more about digital technology than their parents or teachers. This for sure will have positive effects on how families interact and communicate and how young people relate to school and learning. Considered to be the most diverse generation in history and born to the most diverse parents as well. Coates further notes that Generation Y combines the can-do attitude of Veterans, and the teamwork ethic of Boomers. For this group, the preferred learning environment combines teamwork and technology. In a classroom with lots of Gen Y's, give everyone a task. When a few have completed it, encourage them to walk around the room and help others. They're used to working this way in school. Presently, according to newspolitics.net, the Millennial Generation is larger than Baby Boomers, but how much bigger depends on where you put their beginning and ending birthdates which currently has no census. The report also stressed that like Boomers-the Millennial Generation will affect the country in various ways. The Millennial Generation is a very unusual generation and analysts William Strauss and Neil Howe noted that Generation Y are civic-minded, politically engaged and hold values long associated with progressives such as; concern about economic inequalities, desire for a more multilateral foreign policy, and strong belief in the government. The economy has taken a great interest in this generation. They are a more highly targeted market segment than past generations, and carry significant purchasing power, though of a different nature than that of previous generations of teens. Sophia Yan-author of understanding Generation Y stated that Members of Generation Y are characterized as being more racially and culturally tolerant than past generations. Gay rights and non-traditional gender roles have also become more widely accepted. Generation Y is ground-breaking in the sense that its members have come of age in a both a politically and socially tumultuous period with constant bombardment from various media outlets. As the first generation to have easy access to the Internet, ways of thinking have changed rapidly. As Generation Y goes to college and penetrates the work force, the landscape of America may change even more dramatically. Generation Y has been growing up in an increasingly diverse and multicultural society where barriers of race tend to be disappearing. According to the 2002 U.S. Bureau of the Census, 37.6 % of Generation Y, they are non-White (Strauss, 2004). Because of their diversity, The Millennial Generation is more accustomed to a wide range of global and cultural viewpoints, and their acceptance and tolerance is reflected in all areas of their lives, public as well as private. Characteristics of Generation Y The Millennial Generation has a specific set of characteristics (positive and negative) and personality traits that defines individuals of that era. 1. They have a closer relationship with parents and develop pure bond of admiration for their parents (33% names one or both parents as their hero, rather than a pop culture celebrity). 2. The small sphere of influence has contributed to the creation of a generation that is, in general, more polite and considerate than their predecessors. They are less likely to call adults by their first names, but rather use the more formal Mr. or Mrs. 3. Programmed and team oriented. Some college administrators believe that many of Generation Y's have "lost the sense of pure play." They expect everything to be planned for them and do not expect to have as much freedom - or responsibility for structuring their educational lives. 4. Pressured to succeed. The Boomers, parents of the Gen Y generation, pressured themselves to succeed and also transferred that pressure to their children. In addition, just as Boomers have lived in a world where there is increasing competition for resources, Generation Y has done the same. Members of Generation Y are also very open and eager. Students are responsive and "very smart" according to some faculty. 5. Stressed. Compared with five years ago, 81% of college mental health service directors reported an increase in students with serious psychological problems. Pressure to succeed is one reason identified by some counselors. 6. Having spent a large percentage of time in structured activities, they are accustomed to having a lot of adult supervision. Thus, they may have poor conflict resolution skills. Influential Factors of the Millennial Generation People unanimously agree that Generation Y is more smarter-in terms of being technologically advanced, more reproductive and entrepreneurially high spirited. It is sometimes a wonder-what makes them so unique or what were the definitive activities or events that contributed to molding this generation. A web article by the Gen-Y Group (June 3, 2008) described four major influential events that are responsible for such generation characteristics. First they described the 9/11 attacks. The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York was the most shocking attack in the US history! New York Magazine reported 2, 819 deaths in one day. The article stresses the importance of the event as it thought Generation Y the value of life. The second event that the article cited was the dot.com bubble. Then in 1991-2001, stock markets in the US saw remarkable growth due mainly to internet sectors and related fields. Hundreds of millionaires invested in IT companies. Due to its large focuses on increasing market share and little attention being paid to the bottom line-the bubble busted in 2001. Coincidentally or not this event aligns with Gen-Y morals-which is ‘larger risks yield larger potential profits’. Therefore, Generation Y, they are risk takers. The third event reported by the Gen-Y Group was the Columbine High School Shootings which took place on April 20, 1999 where 14 students were killed and 23 injured all at the hands of two serial killers. The occurrence of this incident caused Generation Y to be more open-minded and culturally respectful. Compared to previous generations-Generation Y is more cohesive. The fourth influential event that helped to mold this generation was the Presidential Elections of 2000 and 2004. These two elections concerning George W. Bush are among the most controversial in history. These elections led the Millennial Generation to become involved and politically active, and also to question what they don’t agree with and to challenge what doesn’t seem right. An online publication of USA Today (Apr 17, 2007) by