Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Topic started by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 07:47:39 pm

Title: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 07:47:39 pm
Inspired by a conversation with my son this morning before he went to school. This seems to be a trans-Atlantic difference, with Americans using Millennial to refer to those who "came of age" around 2000 while in Britain it refers to those who were born around the turn of the millennium. Or possibly it's the other way round... (He reckons he's part of Gen Z, born after the millennium).
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 07:56:19 pm
how the bloody hell would I know, I'm 44, Gen X through and through (I think, or at least I used to work for dept X)
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Ham on 19 December, 2018, 08:03:50 pm
The millennials as an expression describing a group is clearly describing those who became active around the millennium as it seeks to describe a characteristic, that's something not often present in newly born. The "baby boomers" are a slight exception to the rule as it describes the time of their birth, but it only became a thing when they (ok, we) could do stuff and be identified as a group.

FWIW, I would take it as people born from around 1980 - 1990.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 08:11:35 pm
how the bloody hell would I know, I'm 44, Gen X through and through (I think, or at least I used to work for dept X)
Billy Idol?
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 08:18:50 pm
The millennials as an expression describing a group is clearly describing those who became active around the millennium as it seeks to describe a characteristic, that's something not often present in newly born. The "baby boomers" are a slight exception to the rule as it describes the time of their birth, but it only became a thing when they (ok, we) could do stuff and be identified as a group.

FWIW, I would take it as people born from around 1980 - 1990.
That's clearly one definition but I'm not sure it's true that generations are usually defined by characteristics, in fact I'd say birth years are the norm. After all, Gen X, Y and Z don't convey much. And:
Quote
GEN ALPHA

Following our Gen Zeds are our pre-schooler and kindergarteners of today – Gen Alpha.

Born since the year 2010 they are aged 0-5, they are the children of Gen Y, and there are 1.6 million of them in Australia. They are truly the millennial generation, born and shaped fully in the 21st century, and the first generation that we will see in record numbers in the 22nd century as well. They are logged on and linked up – known as ‘digital natives’. They are the most materially endowed and technologically literate generation to ever grace the planet!
https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blogarchive/gen-z-and-gen-alpha-infographic-update/

I haven't heard this term before – maybe it hasn't really made it out of Australia much – but if these are the "truly millennial generation" then the Millennials must be... not truly millennial!
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 08:27:59 pm
how the bloody hell would I know, I'm 44, Gen X through and through (I think, or at least I used to work for dept X)
Billy Idol?

Yes
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: hubner on 19 December, 2018, 08:38:50 pm
"Millennials" to me are people in their 20s ie  young adults.

Year of birth would be about 1989-1998.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Ham on 19 December, 2018, 09:54:53 pm

That's clearly one definition but I'm not sure it's true that generations are usually defined by characteristics, in fact I'd say birth years are the norm. After all, Gen X, Y and Z don't convey much. And:
Quote
GEN ALPHA

Following our Gen Zeds are our pre-schooler and kindergarteners of today – Gen Alpha.

Born since the year 2010 they are aged 0-5, they are the children of Gen Y, and there are 1.6 million of them in Australia. They are truly the millennial generation, born and shaped fully in the 21st century, and the first generation that we will see in record numbers in the 22nd century as well. They are logged on and linked up – known as ‘digital natives’. They are the most materially endowed and technologically literate generation to ever grace the planet!
https://mccrindle.com.au/insights/blogarchive/gen-z-and-gen-alpha-infographic-update/

I haven't heard this term before – maybe it hasn't really made it out of Australia much – but if these are the "truly millennial generation" then the Millennials must be... not truly millennial!

I think you are missing the point. The generation labels are entirely new, and a product of the modern age, mostly driven by marketing, the need to create a cohesive group that has broadly similar characteristics. That's different from using the previous descriptive terminology: "The pre-war generation" etc.

