Gen Y is taking over. The generation of young adults that's composed of the children of Boomers, Generation Jones, and even some Gen X'ers, is the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers and three times the size of Gen X. As the Boomers fade into retirement and Gen Y takes root in the workplace, we're going to see some big changes ahead, not just at work, but on the web as a whole.
There's some contention over where exactly Gen Y starts and stops - some say those born 1983-1997, others think 1982-1997. In this week's Entertainment Weekly, Gen Y is defined as "current 13 to 31 year-olds" and BusinessWeek says they can be as young as five. Regardless, we know who they are - they're the young kids of today, the most digitally active generation yet, having been born plugged in.
They're Plugged In: The term "digital native" applies to most Gen Y'ers. Those in Gen Y grew up around computers, the Internet, mobile phones, video games, and mp3 players. They are web savvy multitaskers, able watch TV, surf the web, listen to music, and talk or text on their phones, often performing several of these things at the same time.
TV Isn't King: Although you'll find some Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of "The Hills," and other shows, they aren't watching TV as much as other generations do. Instead, Gen Y'ers spend more time surfing the net and using other devices, like iPods and Xboxes, even when it cuts into TV viewing. For them, TV is often just "background noise."
They Don't Care About Your Ad, They Care What Their Friends Think: Because they are immersed in media, both online and off, Gen Y'ers are marketed to left and right. But when it comes to making decisions, Gen Y tends to rely on their network of friends and their recommendations, not traditional ads. "Ads that push a slogan, an image, and a feeling, the younger consumer is not going to go for,'' says James R. Palczynski, retail analyst for Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Instead, they respond to "humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth." They're also somewhat distrusting of ads, which is why grassroots efforts can also work. However, don't get too comfortable, Gen Y doesn't have brand loyalty - they're quick to move the next big thing.
Work Isn't Their Whole World: Sure, they're going to go to work, but it had better be fun. For Gen Y, work isn't their identity. It's just a place. Gen Y sees no reason why a company can't be more accommodating, offering benefits like the ability to work from anywhere, flex-time, a culture that supports team communication, and a "fun" work environment. They're also not going to blindly follow orders just because you're the boss. Sometimes dubbed "Generation Why?" they need to "buy in" as to why something is being done. Old school bosses may find their questioning insubordinate behavior, but they would be best to just change their management techniques and adapt. Gen Y hasn't known much unemployment and they're not going to put up with being treated poorly just for sake of a paycheck. (Bosses, your survival guide is here).
They're Socially Conscious: Gen Y cares about the world. They pay attention to politics, the economy, social causes, and environmental issues. They think they're a force to be reckoned with in elections and follow the candidates online on social networks. They read the news, but not in newspaper format, which is is going to hurt that industry even more as time goes by.
Since Gen Y grew up on the web, they're going to be the driving force behind the way the web of the future is shaped. What Gen Y wants from the web will be the web.
Internet TV: Although watching TV online is something that few Boomers do, Gen Y is perfectly comfortable with this. They time-shift content all the time, not only on the web but via portable devices and mp3 players, too. When it comes to TV on the web, a recent study showed Gen Y leading the way when it comes to internet TV viewing:
Socializing Rules...But They Want to Control It: Gen Y thinks a truly "private" life is a crock. 54% have used MySpace, Facebook, or some other social network. Most of Gen Y had to learn the hard way about the perils of posting everything online. As they've aged, they realized blogging their every thought and posting those embarrassing pictures might have hurt their jobs prospects at times, so now some of them are interested in more privacy on their social networks. They're happy to continue over-sharing with friends, but also learning how to protect their updates and set their profiles to private. They're also wary of old folks, like their boss, trying to "friend" them in their social space, especially if they're tragically un-hip wannabes.
But that's not to say their over-sharing is going to stop - Gen Y is getting into lifestreaming too, streaming live video via services like Yahoo! Live. In their own world, they're celebrities. Says Jason Barg, a 2004 graduate of Penn State University and founder of an online real estate company, notoriety is more about standing out from the crowd. "A primary goal of people my age is not necessarily to become famous but to become distinctive," he says.
Marketing Has To Change: Because Gen Y is media savvy and conscious of being marketed to, brands that succeed in the future will be those that open a dialog with their customers, admit their mistakes, and essentially become more transparent (save one notable exception, apparently). Companies' web sites that want to attract GenY'ers will become more like today's Web 2.0 sites. Social networking will be just a feature. Blogs will be standard ways for companies to reach their customers. Customer service won't just be a phone call away, it will be available via non-traditional means, too. Today, savvy companies might be using Twitter, but that could change at any time if Gen Y moves on. Companies will have to keep up with Gen Y and not get too comfortable using any one format. (Oh, and you can stop calling everything "viral" - that's lame.)
Work Tools Need to Mirror Web Tools: Gen Y will drive adoption of "Enterprise 2.0" products and services. Gen Y in the workplace will not just want, but expect their company to provide them with tools that mirror those they use in their personal lives. If socializing on Facebook helps them get a sale, then they're not going to understand why they can't use it at work. For more buckled down companies, if workers aren't provided with the tools they want, they're going to be savvy enough to go around I.T.'s back and get their own.
Companies wondering how Gen Y wants to use these tools at work should take a look at this - Sacha Chua's Gen Y Guide to Web 2.0 at Work (made for IBM):
Web Sites Will Need to Cater to Shorter Attention Spans: No more long boring text! Thanks to constant media input, Gen Y has shorter attention spans and their "grasshopper minds" leap quickly from topic to topic. (They also didn't read this whole article...too long!)
Mobile Web? Yes Please!: Gen Y will be happy to adopt the mobile web - they are practically glued to their phones. Currently, Gen Y is using the mobile web to socialize, not search. Steve Ives, Taptu CEO, in a company whitepaper, Making search social: Unleashing search for the mobile generation, concludes that "...Generation Y, who sees the mobile as a social device first and an information device second, is not using today's mobile search as much as expected. But Generation Y is using mobile phones to access social networks."
