Why Generation, Y Generation or Generation Y?

Y Generation


One of the readers sent this to me, about Y Generation;

People born before 1946 were called The Silent generation.

People born between 1946 and 1959 are called The Baby Boomers.

People born between 1960 and 1979 are called Generation X,

And people born between 1980 and 2010 are called Generation Y


Why do we call the last group Generation Y?

I always thought it was because they say.... you know;

Y should I get a job?

Y should I leave home and find my own place?

Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?

Y should I clean my room?

Y should I wash and iron my own clothes?

Y should I buy any food?

Why?



Generation Y

Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation (or Millennials),[1][2] Generation Next,[3] Net Generation,[4] Echo Boomers,[5] describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. As there are no precise dates for when the Millennial generation starts and ends, commentators have used birth dates ranging somewhere from the mid-1970s[6] to the early 2000s.[7] Members of this generation are called Echo Boomers, due to the significant increase in birth rates through the 1980s and into the 1990s, and because many of them are children of baby boomers.[8][9][10][11] The 20th century trend toward smaller families in developed countries continued,[12][13] however, so the relative impact of the "baby boom echo" was generally less pronounced than the original boom.

Characteristics of the generation vary by region, depending on social and economic conditions. However, it is generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies. In most parts of the world its upbringing was marked by an increase in a neoliberal approach to politics and economics.[14] The effects of this environment are disputed.

The Millennial Generation (or Gen Y), like other generations, has been shaped by the events, leaders, developments and trends of its time.[54] The rise of instant communication technologies made possible through use of the internet, such as email, texting, and IM and new media used through websites like YouTube and social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, may explain the Millennials' reputation for being somewhat peer-oriented due to easier facilitation of communication through technology.[55]

Expression and acceptance has been highly important to this generation. In China, with a total population of a billion people, the urge to stand out and be individualistic has become a staple of the Chinese youth culture.[56] Elsewhere, mainly in more well-developed nations, several cohorts of Generation Y members have found comfort in online games such as MMORPGs and virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Second Life.[57] Flash mobbing, internet meme, and online communities have given some of the more expressive Generation Y members acceptance, while online pen pals have given the more socially timid individuals acceptance as well.[58]
[edit] Digital technology

In their 2007 book, authors Junco and Mastrodicasa expanded on the work of Howe and Strauss to include research-based information about the personality profiles of Millennials, especially as it relates to higher education. They conducted a large-sample (7,705) research study of college students. They found that Next Generation college students, born between 1982–2003, were frequently in touch with their parents and they used technology at higher rates than people from other generations. In their survey, they found that 97% of these students owned a computer, 94% owned a cell phone, and 56% owned a MP3 player. They also found that students spoke with their parents an average of 1.5 times a day about a wide range of topics. Other findings in the Junco and Mastrodicasa survey revealed 76% of students used instant messaging, 92% of those reported multitasking while IMing, 40% of them used television to get most of their news, with 15% watched The Daily Show and 5% The Colbert Report, and 34% of students surveyed used the Internet.[59][60]

In June 2009, Nielsen released the report, "How Teens Use Media" which discussed the latest data on media usage by generation. In this report, Nielsen set out to redefine the dialogue around media usage by the youngest of Generation Y, extending through working age Generation Y and compared to Generation X and Baby Boomers.[61]

The Millennials grew up amid a time during which the Internet caused great change to all traditional media. Shawn Fanning, considered by some sources a Generation Y member, founded the peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster while in college. Though the RIAA won a lawsuit and shut down the service in 2001, innovations in technology mean the Millennials have access to more media on demand than any previous generation and have forced the media industry to adapt to new business models. As a result music has become more independently generated due to the rise of the MP3 format, as well as other changes in the way people access music.[62][63] This has also led to fewer artists gaining the degree of popularity observed in past decades, and music trends have become less uniform.

Literature and pop culture of the 1990s and 2000s popular with Gen Y include Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Pokémon, Goosebumps (childhood),[64] and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Many of the latter half of generation Y also enjoy the Harry Potter series of books and films.

Some have argued that the Millennials have "moved beyond" the ideological battles spawned by the counterculture of the 1960s, which persisted through the 1990s in the form of the culture wars.[65] This is further documented in Strauss & Howe's book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, which describes the Millennial generation as "civic minded," rejecting the attitudes of the Baby Boomers and Generation X.[66]

(source: wikipedia)

Generation Y in China

In China, some Generation Y is part of generation called "The Post-80s" (八零后) is a colloquial term which refers to the generation whose members were born between 1980 to 1989 in Mainland China after the introduction of the One-child policy.The Post-90s (九零后) means people born between the years 1990 to 1999 in urban areas. They are usually concerted to brain-disabled characters and non-mainstream culture. The early part of this generation, at least, is often classed as a part of China's Generation Y along with 80s-born.It is a generation of approximately 240 million people born between 1980 and 1990, although characteristics of the after-eighty generation have also been seen in those born in the 1990s. Growing up in modern China, this generation has been characterized by its optimism for the future, newfound excitement for consumerism, entrepreneurship, and acceptance of its historic role in transforming modern China into an economic superpower.

