Millenial Generation...

Also known as Generation Z, according to strauss and howe, those born from about 1981 to 2000. i was reading some stuff about generations and how their general attitudes are effected by their surroundings and how they in turn view and effect the world, and the patterns are pretty interesting. i was just wondering what your take is on the new up-and-coming generation, and even the one after (i suppose 9/11 would be the cutoff point between the two, since it was the major event of recent times).

Here's some comparisons that i've found on the net between gen x (born appr. 1960-1980) and gen y.

GENERATION X VS THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION - A MORE SERIOUS LOOK GENERATION X (most graduate students, postdocs, and many assistant professors):


GENERATION X:

* Beat the Pill (first generation to be planned)

* Delivered to dual careerists (parents were first to do this, feeling their
way along).

* Divided by divorce (divorce rate of parents three times previous
generation)

* The evil child syndrome (Rosemary's Baby most popular move in 1969)

* Classroom crisis (unstructured, free-flowing classrooms, particularly in
elementary school).

* Weaned on Watergate (cynical)

* Patterns of pathology (drugs, crime)

* Reganomics retrospectively (major shift in wealth from young to old)

* Recessionary realities

* The left out generation (similar to Lost Generation of early 1900's)

Current traits:

* Independent (they were raised this way)

* Pragmatic (want to get to the bottom line)

* Alienated (at least cynical)

* Rogues as heroes (Madonna , Denis Rodman)

* Personal attention please (what they didn't get as a child)

* Now! (when they want it)

* Techno-kids (value and are comfortable with technology)

* Information over introspection (just the facts please)

* Three little words (want work that is interesting, fulfilling, and fun)

* Keeping options open (want choices)


THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION:

* The child comes with the package (always doing things for the kids)

* Life as an organized activity (always doing things with the kids)

* Omnipresent threats (parents on guard - Internet, AIDS, drugs, movies,
vacant lots, and even some institutions).

* A topic of discussion (they come first to their parents)

* On center stage (center of attention, even when in groups)

* In the line of fire (parents have very high expectations)

* Long-term plans (get into the right preschool)

* Outside help (any sign of mediocrity is met with help from all sorts of
experts)

* Well-coached; bred for success (parents highly invested in outcomes).

Traits (what to expect when they enter college):

* Integrated into the system (have not experienced institutional failure, are
optimistic)

* Receptive to advise (hard to believe, but true0

* Accomplishing fixed goals (clear notion of what they want to do)

* Taking technology for granted (they expect it, thus faculty get no points
for providing it)

* Willing to work hard (expect to work more than 40 hrs/wk)

* Little self-reflection (haven't experienced much loss)

* Coaching over counseling (even the best have coaches)

* Re-emergence of the group (groups are the place to shine).

agree? disagree?

ive always felt like i belong in gen x. i am too introspective and serious for the mllenial generation, but most of that is very accurate.

the thing about pre-school makes me laugh. i think my parents switched me three or four times.