Ignoring the voices of Gen Y is something you should do at your own peril, especially if you're a business looking to hire, a company selling a product, or an advertising firm trying to reach them.
Some good resources I've found recently for following Gen Y trends comes in the form of blogs (you know we love RSS here at RWW!). If you're interested in this topic, you might want to subscribe, too. See below the list for additional subscription options.
This article is just meant to highlight some of the ways Gen Y will impact the future of the web. What other ways can you think of?
Image credits: Who's going to Hire a Gen Y? Picture: Anthony Weate; Hates Ads: debairdTrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.readwriteweb.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/3973
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They are going to change organizational culture from the bottom up!
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2008/05/a-change-from-t.html
Posted by: Beth Kanter | May 15, 2008 11:51 AM
I think they will be the ones who really drive the mobile web. The phones are finally getting good enough to surf the web in a reasonable manner, and more interesting services are being created because it isn't as difficult.
Timing is everything.
Posted by: Rob D | May 15, 2008 11:53 AM
For a second I thought you were describing me...
But just like Rob D said. I think the mobile web is gonna change drastically because of generation Y.
Posted by: MrCooker | May 15, 2008 12:05 PM
Sara, this is a terrific post!
Also see: http://www.slideshare.net/ashwinl/nasa-geny-perspectives
Posted by: Elliott Pesut | May 15, 2008 12:18 PM
ok, i'm confused. This sounds just like me and I'm a "gen x'er".
Posted by: maxCohen | May 15, 2008 12:19 PM
Thanks for the plug. I really enjoyed your article, and I did actually read it to the end, despite the link that said I wouldn't! So much for Gen Y stereotypes =D
Posted by: Monica O'Brien | May 15, 2008 12:22 PM
Brilliant article! As an end of Gen X'er on the cusp of Gen Y, I was nodding my head during the entire article even though my coworkers thought I was going insane. Especially identify with the part about buy-in. I've been very lucky in my job with that, but I have left previous positions for that reason.
Posted by: Keith Newhouse | May 15, 2008 12:31 PM
Really great post, Sarah. One thing that Gen Y lacks as a result, is patience. This includes me, born in 86.
Posted by: Andrew Dobrow | May 15, 2008 12:55 PM
This post is absolutely, without a doubt, BRILLIANT! It is quite simply the best thing I've read all year. I am going to share this with everybody who will listen, you nailed it all right on the head, and spotlighted several issues that me and my friends have been trying to work through in an area that is horribly behind on technology.
Posted by: Shawn K | May 15, 2008 1:08 PM
This is an excellent post Sarah!
Posted by: aldamiz | May 15, 2008 1:17 PM
Well to sum up this article.. no ish sherlock. Of course younger people will have different cultural values until they grow up. How about this for a summation... gen 1950's consumed content by listening on the radio.. then when tv's came out.. gen 1960's visually watched content on guess what... the tv. gen 70's and early 80's had to use land line phones.. then oh crap.. they gen 90's had mobile phones. gen 90's had slow internet connections .. now gen x has broadband .. how insightful is my writeup
Posted by: cease | May 15, 2008 2:18 PM
Thanks for the interesting post, particularly the link through to the New York mag feature (which I read right the way through)! I'm 22, which probably puts me at the oldest end of this "Generation Y", but it's not a term I've heard used here in Britain.
Online, I'm at a bit of a halfway house. I've had an internet connection of some kind for about ten years, I regularly email friends, post on forum sites anonymously and I have a fairly popular website. However, that website's content is nothing to do with me as a person (it's about non-profit broadcasting) and I've never had a MySpace profile or even looked at Facebook. I know I *should*, everyone around me is on Facebook in particular, but I find it all a bit creepy, especially people whipping out cameras at any gathering of three or more people! I tried Twitter, as it seemed like very little effort, but I couldn't even be bothered to keep that updated. I do feel a bit left-behind, but what can you do?!
Posted by: Andy | May 15, 2008 2:42 PM
The possibilities on the web are mind boggling. By encouraging their participation there is huge opportunity. The beautiful/unfortunate thing is that most of the people in business today don't get it. Opportunity and possible headaches result, I think the opportunity part is bigger. Exciting!
Posted by: Jess | May 15, 2008 3:35 PM
@ Andy. Get an RSS reader. Find blogs like this one that you find interesting, subscribe, read and enjoy.
RSS in plain english - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU
RSS Reader - http://www.google.com/reader/view/
Good luck!
Posted by: Jess | May 15, 2008 3:39 PM
Please get rid of that "I'm a Mac" idiot and put Bill Gates in!
Posted by: steveballmer | May 15, 2008 3:43 PM
What a great and comprehensive article. I myself fall slightly out of the Gen Y by about a year, but i feel that i can identify with much of the generation. Also, i'd say that early adopters in general are exempt from generation profiling. Most folks at many of the web/tech/interactive conferences i meet are pretty gen agnostic.
Also, have to add, that i love the RWW OPML feeds, do you keep a repository of them?
Posted by: michaellambie.org
|
May 15, 2008 3:45 PM
Looks like a clash of etiquette/communication is in the works. I've seen texters and phone surfers in action, and it can be socially disruptive... As in, 'Hey, I'm talking to you. Put down the crackberry.' Some people are this way with TV.. if there's one nearby they'll tune out of a conversation and lock on. TV is pretty passive, though. Social networking and texting/twittering takes engagement. Hard to imagine how to reach an audience with an important message in 144 characters or less. However, with a link, a tween can be treated just like an AdWords ad with a landing page.
Posted by: Phil Dunn | May 15, 2008 3:51 PM
What an excellent and powerful post. As you stated "Since Gen Y grew up on the web, they're going to be the driving force behind the way the web of the future is shaped". It is a shame so many school districts do not see that. We need school districts to realize that they are catering to Gen Y and that they need technology and their tools in order to stay interested.
