What we talk about when we talk about Millennials
Next week I’ll be on a panel to talk about Millennials for a local public television show. The title: “It’s tough being me: Who are the Millennials?”
I’m not fit to speak on behalf of a generation, but I think I have some insight into the lives of those born in or after 1980. For one thing, I’m (barely) one of them, having just met the cutoff as a 1981 baby.
More importantly, for the past 5.5 years I’ve observed high school seniors and college students in their natural habitat. I’ve managed the social media accounts for Marquette University since 2008. It’s my own accidental longitudinal study.
Social media is where teens and early 20-somethings share their uncensored and unfiltered thoughts, feelings and beliefs. I see a different side than they show their teachers, parents and employers. And I have to understand their culture and what makes them tick to be relevant.
I’m 32 with two kids, so I don’t feel like the stereotypical Millennial portrayed by the media. But I also find myself explaining and defending kids these days to others my age and older. I feel like a proverbial middle child trying to keep the generational peace.
Granted, the students I follow on a daily basis is a small and skewed sample size. I have no quantitative research. But I’ve decided to compile the trends and patterns I view firsthand as a way to gather my thoughts for the panel.
Disclaimer: These are random and by no means exhaustive. Feel free to add your own.
They use the tools available for self-expression
I’m sure the first caveman that painted a mural on a stone was accused of being a narcissist and/or boring. But that’s what we humans have always done. We document our lives, from the sublime to the mundane. Millennials are no different — they just have different tools today. There are many reasons we share our lives, from cultivating public image (e.g. Facebook and Instagram) to journaling and self-discovery (e.g. Twitter and Tumblr). Now, Millennials have plenty of options and they take advantage.
Their meaning of privacy is different
As much as they share online, Millennials don’t do it indiscriminately. They’re probably the only generation tech savvy enough to figure out Facebook privacy controls. Then when they started migrating to Instagram and Twitter, they protected accounts to communicate only with a close group of friends. Snapchat goes a step farther with messages that disappear, and you have to select exactly who receives it. This encourages them to open up more to each other as long as they feel they’re in control.
They’re selective about sharing
The communication theory of reciprocity means the more you’re willing to share about yourself, the more someone will be motivated to share with you. Self-disclosure is a building block of close relationships. Millennials are using technology for selective self-disclosure, with tools like facetime, Skype, and Snapchat. “If you want to have friendships on Facebook, you need to part with some of your information to make it worthwhile for someone to friend you,” says my Marquette University colleague Dr. Scott D’Urso, who has studied Facebook privacy. “The more information you share in some ways, the more interesting you might appear to other users.”
They crave customization
The days of mass media dictating your choices are disappearing. One size fits all is dead. Millennials have grown up being able to choose who and what they want to listen to, watch, play and converse with. Naturally, they expect some degree of input and customization in almost all areas of their lives. For example, as soon as acceptance letters went out at Marquette, students starting scrambling to find a roommate in the class Facebook group, 7 months before classes start.
They’re anxious about jobs
Millennials can hardly remember a time in their life when the economy was in good shape. At the same time, they’re graduating with more student debt than ever before. There are more educated Millennials and fewers jobs to go around. As a result, they’re focused on getting their careers off to the right start. Most students I know have held multiple internships, often at the same time. The Millennials I know are hard workers who are hyper-involved in school, work, internships, jobs, clubs and extracurriculars. I believe this in part arises from pressure and competition to get ahead and pay off their debts.
They’re still growing up
Some complaints about Millennials — that they can be self-centered, entitled, impatient — are certainly true in some cases. If you search “are Millennials” in Google, the autocomplete options that come up include “selfish,” “lazy” and “narcissistic.” But similar accusation were brought against hippies, the Me Generation and slackers before them. I’ve seen students grow, mature and change over four years. Give them time and remember you were once young, too. If you lose patience with Millennials, remember the famous Al McGuire quote: “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.”