Politically this is the time bomb for China, the Y generation of urban and rural areas; more potentially explosive are the Generation Y of the rural areas, as compare to their counterparts in urban areas, they have lost and not enjoy what the urban enjoy, the economic sweeties. But they all are highly exposed to internet technology despite their controlled internet environment.

Y Generation in Taiwan
Strawberry generation (草莓族), is a Chinese language neologism for Taiwanese people born between 1981 and 1991 who "bruise easily" like strawberries -- meaning they can't withstand social pressure or work hard like their parents' generation; the term refers to people who are insubordinate,[3] spoiled, selfish, arrogant, and sluggish in work.[4] Persons from this generation have grown up being overprotected by their parents and in an environment of economic prosperity, in a similar manner to how strawberries are grown in protected greenhouses and command a higher price compared to other fruits.

But they are not soft strawberry when fighting for their right....

Chractristic of Generation Y from article by Sally Kane, About.com Guide:

1. Tech-Savvy: Generation Y grew up with technology and rely on it to perform their jobs better. Armed with BlackBerrys, laptops, cellphones and other gadgets, Generation Y is plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This generation prefers to communicate through e-mail and text messaging rather than face-to-face contact and prefers webinars and online technology to traditional lecture-based presentations.
2. Family-Centric: The fast-track has lost much of its appeal for Generation Y who is willing to trade high pay for fewer billable hours, flexible schedules and a better work/life balance. While older generations may view this attitude as narcissistic or lacking commitment, discipline and drive, Generation Y legal professionals have a different vision of workplace expectations and prioritize family over work.

3. Achievement-Oriented: Nurtured and pampered by parents who did not want to make the mistakes of the previous generation, Generation Y is confident, ambitious and achievement-oriented. They have high expectations of their employers, seek out new challenges and are not afraid to question authority. Generation Y wants meaningful work and a solid learning curve.

4. Team-Oriented: As children, Generation Y participated in team sports, play groups and other group activities. They value teamwork and seek the input and affirmation of others. Part of a no-person-left-behind generation, Generation Y is loyal, committed and wants to be included and involved.

5. Attention-Craving: Generation Y craves attention in the forms of feedback and guidance. They appreciate being kept in the loop and seek frequent praise and reassurance. Generation Y may benefit greatly from mentors who can help guide and develop their young careers.
(source: http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/a/GenerationY.htm)

Generation Y, is it just a marketing segment? or segment for population survey? The segment is the core segment for marketing professionals. Generation Y is making news lately, in global politic, in Middle East....they are no longer a marketing segment...they now have political ambitions.

I know they are different, they are IT generation, the generation that use IT Technology to make changes, they use facebook to start the recent Tunisia & Egypt uprising, they communicate fast....the uprising of Generation Y?.....they are going to compete with Generation X in global politic as significant force, they are going to voice up strong in countries with dictatorship(many are baby boomers). They will question the ruling dictators, why you did not give me my personal freedom, why you did not respect my basic human right, why this, why that, as they are generation Y(Why?)...

They are the same, all over the world; with the Internet technology and communication access they are evolved from their popular culture; they may be blurred in race identity, national identity, religion identity, but identify with group norm of their social media group. They are borderless...But they are slowly open up to politic, to fight for information freedom, democracy to use social media, and basic human right to live as individual with liberty environment. The internet technology will open up their mind, see in the global perspective, less extreme in ideology, more green environmentally, more social concern,.......and more politic awareness...

May be all the global political leaders should read books on how to manage Generation Y, instead of banning internet, facebook, youtube, or even using military force to stop the uprising....better read the book before it is too late....to continue to be dictator, you need to understand the psychology of Generation Y. Otherwise you need to open up and give back their freedom and democracy to the Generation Y.

.....they are going to make greater impact on the world.....Generation Y......and they are going to be the national leaders one day...

Related articles

1.Generation Y, http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/a/GenerationY.htm
2. Generation Y, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
3. Malaysia's Gen Y unplugged, http://www.pwc.com/en_MY/my/assets/publications/gen-y.pdf
4. What Gen Y Really Wants, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640395,00.html
5. The Buzz is on the new lawyers - Generation Y, http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/national_young_lawyers/the_buzz_is_on_the_new_lawyers_generation_y.html