Posted by: Sherry | May 15, 2008 4:21 PM
Well I'm in what you would call the "Crusty" age, old as dirt.
What I see here is young people thinking they can just "Cruz" though life, not working hard and having fun. Well your competitors (China, India, Japan and a bunch more) will eat your lunch and make you poor, because they are disciplined and don't play like Gen Y will. You will be the leaders of a third world nation, or residence in another country, taking orders, working hard and paid well.
Get a grip. Listen to your elders.
Posted by: SkipM | May 15, 2008 4:23 PM
You are absolutely right. The Gen Y is influencing not only the way we market to them. But marketing as a whole. The Media barrage and carpet bombing of ads is a thing of the past. The network and word of mouth marketing is what is going to rule the future of both marketing and management.
Posted by: Erik Johnels | May 15, 2008 5:50 PM
Going to? The many millions of visitors to my blog are Gen Y, they took over a while ago, which is why my blog gets more traffic than yours, I cater to them.
Gen X is best defined as anyone reaching adulthood in the 80s, most of these people aren't online much. When you consider Netscape didn't exist until the end of 1994, most people born before 1979 finished college, found a job, started a family without ever using the Internet, now they check their email on the weekends, maybe.
Gen Y is the first generation really using the Internet.
Posted by: Ferodynamics | May 15, 2008 6:03 PM
Although you'll find Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of "The Hills,"
I'm completely offended by that sentence.
Posted by: dmix | May 15, 2008 7:13 PM
I've been telling people variations of the same thing. There was a pretty big hoohah when I spoke at a conference and said Gen Y doesn't read the newspapers but gets everything "fed" via rss or Twitter or IM or Facebook online. The older generation doesn't believe it, but it's true. So if they want their products to reach us, they'd better start with finding out where we spend our time!!
Posted by: Daryl Tay | May 15, 2008 7:14 PM
That's right.Thanks.
Posted by: Kosol | May 15, 2008 8:09 PM
Know what I'm sick of? Old people telling me how I supposedly behave and what I supposedly want.
Posted by: Bob | May 15, 2008 8:20 PM
Some great points, particularly Gen Y (sic) are glued to their mobile phones. But I'm not sure where you get your numbers. GenXers are 28% larger than Boomers and a smidge larger than Gen Y (Millennials). 2005 US Census data plus Strauss and Howe's generational theory will show this.
I offer that GenXers just don't need to be noticed to be effective, preferring, often, to be left alone for maximum effectiveness. They tend to prefer to a job well done, rather than a job well noticed. ;-)
Can you tell in which generation I land?
Posted by: JessieX | May 15, 2008 9:08 PM
@dmix - Point taken. I guess that didn't work. My point was that Gen Y may get caught up into fandom surrounding one particular TV show, but in general, TV is not their only, nor their main, form of entertainment.
Posted by: Sarah Perez
|
May 15, 2008 9:13 PM
@SkipM
People in India and China waste time having friends and being in romantic relationships too, so maybe they are just "Cruz"-ing through life as much as Generation Y Americans.
Posted by: Reginald | May 15, 2008 10:00 PM
Covered this in some presentations I held this year. Check out this slideshow to get more input on this subject:
http://www.slideshare.net/ronnestam/foreign-presentation-on-innovative-communication-at-the-2008-european-snowforum-livigno-08
Posted by: Johan Ronnestam | May 15, 2008 10:23 PM
Nice reviews and summary! :-)
Posted by: GenYers.org | May 15, 2008 10:26 PM
oh god, cliche upon cliche upon cliche, sounds like a reader's digest article, or us weekly being thoughtful
belief in all these categories is a pure self-limiting concept play, and totally ignores the role of awareness, consciousness, intelligence, energy that totally transcends generation .... it implies limits, and that just ain't so
crikey!
Posted by: gregory | May 15, 2008 10:35 PM
If one reads recorded history, in majority of cases new generations have usually been a bit more enlightened than the past, it's simple evolution. Gen Y may not care as much about publicizing and over sharing aspects of their personal lives because they are not as self conscience as previous generations. The less educated, insecure and fearful one is the less one is willing to share. The Gen Y generation seems to be a bit more brave as have many generations compared to their previous.
I don't think there is anything earth shattering about this generation as evolution is a VERY slow process. As far as mobile web, yes it will grow in popularity until a more user friendly device/gadget is created as mobile/smart phones are not very user friendly (interface/keyboard is difficult to type into). As voice recognition tools improve, mobile devices will improve as you won't need to key in text on a ridiculously small keyboard (however if Gen Y miraculously grow smaller hands and toothpick like fingers, the keyboard issue won't exist and that development would be more interesting than Gen Y caring less about a paycheck, etc). This was an excellent and thought provoking post. Keep it up! Thanks.
Posted by: Peter T Webshop | May 15, 2008 10:47 PM
Ditto Sarah. Not only good post but great dialog in the comments. As a generation-x dad of a generation-y daughter, I tend to agree with almost everything you wrote. More than half of my X peers didn't retrain or gave-up a long time ago. I still maintain that they Y's can learn 'a little' from the X's (Book to follow :)
Posted by: Charlie Anzman | May 15, 2008 10:59 PM
The myth of Gen Y being socially conscious is built on the amazing affluence of the US in the last twenty-five years. I predict the volunteering ethos of Gen Y to end abruptly when their parents stop paying for insurance, rent, and iPods.
Nothing like a mortgage or a job loss to shake the tree. The real question is whether this generation, if it runs into real economic trouble, has what it takes to bounce back.
No one knows, because they haven't been tested. Before you get all fist-pumping jazze over traffic and social networking sites, take a look at their credit card bills and student loan debt. Reality won't be pretty when Mom and Dad turn into a net drain on the economy in a few years.
Posted by: Jim Durbin | May 15, 2008 11:24 PM
If anyone gets this far down, I am interested in the leadership style of Gen Y.
It strikes me that many Gen Y have been consumers - there are brilliant puppet masters out there (see I love bees). On the whole though, Gen Y don't interact with puppet masters. They don't negotiate the game itself.
