By 96five NetworkFriday 28 Jul 2017LifeReading Time: 2 minutes
Article written by 96five Intern – Jari Smith
It’s a tough bite to take and 96five never wants to generalise a whole group of people or their abilities and intentions.
However, fair or not, we give labels to generations (presumably to help future generations understand history and culture). Generations, including millennials, are defined by the broad tendencies that tie them together. For instance, Baby Boomers are known for being born during the post-war rise of standard of living and the rise of the nuclear family unit. Then societal changes disrupted those trends and Generation X came to be.
First, we had to find out what a millennial is – because let us tell you, there are contradictions! But we finally settled on the most current respected answer by researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss, who say people born 1982-2004 are classed as millennials. This begs the question – Does Gen Y exist? But that’s a question for another day!
According to a news.com.au article, millennials are extremely lacking in life skills. 96five is definitely conscious of painting a whole demographic of people with the same brush. But we appreciate how the article didn’t focus on the laziness and entitlement of millennials, rather it drew attention to outside influences (technology) that may have impeded young people’s ability to effectively communicate and complete tasks without a computer or phone.
The article has some good points about technology – we no longer have to speak to a human to order a pizza or car ride, or to complete a university degree or plan a holiday.
Are millennials any different to their older counterparts?
Our team here at 96five was curious about this issue. Hearing all the definitions given to millennials over the past few years – good and bad – we decided to ask a few people some questions that may give some insight.