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I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t really understand some characteristics of other generations. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand Millennials, but ask me why someone from Gen-X does something and I am totally clueless. And I’m sure that members of other generations feel the same way about Millennials. Which is why when I was reading this amazing New York Magazine article where they interviewed 200-plus 2009 graduates from ten different schools, I felt that there were some things that other generations might want to know about Millennials.
First off, we don’t blame any other generation for the recession.
Do we think that members of previous generations played a role in causing the recession? Sure. But Millennials aren’t blaming anyone for the situation we are now.
Second, we want other generations to know that we are SERIOUSLY different.
We think we are more connected than you, and that you are slower than we are. But being different isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, I think understanding the way other generations see each other is really important.
So let me know, what do you wish other generations knew about your generation? And is it as hard for you as it is for me to understand other generations?
I loved that article -- I saw it, too. In fact, I love New York magazine. And every week, when it arrives in my mailbox, I think to myself that I should start a group for people who have subscriptions to New York and live in Wisconsin because I'm sure I would like everyone.
That said, here is the real defining point of gen x and gen y, which you hit on perfectly in the article and don't know it. Gen Y loves the world, and is generally upbeat because the world has generally revolved around them -- their parents adore them, they are a huge, powerful demographic, and look: even New York magazine loves them, and that is the most snarky, cynical magazine around.
Gen X is isolated and ignored, and that is the thing that explains most of what gen x does (for example, writing the snarky, cynical articles in New York magazine).
So it is a perfect snapshot of gen y that there's a blog post explaining gen y and saying they don't understand gen x. And it's perfect that it would be on a site that focuses on gen y but has a gen x founder.
Penelope
Thanks for pointing me to this article! Great stuff!
It is really hard to understand other generations! I have been thinking about this a lot lately - inspired by some recent articles I've read, speakers I've listened to, and my current unemployed status - and I think it's hard for different generations to understand the motivations and values of one another. There's the obvious "digital divide," but there's also differing opinions on government and personal responsibility, about unemployment and religion. I see these divides clearly in my own extended family that ranges in ages from 3 to 68, and it's sometimes frustrating to feel like you have to defend your positions/opinions with your own family. I'm working on a post about this very topic, so stayed tuned on amandaanthology.blogspot.com. For now, I'll just say thanks for bringing up the topic and I hope to see more discussion forthcoming.
Another difference among Gen Y (and maybe Gen X) and the Boomers is our willingness to be open in discussions on just about ANY topic, from sex, to religion, to politics, to money - even when its our own personal finances. Remember those things that our parents told us to stay away from discussing in the company of others? Gen Y is totally doing away with that out-dated idea, and instead putting everything on the table.
>>We think we are more connected than you, and that you are slower than we are.
Is the "you" in this case the generation that parents of Gen Y belong to? Or is the "you" in this case, all generations that are not Gen Y / are older than Gen Y?
The graphic seems to be about parents of Gen Y but then the blanket statement that follows seems to be about everyone in the world who is not Gen Y. I'm not nitpicking but it's not clear what you mean.
Someone who is Gen X is not old enough to be the parents of Gen Y but they may well be reading this article! :-)
I think the trick is to periodically look at other generations as if they were other cultures. Not like they're museum exhibits that you can gawk at, but in a way that lets you develop an appreciation for where they're coming from, and how they got where they are.
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Thank you all for your comments!
@caitlin- The "you" is parents of Generation Y, not all generations.
@katenonymous- That is sort of how I view other generations, they are very much like Monet paintings for me.
I'm Gen X, sitting right between my Boomer friends and their Gen Y kids, and have tons of respect for both groups, my own as well.
Gen Y'ers are faster, of course. Those neurons are fresh and firing hard. It won't always be that way, so enjoy it and put it to good use while you can!
In my experience, the best way to understand someone is to listen to them. In person. Body language has evolved over millenia, and contains as much information as words. If your connectedness only happens via written language or is filtered by electronics, you're missing fully half of the story.
Two suggestions, somewhat tongue-in-cheek: First, unlearn the childish speech patterns of Hollywood and TV. We (that's X'ers and Boomers, to avoid confusion) want to take you (Y'ers) seriously, but it's difficult when every third word is "like" and every statement sounds like a question. Second, teeth should not be vastly whiter than the whites of your eyes. It's creepy.
My bright idea of the day - Follow Up. So incredibly important to the development of yourself, your project, your ambitions, your ideas. Without doubling back, checking in, building on your work, nothing will really get accomplished. More...
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