Where do they get experience of managing the game, and if they never take responsibility for the game itself, how will they react when, for example, their own Gen Y and Gen Z subordinates hold them responsible for the resources and climate in a department?
If you are interested in this too, please drop me a line on my blog.
Have a good weekned.
Posted by: Jo | May 15, 2008 11:43 PM
Ughhh..what about Generation X - I think they're the ones who are going to change the web, Gen Y (which is 1990-2000) are still in their infancy, ok not really but they're not even out of college yet.
Posted by: TVSpy | May 16, 2008 1:10 AM
Sarah,
Great post. I would love to interview you for Y Talk Radio. Send me an e-mail to bea@millennialleaders.com if you are interested. I think the thing that is interesting is that Gen Y is living the way we all want to live, and Gen Y is the first generation to finally have the guts to stand up and ask for what they want. The rest of the world just sits and sulks over not getting the life they want, so for Gen Y...more power to ya!
Posted by: Bea Fields | May 16, 2008 4:06 AM
Facebook is NOT innovation
Posted by: JJ | May 16, 2008 6:33 AM
Great post, Sarah.
I was born in 1980 and believe that year marks the start of this generation.
We were on the cutting edge back in the early-mid 90s, chatting on IRC and AOL, installing Linux, teaching ourselves programming languages and participating in open source projects. In college, we moved to AIM and web-based forums. We were on Myspace the day it launched in 2003.
Having now been in the work force for 6 years, I'm hoping to be on the cutting edge of the "Enterprise 2.0" movement and to help shape the "social shift" staring business dead in the face.
Posted by: Jeff Brewster | May 16, 2008 7:02 AM
This was a very insightful post. We all need to be thinking about Gen Y because before we know it their presence will be significant.
One sentence summed up the whole article and I will take it with me:
"What Gen Y wants from the web will be the web."
I'm 31 and I feel like I'm on the cusp of the culture associated with the upcoming generation. At the same time I feel very old in the presence of a 20-25 year old. The internet was common place for them while it was barely there when I was in high school.
Posted by: Matt Mikulla | May 16, 2008 7:42 AM
maxcohen said "ok, i'm confused. This sounds just like me and I'm a "gen x'er"."
You think you're confused? I'm at the tail-end of the "Boomers" and it sounds a lot like me too. :) I can we can all be multigenerational if we adapt.
Posted by: Vicki | May 16, 2008 8:05 AM
This may be the most insightful, thought-provoking post I've read on the Web this year to date. I am of Generation X (39), a small collective of pioneers who I like to think paved the way a little bit for Generation Y. We brought the world Nirvana and grunge, Hotwired, Suck, and the first real wave of Web culture starting in 1993-94.
Anyhow, the last point especially interests me as a software/web developer who frequently works with organizations and companies struggling to "get" the Web:
As Generation Y shifts into 4th and 5th gears and really starts taking over the workplace, they are going to expect and demand that their day-to-day "tools" work and feel like Facebook, Flickr, Mint, and the other Web 2.0 tools. The ad-hoc Access databases and Excel spreadsheets that run so many organizations aren't going to fly any more, and companies that fail to innovate are in for a heap of trouble.
Posted by: Generation X | May 16, 2008 8:13 AM
I did not finish to read your whole article but I jumped to the link about Apple & Steve Jobs.
Yeah, I hate reading to looooong articles. I prefer reading to the other's comments and del.icio.us linkbacks.
Posted by: Carlos Hernandez | May 16, 2008 8:57 AM
Why Generation Y will NOT change the Internet.
http://www.michaelcastellon.com/2008/05/why-generation-y-wont-change-internet.html
Posted by: Doug | May 16, 2008 9:04 AM
No more long text? What the hell do you call this article? Bunch of ADD morons going to change the world? Fat chance, it's already been screwed by the "Greatest Generation" and the one that came before it.
Posted by: Gen X | May 16, 2008 9:07 AM
I think the author needs to realize that:
1. No one will pay you to work only the way "You want to."
or Pay you to have fun."
Work is Work. The real world expects results, and it wants them yesterday.
2. The older generation isn't "fading away" They're better paid, more experienced, and still as poignant as ever.
Posted by: The Big Bull | May 16, 2008 9:24 AM
Fine if you have a steady , constant and growing stream of oil. Otherwise , this whole article isn't worth the binary digits it's printed on. How about this? Gen Y becomes Gen Serf as in you know "The Serfs". Wake up!!! it's time to die
Posted by: kaiser | May 16, 2008 9:24 AM
Don't try to use catch-phrases and slogans like "Web 2.0" -- or even "Generation Y" -- with savvy internet users if you want to be taken seriously.
They're not a generation. They don't need to be understood as a generation. There's no such thing as a generation.
They are people. Individual people. And while some people born around the same time may share certain influences, they can't be lumped together and categorized, any more than the so-called "Generation X" or any other group of people born between two arbitrarily set dates.
Posted by: Damon | May 16, 2008 9:29 AM
it's good to see that they have inherited the baby boomers sense of entitlement and unrealistic world view.
GenY, as some previous posters have noted, is competing not primarily competing with GenX, or Americans at all. They are competing with offshore Indians, Philippinoes, and Chinese.
For many in this offshoring world, work IS their life. These people don't value culture, they don't care about fun, and they will damn well follow orders because you are the boss.
They are ruthless competitors who will do whatever they need to get ahead. They will eat these young punk up like they were candy, crap them back out again and then sell the feces back to America.
Good luck GenY, hope you like flippin burgers.
Posted by: unholyguy | May 16, 2008 9:35 AM
Sarah,
Great post but I'll play Devil's Advocate. :)
http://datainsightsideas.com/post/35037689
Posted by: Dave Ambrose | May 16, 2008 9:45 AM
Im one of those gen y thingy!
13 years.
