The Generational Divide (U.S. Populations) Traditionalists/Silent Generation Born Million Baby BoomersBorn Million Generation XBorn Million Generation Y/ Millennial Born Million

Traditionalists (58+) Influences Great Depression, Roaring Twenties, World War I & II, Korean War, G.I. Bill Characteristics Patriotic, loyal, “waste not, want not,” faith in institutions Military influenced top-down approach Key Word: Loyal

Influential People/Events

Traditionalists (58+) Value Logic and Discipline Don’t Like Change Want to Build a Legacy

Baby Boomers (39-57) Influences Suburbia, TV, Vietnam, Watergate, protests, human rights movement, drugs, and rock ‘n roll Characteristics Idealistic, COMPETITIVE, question authority Key Word: Optimistic

Influential People

“Me” Generation Money, Title, Recognition Want to Build A Stellar Career Baby Boomers (39-57)

Generation X (25-38) Influences Sesame Street, MTV, Game Boy, PC, divorce rate tripled, latch-key children Characteristics- eclectic, resourceful, self-reliant, distrustful of institutions, highly adaptive to change and technology

Influential People

 First generation to be planned  First generation to have dual career parents  Divided by divorce (divorce rate three times higher than previous generation)  Independent (Latch-key children)  Pragmatic (What’s the bottom line?)  Seek personal attention (what they did not get as children)  Want everything now (materialistic)  Information over introspection (just the facts)  Want choices Generation X (25-38)

Generation Y/Millennial (up to 22) Influences Expanded technology, natural disasters, violence, gangs, diversity Characteristics Globally concerned, realistic, cyber literate, “personal safety” is number one concern

Influential People/Events

Generation Y/Millennial (up to 22)  Fast-Paced Lifestyle with different patterns of social connection and intimacy  Technological proficiency  Gravitate towards group activities and team sports vs. unorganized sports.  Have more groups of friends rather than individual friends  Aware of campus and community rules, regulations and political correctness, however…see it as a challenge to find a way around the rules Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Goals… Goal Traditionalists“Build a Legacy” Baby Boomers“Build a Stellar Career” Generation X“Build a Portable Career” Generation Y“Build Parallel Careers”

Institutions… Institutions Traditionalists“Deserve loyalty” Baby Boomers“Deserve to change” Generation X“Are suspect” Generation Y“Should be judged on their own merit”

Career Path… Career Path Traditionalists“Job changing has stigma” Baby Boomers“Job changing puts you behind” Generation X“Job changing is necessary” Generation Y“Doesn’t need to be a straight line”

How is the Millennial Generation Perceived by Others? “Society’s emphasis on convenience has empowered them to look for the easiest way out in may circumstances. They have learned to work the system…they are used to working in the distractions of an overcomplicated world…technology guides their every move, and they are stimulation junkies.” Robert Wendover, Center for Generational Studies “Today’s students are socially shy, technically savvy, parent-drive, and more complex psychologically than their predecessors. And, they demand a smarter, better trained (college) professional to meet their needs…But there’s a gap between (college) professionals’ usual initiatives and the skills, experience, and tools required to handle the unique developmental and behavioral issues of today’s students.” Student Affairs Today, Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2003