Sharon Jayson and Maria Puente stated that the Millennial Generation has every right to be melancholy generation but they are not. Instead the trauma that they have faced made them more irrepressible according to those who have studied them. When interviewed one millennial stated: “It has not been easy to grow up in the USA. This horror helped my generation just kind just kind of realize you’re at a great time in your life and you should enjoy it while you can because you never know” (Silos Pugatch, 24 years) This augments the fact that the Millennial Generation is optimistic about life and it is probably another factor that is responsible for the continued blossoming success of this generation. It is rather intriguing that amidst all these traumatic events and effects it can have on persons-a generation is being formed that will play an important role in furthering technology and improving industrialization ns building our economy. Brandi Carlile –A Millennial “I live everyday like there’ll never be another one till they’re gone”- Brandi Carlile Carlile was born on June 1, 1981 and is a Gemini and is the oldest of three children. She grew up outside Seattle in Ravensdale, Washington, where she was isolated by neighbors but surrounded by her music. (Interview with Maureen Palli, May 2007). Her mother Teresa Carlile was a singer and that presented her with the opportunities of exploring the potentials of such a career. By the age of eight she had made up her mind. She started practicing and the listening to the most influential people around her; whom she notes as-Elton John, Patsy Cline, Freddy Mercury and Queen, Johnny Cash and Ray Robinson. In an interview with Jessica Layne Carlile stated that her early years were strongly influenced by her mother, Teresa Carlile, a local country and western singer. At 8 years old, Brandi performed Roseanne Cash's "Tennessee Flat-Top Box" at the Northwest Grand Ol' Opry and was immediately hooked by the lure and applause of the audience. Under her mother's watchful eye, Brandi continued giving live performances and cultivating her musical talent. At 16, Brandi got a job with her best friend as a backup singer for an Elvis impersonator, who also happened to be her best friend's father. By 17 she had taught herself to play the guitar and piano, had long been writing songs, and had just discovered rock and roll. In the said interview with Palli, she expressed that living out her dream of a musician to her feels like a hundred different things every day. In an interview with The Independent (2008) Carlile revealed that as a teenager she was diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and that she struggled in high school. She eventually dropped out to focus on her music career. Before in another interview with The Western Front (2002), Carlile proclaimed herself as a lesbian. “In Seattle we used to have our gay pride parade on Capitol Hill — the gay area in town on Broadway. I used to love that it was up there because I knew all the great spots and me and my friends would play music and hang at our favorite restaurants and feel safe, etc.”- “So the LGBTQ community decides to move it — to Fourth Avenue downtown. I was really bummed because being in the Gay area was more comfortable for me. Fourth Avenue is where Seattle has all its other parades: Torchlight, Seafair, etc. People bring their kids and it's really diverse. I understand now why we moved our gay pride parade to downtown Seattle. Attendance has quadrupled. It's finally one of the parades; you see tons of straight people, media, and kids. What you're seeing is the perfect combination of multiculturalism and assimilation: a real celebration of diversity where everyone is celebrating, not just the diverse”. (Brandi Carlile commenting on her sexuality, shewired.com, 2009) Kim Ruehl, author of ‘Brandi Carlile’ stated that in 2004, Carlile finally signed a deal with Columbia Records, and continued recording throughout that year. The resulting album, Brandi Carlile was recorded partly in studios in Seattle, and partly in her home in Maple Valley, Wash. Since then, Carlile's career has taken off at rocket speeds. She was named one of Rolling Stone magazine's Top 10 Artists to Watch in 2005, and was invited to sing backing vocals for the Indigo Girls on their album Despite our Differences She's toured persistently throughout the US and around the world with artists like Sheryl Crow, Ray LaMontagne, Train, Maroon Five, and others—as well as selling out headlining dates around the world First and foremost, the characteristics of Generation Y previously described in this paper may not be reflected in every individual in the millennial generation, neither will all characteristics be present in any of those individuals. However, more than likely, at least one of the characteristics mentioned will be present in the millennial individuals. With reference to Brandi Carlile, after research was carried out does in fact possess a couple of the characteristics and personality traits mentioned about the millennial generation. Undoubtedly again, her music has extensive influence on the millennial generation. She can be considered a spitting example of a millennial individual, what they endure, what they believe and their drive to succeed. Works Cited Page Coates, J. Generational Learning Styles, (n.d), honolulu.hawaii.edu, retrieved from: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/GenY.htm FACETS, understanding the Millennial Generation, (n.d.) uswp.edu, retrieved from: http://www.uwsp.edu/education/facets/links_resources/index.html Layne, J. Interview with Brandi Carlile, (n.d) allthingsnewengland.com, retrieved from: http://www.allthingsnewengland.com/new-england-arts-and-entertainment/music-articles-reviews-and-interviews/264-brandi-carlile-interview.html New Politics Institute, Progress Politics of the Millennial Generation (Jun 20, 2007), retrieved from: http://www.newpolitics.net/node/360?full_report=1 Palli, M. Brandi Bio (May 2007), againtoday.com, retrieved from: http://www.againtoday.com/documents/brandi_bio.html Ruehl, K. Brandi Carlile (n.d.), about.com, retrieved from: http://folkmusic.about.com/od/artistsaj/p/BrandiCarlile.htm Shewired.com, Brandi Carlile’s Giving up her Ghosts, (2009) retrieved from: http://www.shewired.com/PrintFriendly.cfm?ID=23861 Yan, S. Understanding Generation Y, (Dec 6, 2008), The Oberlin Review, retrieved from: http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2006/12/08/features/Understanding_Generation_Y.html Read More