Yes that is my every day life.
seriously not kidding that is what i do every day :-)
(but except two things:
1. PRIVCACY MATTERS i learnd this the somewhat hard way (;
2. I did NEARLY finish the article (except 5 lines :D)
Posted by: Phil | May 16, 2008 9:50 AM
"compromised of the children of Boomers"
I think you mean comprised...
Posted by: Jeff | May 16, 2008 9:51 AM
Maybe I am looking at this wrong but the date ranges given in the article seem to be off. Starting at 1983 would make the oldest Gen Y 25. 31 years old would be 1977. Just thought i would point that out. Otherwise, an awesome article.
Posted by: Dan | May 16, 2008 10:02 AM
"Although you'll find Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of 'The Hills',"
I'm completely offended by that sentence.
Posted by: liftedmedia | May 16, 2008 10:46 AM
Generation Y is Generation i
I and I have grown up with the Internet and advanced technologies. We speak and understand its language, and it is very much a part of us and our every day lives. Even more, it's a wired passion…. living and breathing. Generation i is already changing the Web.. as it will transition from a virtual cyberspace to a real Life Platform facilitating and connecting individuals from Online to Physical Reality. Social Networks will be more than places to make friends and hang out, they will help solve life's problems and allow individuals to realize maximum potential by analyzing behaviors and processing logical decisions. Answers. The Web is Official Artificial Intelligence and Generation i is it's Semantics. The Web/Machine is I and I. Let's connect, share, collaborate, educate, empower, and grow to make this World a more harmonious place! It starts with YOU instantly, integrating with the Internet Evolution or Revolution?
I and I Respect
Devin H. Calloway
04/02/1985
Posted by: Devin H. Calloway | May 16, 2008 10:47 AM
I read through the whole article...
Posted by: phil | May 16, 2008 10:53 AM
Based on your dates, I'm a Gen Y'er. I think you hit on a lot of points that are vaild, but some of these are only true for certain people. For example, I read the entire article (it's not long at all). Even though these are trends that my generation tend to display, they're still only trends. We all have our own personalities which affect how we use (or abuse) our media savviness.
Not to mention, "The Hills" is an awful show.
Posted by: andrew | May 16, 2008 11:02 AM
Interestingly enough, I feel like most of what was said about "Gen Y" applies to me, and I'm a Gen X'er. This is exactly why I - being the good Gen X'er that I am - hate labels and attempts to pigeonhole people and things by superfluous characteristics.
We're freaking individuals, damnit, not "generation this" or "generation that."
Posted by: Phillip Rhodes | May 16, 2008 11:43 AM
We brought the world Nirvana and grunge
This is why I'm ashamed to be associated with the phrase "Gen X." :-(
But in truth, most of us had nothing to do with that ridiculous, record-label manufactured, totally artificial phenomenon. Grunge == "Boring music for boring people."
Posted by: Phillip Rhodes | May 16, 2008 11:47 AM
Too Long! Get to your point!
Posted by: Gen x | May 16, 2008 12:12 PM
I can honestly tell you (as a small company), that it is definitely important to be transparent and available to customers in a public forum.
It's really good for them to answer questions, helps you understand what new needs people may have, and for the growth and trust of the business.
A
Posted by: resveratrol | May 16, 2008 12:24 PM
Working for an employer who lags in adapting new tech, especially social/business networking tech, is insufferable.
If I can be more productive when working from home, then for goodness sake let me work from home when appropriate!
Just because I'm texting, typing, or clicking while you're talking doesn't mean I'm not listening -- unless, of course, I'm really not listening, in which case you're probably just not worth listening to... GET TO THE POINT! :P
People please stop talking loudly on cell phones in restaurants, in elevators, in transit, and anywhere else I'll be forced to listen to one side of a conversation at length.
Thou shalt be clear and concise in all forms of communication.
And finally, being digitally connected to the world is a great tool and we are all superior to those who don't know how to use it. But some things take simple sweaty hard work to accomplish, so get to work son!
Posted by: Josh | May 16, 2008 1:33 PM
Short attention span but socially conscious. Seems rather mutually exclusive to me. At least to me, being socially conscious implies you understand the problems you are trying to mitigate. Anything else is just imitation rather than "conscious" behavior.
I managed to read the whole article but there isn't any chance I'll read any of the comments sorry.
Posted by: Ben R. | May 16, 2008 4:51 PM
When I think of Generation Y, I think of whiny children who have iPods and cell phones when they're six years old and are put in time out instead of spanked. I think of teenagers who whine about oppressive rules instead of protesting or challenging them as the Boomers and Xers would have. I think of a bunch of kids with the attention span of a gnat who don't know how to capitalize, spell or punctuate and have probably never read a book in their lives.
The USA is doomed.
Posted by: OmegaWolf747 | May 16, 2008 6:58 PM
(They also didn't read this whole article...too long!)
you right about that :D
Posted by: Qbrushes | May 16, 2008 11:46 PM
One thing that worries me about my generation is that we all ignore and openly hate ads but we also think that everything should be free, but unfortunately NBC and MySpace don't run on pixies and fairy dust alone, they also need money, and unless you are going to pay for the service you're going to have to look at some ads.
Posted by: Michael | May 17, 2008 2:40 AM
i was born in 89, i am definitley gen-y.
i can tell you, we dont care about the world. we pretend to.
gen-y is defined, in my opinion, as the generation who cares about nothing and no one. its really quite hollow.
Posted by: Patrick | May 17, 2008 4:41 AM
i am also sure that gen-y will have to do speed of their bedside table just to get out of bed and then take e in the day so they don't kill themselves.
gen-x had cocaine.
the boomers, i guess, must have been on smack.
who knows maybe gen-z will just be stoners.
Posted by: Patrick | May 17, 2008 4:59 AM
Hi Sarah,
I am 61 years old but reading your blogs I feel that I belong to your Gen Y.I don't know why I say that .However you are the future.
Posted by: mohammed lahbib tidjani | May 17, 2008 10:16 AM
Good summary. Thanks for putting it together.
