What’s a millennial?

Its always interesting and a little funny to compare interests with other people, and sometimes you’re drawn to form generalizations based on these differences. Sharing a common passion for computers and everything electronic, I’m always amazed at how my younger peers casually accept the technology at their fingertips. I’d tell the “new kids” that a decade ago, computers as powerful as their laptops cost a couple of million dollars. Of course, this is the tip of the iceberg in defining the differences of the millennial generation and my own.

I’m not one for labels since they generalize the difference between people. Just like demographics, you tend to get pigeonholed and lose the nuances that define individuals For example, I’m technically a baby boomer, but I grew up with kids of divorced parents, and went to Berkeley which is ultra liberal and suspicious of the establishment. Those are traits commonly associate with Gen Xers. I feel more a kinship to the Gen Xers, but my exposure to my millennial classmates lets me identify with them as well.

Of course, I’m not a millennial (see difference between Gen Xers and Millennials)! I’m a programmer and have been using technology for years, yet I don’t use a fraction of the technology that my younger peers use. I rarely text people for example. It’s more costly and too cumbersome to fumble with the cell phone keys. To me, its easier to just call somebody and leave them a message. But my friends not only pass electronic notes to each other, they IM amongst themselves and have a virtual get together I think that’s cool (a phrase coined by my generation :^), but I don’t get the benefit of it. Sure, they argue that they can get a hold of their friends regardless of where they are and what they’re doing, but honestly, it seems a little invasive to me.

Alone time notwithstanding, my young friends’ facility at using cell phone, the internet, digital cameras and video games is what sets them apart from the rest of us. Baby boomers can’t program VCRs (I can), but my millennial friend was able to show me features on my cell phone I never knew existed. The ease in which they can merge cameras, printers, mp3 players, wireless access and they’re favorite video game consoles is what distinguishes them from any generation before them. I only hope my brain can keep up with their innate knowledge of gadgetry.

Another virtue I enjoy of the millennial generation is their love of life. Some call them self centered (see 60 Minutes), but I think they get it. There’s no sense living unless you have a life. So if they text their friends to set up a beer rendezvous before quitting time, some may say they’re not loyal to their work, but I submit they’re loyal to themselves and have their priorities straight. At times, I question their wisdom, particularly when they’re surfing the web or playing evercrack(EverQuest) in class, but they’re big boys and girls and they can make their own decisions.

The real question among people in the non-millennial generation is: how will these people fare in the world. Pretty well, I think. Look at Google’s founders; they seem to be doing OK. While they’re the exception, on the whole these people are bringing so much innate talent to the workforce, its only a matter of time before they get traction and start taking all of us in new directions. Personally, I think the real challenge lies in folks like us lending them a hand and showing them the ropes, just like our mentors did for us (see Clair Raines', Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook). Some have theories about how the millennials might have political leanings like baby boomers, except on steroids (Politics and the Millennials), but I refer back to my label theory. Just like us, the young men and women of the millennial generation can’t be pigeonholed. They’ll do what they’re individually capable of doing, only faster and more effectively than we’ve ever imagined before.