What is the Millennial Generation?

More likely than not, you are a millennial. What makes you different than other generations before you? A new Pew Study outlines some of the major differences. Millennials are the most diverse generation in U.S. history: 61 percent are white, 19 percent Hispanic, 14 percent black, and 5 percent Asian. That contrasts with those 30

More likely than not, you are a millennial. What makes you different than other generations before you?

A new Pew Study outlines some of the major differences. Millennials are the most diverse generation in U.S. history: 61 percent are white, 19 percent Hispanic, 14 percent black, and 5 percent Asian. That contrasts with those 30 and older, a group that is 70 percent white.

More politically active and politically different than any time since the 18-to-20-year-olds have had a vote, the millennial generation played a part turning out in large numbers for President Obama in the 2008 presidential election.

The study also found that millennials are voracious users of new technologies, from smartphones to social networking sites. While blogging is in decline, the use of micro blogging and social media has sky rocketed.

Judy Woodruff talks to Pew Researchers to find out what these millennial characteristics say about the future.

Quotes

"Well, I text about 150 times a day. I go check my e-mail every day, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, tag, all the, you know, social sites, so, yes, the iPhone. You know, I play video games all the time." Joseph Mickens, member of millennial generation

"Arguably, this is the most consequential generation of young adults, perhaps since the baby boomers, who famously made a lot of noise in the '60s and were part of a counterculture movement." Paul Taylor, executive vice president, Pew Research Center

"Young adults both use the technology as it's presented to them, as designers created the technology, but they themselves also change the technology in the way that they use it, in ways that, in fact, the designers maybe never anticipated." Amanda Lenhart, director, Pew Internet and American Life Project

Warm Up Questions

1. What do you know about these generations: Generation X, Baby Boomers, Generation Y

2. How are young people today different than young people 50 years ago?

Discussion Questions

1. Do you agree that diversity, technology and politics are most important to this generation? Why or why not?

2. What do you think is the unifying factor of millennials?

3. Before today had you ever heard the term millennial? Where? What does it mean to you?

4. Do any of the statistics surprise you about the millennial generation? Why or why not?

Additional Resources

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Generation Next

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