The Internet, for most people, became available in the mid-90s. Technology is advancing fast, and is dramatically affecting education, business, and communication. The current generation and technology have a symbiotic relationship. The Web is changing Gen Y, and Gen Y is changing the Web.
As for what's true of Gen Y, I'd say that it's going to be harder to put any generation in a box, if we ever could. Gen Y doesn't like to be categorized.
Posted by: Seth | May 17, 2008 2:00 PM
This is a good commentary on the uses of technology by this generation. But it's important to remember that generations are not defined by technology - in fact it is culture that decides what technology is adopted, rather than tech shaping culture.
And frankly, "GenY" is not a very useful term. It has been repeatedly re-defined since 1994, when it was people born 1976-1994 accd. to Ad Age. Others have defined it as 1970-now. Hmmmm, it seems like everyone below a certain age wants to claim membership in this generation!
The Business Week article was using the more specific William Strauss & Neil Howe of Lifecourse definition of "Millennial" (born 1982-2002), for which they have developed a lot of evidence.
Dates wouldn't matter if generations were only about "tech" but in fact technology is only a small part of a generation's unique features. Generations are also shaped by the child-rearing beliefs in popular culture when they are born, and by the history of the era in which they grow up.
With this in mind, one can understand why GeoCities didn't develop into Myspace, and Bijou Cafe didn't turn into YouTube, despite similar business models. It wasn't just slower bandwidth - the concept of social networks was, and is today, less attractive to GenX. This his little to do with tech, and a lot to do with the personality archetype of Xers.
Call them Millennials, Echo Boomers, or "GenY" (ugh), this generation has strong non-tech features affecting their future as employees. One of the most important is that they are very close to their parents - the famous Boomer "generation gap" came to an end with their children. This means that companies, like colleges and universities before them, are going to deal with parents showing up at work to support/defend their kids.
Another non-tech but relevant feature of Millennials is their apparent arrogance - the way they want the corner window a week after being hired. Older gens tend to see this as an attack on their authority. But as a group, Millennials worked less outside the home in their teen years, and many never received allowances. Instead, they are used to negotiating everything they want from an authority figure - sort of a "Cosby Show" approach to the work world. What seems arrogance may simply be well-meant offer to haggle.
There's more that could be said, but employeers should remember that tech is only part, and not even the major part, of what is necessary to understand this generation.
Posted by: Pete Markiewicz | May 17, 2008 3:30 PM
"Work Isn't Their Whole World" This is the most agreeable statement, I love the picture too.
Posted by: D | May 17, 2008 4:01 PM
Gen Y: A bunch of spoiled, self-indulgent, self-important, ignorant, rude, crude, obnoxious, grandeur filled imbeciles.
None of you have a clue as to how ANYTHING actually works! So what would you do if all electronics ceased to operate. Fall over and whine that it's not fair, while you suck your thumbs is my bet!
A simple solar flare would end your pitiful me, Me, ME attitude! Can;t happen? Check your Sun cycles, when is the next one due?
What about weapons designed to disrupt communications?
Are you fools going to impose YOUR will on the entire universe? How dare the Sun or the Military stop MY fun, right? There are numerous ways the Internet, cell phones, etc. could be screwed.
Do the world a favor : Don't pollute the Internet with any more of your sanctimonious crap.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | May 17, 2008 6:59 PM
Posted by: Cartman | May 17, 2008 7:05 PM
Yes and no - social will be just a feature, but promotion still counts: see here.
Posted by: Brian Robinson | May 17, 2008 8:00 PM
Lol, I didn't read the whole article! That was great.
Posted by: The Neon Wind | May 18, 2008 10:51 AM
Flextime is real nice in the workplace. Of course, with fed. regulations requiring 40 hrs per week it's impossible in most places to work 32 hrs one wk then 48 the next.
Of course, the place that allows the highest percentage of flextime jobs? The Federal Government. Hypocritical assholes. Maybe Gen. Y can change that.
Posted by: CtB | May 19, 2008 3:28 AM
Very interesting post, but it does us all a disservice by pitting groups against each other. It may provide extra traffic on your blog, I guess. By putting everyone in a box, it attempts to separate us, rather than stimulate creative discussion.
"Boomers fade into retirement..." ? Think again, and take another look at the demographics and the org charts. We're all bozos on this bus.
Posted by: Barry Everett | May 19, 2008 8:25 AM
Gen X was able to change the web with Yahoo, Google, flickr, etc because Gen X was raised by coked-up boomers who ignored them. Gen X grew up making things interesting and finding their own way.
We played pickup games in the street, excluded people we didn't like, chose teams, beat the crap out of each other, had the crap beat out of us by our parents, and played in playgrounds with metal poles and concrete. We were not placed on pedastools. Accomodations were not made for us. Therefore, we do not have an overinflated sense of our own value. We learned that actions have consequences. Cracking our heads open on the pavement taught us how to take risks, how to strategize. If I wanted to spend the night at Angie's, I had to ask days and days in advance. There was no text. No cell phones. No last minute plans. If I wanted a privilege, I had to earn it.
By contrast, today's youth expects to be rewarded for participation, not excellence. It's far more plausible that Gen Y will slow down the web with gratuitous progams that don't do much more than frill-ify the existing framework. This post is way, wayyyyyyyyyy off the mark.
Posted by: myself | May 19, 2008 10:43 AM
I really enjoyed the above article!
I'm a grad student and study young adults' new communication technology use & political information. I'm currently working on a study that examines social network site use and political info.
I think the below statement from the above article should be qualified given recent reports by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
"They think they're a force to be reckoned with in elections and follow the candidates online on social networks." Although this is true, the article seems to implythat this is the action of the majority of young adults.
A study published early this year shows that, of those young adults who get political info online, only about a quarter use social network sites for political info. (That study can be found here: http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/Pew_MediaSources_jan08.pdf)
Overall, you make a very good point and, as I stated, I really liked the article!
