“You’re talking about a younger generation, Generation Y, whose interpersonal communication skills are different from Generation X. The younger generation is more comfortable saying something through a digital mechanism than even face to face.”   – Erik Qualman

By Michelle Post

Generation Y surpassed the baby boomers in 2016 as the largest living generation in America with 75.4 million according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One of the first things to discuss are the many names for Generation Y. The first name given to this generation was Generation Y or Gen Y for short, but then it was changed to millennials due to the year 2000. Additional names for this generation comprise: Gen Next, Nexsters, Gen Why, Internet Generation, MyPod Generation, Baby Boomlets, Echo Boomers, Boomerang Generation, Generation Now, Generation Wake Up and the Peter Pan Generation.

We will use the name Generation Y for clarity sake. Generation Y is the children of younger baby boomers and Generation X, born between 1981 an 1997. They are more open minded about controversial topics than their parents. Pew Research said Generation Y, “are more ethnically and racially diverse than older adults. They’re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in American history.” These technologies and services have been founded by Generation Y entrepreneurs: Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Quora, Mashable, Instagram, Lyft, Airbnb, Snapchat and WordPress.

Here are just a few of the significant events that have occurred from the birth years of Generation Y: the Iraq-Iran War began and ended, AIDS epidemic outbreak, Sony released the portable CD player, Princess Diana married Prince Charles and later died, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, Chernobyl disaster, 1987 stock market crash, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the World Wide Web is invented, Gulf War begins and ends, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the LA riots, end of apartheid in South Africa, bombings of the World Trade Center and Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the Euro is released and Google is founded.

What are Generation Y’s characteristics regarding (1) Core values; (2) Family; (3) Money; (4) Technology; and (5) Work? Generation Y’s core values are comprised of: civic duty, sociability, diversity and optimism (just to name a few). This generation came from merged families, have a high tolerance for multicultural families, and have received trophies for just showing up. Generation Y believes you earn to spend and that money is for fun. Generation Y is the digital generation, for it has been using technology since birth. They love technology and devote more time on their cellphones than watching television. Technology is their BFF (Best Friend Forever). This generation wants a fun, flexible, highly creative and collaborative work environment. They seek structure, respect and advancement – quickly.