The 6 characteristics of the millennial generation

A summary of the characteristics of generation Y, or millennials, to understand how they think.

The millennial generation, also known as generation "Y" or millennial generation, is composed of people born between the 80s and 90s.

Today, this group of adults is the first digital native generation, and has several distinctive characteristics that are qualitatively different from those that characterize the previous generation, "gen X", and the one that followed it, generation Z.

In this article we will see what are the main characteristics of the millennial generation.The millennial generation, taking into account that this group is composed of mixed age ranges.

What are millennials like?

Each person has unique psychological traits, but for several decades, the social sciences have been working to profile characteristics statistically associated with various generations. This is because it helps to understand cultural and behavioral dynamics when applying policies or other measures tailored to that group of people.

For example, if a company wants to launch a product designed for millennials, it makes sense for it to study the way this generation thinks and behavesTheir values, their concerns and interests, etc. For this purpose, research techniques such as focus groups, surveys, psychological experiments, and others are applied.

Generally speaking, the millennial generation is characterized by being flexible in many aspects, and can even be unpredictable compared to previous generations, in which it is easier to establish clearer and more recurrent patterns of behavior.

This is largely due to the fact that the group of people belonging to this generation has been influenced by the media for as long as the media has existed, which has allowed them to learn from many different has allowed them to learn from many cultural backgrounds.. Through these changes, which became faster and faster, millennials also began to advance in terms of incorporating the Internet and these cultural products into their daily lives.

Characteristics of the millennial generation

Now we will see a list that includes the main characteristics of the millennial generation, taking into account several factors that have influenced them.

1. They are digital natives

The members of generation Y began to learn about digital media during their childhood, and in their adulthood they reach a world where digital media predominate.In their adulthood, they arrive to a world in which digital media and Internet-related technology predominate.

Therefore, in their natural process of development, the handling and understanding of these new technologies is highly internalized; in some cases more than others, that is clear.

2. They have a greater capacity for multitasking

Because they have grown up in a world in which immediacy is becoming more and more common, and with Smartphones they can perform several tasks at the same time, millennials have a great capacity for multitasking. have a great capacity to tackle multiple tasks with a good level of attention for each one of them..

This capability is not necessarily limited to electronic devices; that is, a millennial does not have to be dependent on a smartphone to multitask, but is able to extrapolate this capability to other aspects of his or her life.

3. Higher level of academic preparation

Generally speaking, Generation Y has had greater opportunities in terms of academic preparation.

The training processes gradually transcended the classroom to become personalized learning styles. In these new styles, each person has greater control over the subjects he or she delves into, and does not depend solely on what he or sheand does not depend solely on what the teacher teaches during the hours of the course.

Apart from all that, there are now distance learning models where people can comfortably learn from home, in front of the computer. This has made one of the characteristics of the millennial generation to be their ability to learn on their own. their ability to learn on their ownoften without the need of a teacher.

4. They are citizens of the world

Although they do not leave their country of origin, the millennial generation is largely made up of people who know and identify with people and cultures other than their own. identify with people and cultures other than those of their native country..

For example, someone born in Venezuela can meet a person from Argentina through the Internet, and begin to feel identified with the customs, and in general terms, with the lifestyle of that country.

5. They are more demanding

Millennials are people with a tendency to look for good results, they are aware that nowadays there are the necessary resources to do things in the best way.

This tendency does not only occur at the moment of purchasing a product, but they are also demanding of themselves when it is time to perform a certain activity.

6. They look for a job that defines them

Another of the most distinctive characteristics of the millennial generation is that they seek to feel identified with their work. they want to feel identified with their work.. This is something that did not happen with previous generations, in which the most important thing was to improve economically and professionally.

To summarize

To summarize the characteristics of this generation, we can conclude by saying that millennials are highly linked to new technologies, although not necessarily limited by them.

Howard Gardner, in his book entitled "The App Generation" proposes the terms "App dependent" and "App competent", referring to the fact that people can use technology in such a way that it serves to promote their personal competencies or to limit them. It will depend largely on the personal characteristics of the subject and his or her environment.

Bibliographical references:

• Guerin, J. (2019). Millennials, seniors are fleeing cities in search of affordable housing. Housing Wire.
• Jackson II, Ronald L.; Jackson, Ronald L.; Hogg, Michael A. (2010). Encyclopedia of Identity. SAGE.
• Kottasova, I. (2016). British Millennials: You've stolen our future. CNN.
• Meriac, J.P.; Woehr, D.J.; Banister, C. (2010). Generational Differences in Work Ethic: An Examination of Measurement Equivalence Across Three Cohorts. Journal of Business and Psychology. 25 (2): pp. 315 - 324.
• Strauss, W.; Howe, N. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. Nueva York: Vintage Original.
• Thompson, D. (2011). Are today's Youth Really a Lost Generation?. The Atlantic.