Check me out: http://interrobangblog.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Matt K | May 19, 2008 10:46 AM
Good summary. Although it is only a summary. And that's where the challenge lies. You mention that this generation doesn't want stardom but distinction.
How do you summarize a generation looking to be individually distinct. This points to any standards or overarching assumptions to be instantly obsolete.
I enjoyed the post but take exception to what web sites will need to incorporate. As the first truly digital generation, Ys will have no interest in performing the same tasks at every location. Domains are dying outside transactions. The truly successful web players of the future will incorporate and embrace outside tools that already work rather than recreate them just to keep up the walled garden within their domain.
Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Posted by: Cory Hendrickson | May 19, 2008 11:10 AM
Good article Sarah. I somewhat disagree with your comments concerning Gen Y in the workplace. Facebook is merely a socializing tool and i really don't see how universally applicable it would be as a way of doing business (its embedded already as an alternative to socializing IRL) Traditional corporate organization methods must still be in tact, but rather we build on it with the tools you mentioned...wikis, blogs, etc.
Simply put, how can we expect to compete with such lean, cutthroat global competition with the disorganized methods that cater to Gen Y? I am a gen y in college and i do not see how my peers are going to be the successful startup innovators who define the American dream if work to them is simply $ making socializing.
It's one thing to acknowledge Gen Y's "grasshopper ADD" behavior, but it's another to fully accept it as the new way of how businesses should be transformed.
Posted by: Jim | May 19, 2008 3:10 PM
While this is an excellent article, sometimes I get annoyed when we're described as some sort of race of super-multitaskers, constantly on the phone while doing any number of things at the same time. While I'm sure that a number of my peers are like that, I've done research at my college which says that it's really just a limited number that act this way.
Granted, this isn't really fundamental to the article, and like I said, it's very well written. But way we are portrayed at the beginning does come across as a little bit sensationalist.
Posted by: James | May 19, 2008 4:01 PM
seriously?
take it easy, the market defines you...they know you want faster, more streamlined, more graphic, easy-to-obtain-and-master formats and content. so they'll feed it to you when it's ready. they stand to make a lot of money watching you eat. it's not the demands of a particular generation, it's the supply of a culture of business.
it's funny to read these comments of gen y'ers loving the act of being defined. you demand fun! how courageous!
you spend hours reading and writing self congratulatory and vitriolic posts about half-read de-contextualized unattributed posts! rebellion!
seriously?
calm down.
generation y eats the fruit planted and pollinated by generation X who leased the farm and bought the seed from the baby boomers that bought it just to sell it on money borrowed from the war babies while the greatest generation dies off wondering why the oranges have no taste.
Posted by: been around to see enough | May 19, 2008 10:42 PM
Just look at how Gen Y (and Gen X-ers acting like Y's) have changed the local directory markets. Yelp (along with Upcoming, Last.FM, Tupalo, Welovelocal, etc) are quickly becoming the tools used for finding which restaurants, bars, clubs and cafes your friends are at.
We don't care about newspaper or magazine reviews, or even one line phone book entries in the Yellow Pages. Local advertising is going to get turned on it's head in the coming year.
Posted by: mike | May 20, 2008 1:49 AM
I'm old enough to hear the same thing about generation X, and the generation preceding that ...
... fact is, they've done nothing yet but hopefully will as the article aspires, mold the where the web is going.
I think they're up to the challenge once they get past the sense of entitlement and self-indulgence that plagues this particular generation both in the media and in the workforce.
Now if you don't mind, I'm just going to sit back for another 10 years and wait for a similar article on generation Z.
Posted by: Dean Peters | May 20, 2008 2:17 AM
Max - there's not a lot of difference between Gen X and Gen Y. People said these sorts of things about my high school and college classmates in the mid- to late-90s. Like Keith, I'm at the tail end of Gen X. but I can't see any appreciable difference between my way of interacting with the world and the ways the Gen Y'ers I work with use.
Posted by: Aaron | May 20, 2008 3:50 PM
i am against any Gen-actions! nice article!
Posted by: Utube4U | May 21, 2008 1:58 AM
Good news
Thank you for the informations.
Posted by: kraloyun | May 21, 2008 4:19 AM
Love this article...And from a law firm perspective, Gen Y’ers are going to change the way lawyers work, as well. They’ll be more productive than the older set… http://lawyerkm.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/attorney-20-generation-y-in-your-law-firm/
Posted by: Patrick | May 21, 2008 8:47 AM
I find it very interesting that some supposedly educated, 'experienced' members of older generations are so immature and bitter in their comments about 'Gen Y.' The point of talking in generalities about different generations is to examine some of the similarities that people in that group share- OBVIOUSLY these things (positive or negative) do not apply to every individual. Anyone who espouses the view that ALL Gen. Y people are lazy thumb-sucking babies who would curl up into the fetal position and die if they couldn't use their cell phones and ipods 24/7 and have 'fun' all the time at work is irrational. Furthermore, with a spiteful attitude like yours, why would any youth look to you for knowledge and guidance? Do you think young people are incapable of sensing your disdain?
Posted by: Kristin | May 22, 2008 12:04 PM
Young people are incapable doing much of anything that requires thinking.
I hope they do sense my disdain!
One day they will realize the truth about themselves.
Posted by: Cartman | May 22, 2008 3:32 PM
Ahhh stereotypes, a kernel of truth in them all. I wonder if social networking sites will change our lives and the way we do business the way email did. Will governments have to regulate? See my thoughts on this an other policy issues at: http://canberrabureaucrat.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Canberra Bureaucrat | May 23, 2008 5:26 AM
This is a topic I'm really passionate about, and I think Gen Y, Millenials, whatever you want to call them -- have already changed the Web. here's my take: http://tinyurl.com/68chve
Posted by: Ross Popoff-Walker | May 23, 2008 9:29 AM
Ryan Healy posted an interesting article about this at Employee Evolution. It talks about how Gen Y is going to reinvent the workplace... http://www.employeeevolution.com/archives/2008/05/23/10-ways-generation-y-will-change-the-workplace/
Posted by: Monica O'Brien | May 23, 2008 3:17 PM
Well now...this seems to me as the goldfish equation!
You know...every little fish thinks that their fish bowl is the best!
Don't count the Baby Boomers out yet...
And more power to you, when your time comes! But you had better start working on it now...The 60's came and went with it the 70's and low and behold the millennium and so forth. Time is like sand in an hour glass.
Remember, don't sell out!
World peace,
Sharon
~The Baby Boomer Queen~
BabyBoomerAdvisorClub.com
Posted by: Sharon | May 23, 2008 11:09 PM
So what you're saying is that Generation Y is stupid, shallow, idiotic even, with no intergrity and is an allaround downfall of humanity.
"They wont understand why they cant use Facebook for work"
I completely agree though, i just dont think this should be taken for granted and stuff should be done to counter these extremely negative effects of internet. Soon noone will even know why privacy is a good thing and people will do things only so they can say they did it on their blog. World is becoming an increasingly stupid place to live in, with less and less individuals and more and more people who just want to be like everybody else. Boooooooring. There are things that matter in life too you know, like love, selfrespect, respect for others, friendship, health, values, healthy lifestyle... Don't think internet is better just because it's easier to manage your friends through a IMS, and find "love" through categories. We're getting completely detached from reality of life!
Easier is not always better.
Posted by: click | May 24, 2008 8:00 AM
I think I'm Generation Y trapped in a Boomer body. Please transplant me.
Posted by: Joe | May 25, 2008 5:54 AM
Another example of Gen Y -- We are a group of MBAs that are running an amazon webstore as part of a WEB 2.0 technology course. All proceeds go to charity through http://www.globalgiving.com.
Technically inclined consumers that value low prices can check out the site - http://www.discounts.amazonwebstore.com
-QuntEdge
Posted by: QuintEdge | May 27, 2008 1:30 PM
Ryan Healy is the Man ! here is his post again, over at Crystal-d (their blog focuses in on leadership & employee motivation techniques) on how Generation Y will fundamentally change corporate America. It is already started. Managing Gen Y is the hot topic among consultants, Human Resource executives and talent management professionals. Slip over there to check them out.
Posted by: Nocat | May 28, 2008 6:04 AM
Sorry - this post is nonsense!
This could easily have been written in 2000 and no one would have disagreed with it.
all teens play with the latest technology and hope to use that experience to add value to their worthless careers - some will, most won't! Those that do are the ones who have the patience to read the instructions!
Gen Y are likely to be big sufferers of the next depression - and having the skills to upload a facebook profile, text friends while playing online games won't make you a wage when all the smart money is in the east!
This is 1928 - dance while you can!
Posted by: F0ul | June 2, 2008 2:46 PM
Have You Heard Of the Web Directory!
Website directories are dedicated sites that list links of other websites in an organized and categorized fashion. Many of them are general in nature offering a plethora of website categories to choose from while others many tend to keep it simple but one topic of interest such as fashion.
If you are a website owner, this may be the right choice to optimize the exposure of your site. When creating a website and marketing the same, the website directory is often overlooked as being a solid tool for advertising. Because many of these sites are edited by humans and not by a machine, the amount of rank given to a particular website can be higher than can be reached by other methods. The website link is reviewed after submission and set in a category where it will gain the most exposure. This process is no different than what many of the search engines prefer to do also.
More traffic will begin to flow to the website you have listed in the website directories. It might seem like it takes time to submit the site to so many directories but in the long run, it will be well worth the time spent to do it. Some submission software allows for the listing of one site to hundreds of directories at one time. Those who do not list their optimized website in a website directory may have done excess work for no return. This type of listing needs to be a regular part of the SEO routine of a webmaster or SEO company. It is an essential part of getting your website noticed by the general public.
The majority of the directories are free to list and only ask that a link be added to the website being reviewed to provide a reciprocal link to and from. This is also a good way to promote your website because of the fact that the website directory will grow in size and popularity and will provide more people to your website as a result. Because of the fact that many of the website directories are run by humans and not machines, wiki type technology has been created to help sort out the thousands of websites and help relieve the burden on the webmaster.
Follow the guidelines to the letter when submitting your website to make sure it is listed properly. Your website needs to be designed correctly and completely before it is sent in or it will be denied entry into the directory. It also needs to be professional and not sloppy as this too will prevent it from being accepted in the website directory. Your keywords and information needs to be organized and easy to find as the users are looking for these very things when searching. However, it is also essential to understand that the website will be reviewed and listed in a category that represents the whole website and not as a result of specific pages as with a search engine.
Posted by: Zee:- | June 5, 2008 8:51 PM
I was at the top of my game on the 80's with my Casio DataBank watch and my cassette walkman!
It's not the technology, it's us!
Proud not to be called any of those gen-whatever clowns!
Posted by: Joel Mismo | June 7, 2008 11:34 PM
In my experience as a Gen-X working with Gen-Y I see the difference in concept of entitlement. Gen-X tends to need to 'earn' the respect in the workplace such that the bosses want their "buy-in"
Posted by: Aaron | June 8, 2008 2:45 PM
Hey thanks for this article, I really enjoyed it. Although I am a tad bit older then the GenY, I would fall into the video game generation. I guess I should start making video games, anyhow, this is all cool and I am excited to see where GenY is going to take us.
Kicken times,
Richard Ogima
Posted by: Richard Ogima | June 11, 2008 1:20 PM
This is an incredible article describing the new generation to the T. The old generation and their companies must adapt. The old days where it takes meetings and committees months or years to okay a simple layout change on a website is over. Results are immediate.
Blocking sites such as Facebook that could help employees make a sale is a mistake- they will waste a few hours trying to figure out how to get around it...and they will. Once they do, they'll be using it anyway. Embrace social networks, don't block it.
Oh, and don't block Gmail, as one of my former employers did. I see no need.
Posted by: Erica DeWolf | June 11, 2008 11:52 PM