"A generation" I've always understood to be a period of around 20 years, that time between parents and children. The fact that there are no easy start and stop points won't stop a determined market analyst heading for their target. That's why, instead of the previous broad terms that describe a generational group (eg, baby boomers) these labels are coming into being, fast and furious.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 10:05:25 pm
I'm still missing your point, sorry. I agree these labels are relatively recent – I don't recall hearing any of them before the 90s – with the exception of Baby Boomers, presumably because the baby boom was something noticeable at the time it was happening. But I'm not sure how that relates to the question of which Millennials are which.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Ham on 19 December, 2018, 10:09:35 pm
The point (if such it is) is that the labels are for bunches of consumers. Those labels and targets are clearly aimed at 80's-90's born. If you have heard people using the term to describe those born around the millennium, that's just people talking english, which won't get you far.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 10:25:14 pm
that's just people talking english, which won't get you far.
!! :o ;D

(though late teens are very much consumers too... )
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Ben T on 19 December, 2018, 11:30:45 pm
I read something recently talking about something like "back in the 19th century millennials would have started work instead of swanning off to uni"  ::-) :-\ ....err.... there weren't any millennials in the 19th century, by definition  ;D
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Kim on 19 December, 2018, 11:32:25 pm
They're the ones with the avocados and no money.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Ben T on 19 December, 2018, 11:34:29 pm
Inspired by a conversation with my son this morning before he went to school. This seems to be a trans-Atlantic difference, with Americans using Millennial to refer to those who "came of age" around 2000 while in Britain it refers to those who were born around the turn of the millennium. Or possibly it's the other way round... (He reckons he's part of Gen Z, born after the millennium).

I don't think the latter is ever correct. It refers to coming of age, ie born from around 1980 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 11:54:18 pm
It might be no more correct than those 19th century Millennials sweeping chimneys but they both exist!
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 19 December, 2018, 11:55:29 pm
They're the ones with the avocados and no money.
Not for much longer. They're toast.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 20 December, 2018, 12:00:25 am
Thought: Almost no one here thinks Millennials are those born around 2000 (well, 25% of votes so far, and one person voted both, so that's a bit more than no one) but it's definitely an interpretation applied by my post-millennial son. I'm pretty sure there are few forumites under 30 let alone about 18, so... perhaps this is a Millennial interpretation of the word Millennial?
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Jaded on 20 December, 2018, 12:04:13 am
Mods. Rockers. Greasers. Hippies. Flappers.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 20 December, 2018, 12:10:10 am
Skins. (!)
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: rogerzilla on 02 January, 2019, 06:21:51 pm
Are millennials GenY?  If GenX is the boomers' kids, is Gen Y the GenXers' kids?   The trouble is, generations get very blurred except when there's a world war as a starting point, and the lucky ones go home and shag.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 January, 2019, 06:26:34 pm
I think the Millennials are distinct from Gen Y. Kind of in between Y and Z, maybe.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Jaded on 02 January, 2019, 06:29:54 pm
I thought that nowadays X or Y doesn't matter, they choose for themselves?
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: rogerzilla on 02 January, 2019, 06:37:35 pm
Boomers: selfish Brexiteer bastards
GenX: slackers
Millennials: snowflakes

There you go  ;)
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 January, 2019, 07:19:51 pm
According to Network Rail, Millennials are between 26-30. They might or might not have avocados but they've got railcards, just like old people.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Kim on 02 January, 2019, 07:36:03 pm
According to Network Rail, Millennials are between 26-30. They might or might not have avocados but they've got railcards, just like old people.

I'm looking forward to the The Only Demographic Not Entitled To A Railcard railcard.  I think that's single non-disabled GenXers.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: yorkie on 02 January, 2019, 08:52:49 pm
According to Network Rail, Millennials are between 26-30. They might or might not have avocados but they've got railcards, just like old people.

I'm looking forward to the The Only Demographic Not Entitled To A Railcard railcard.  I think that's single non-disabled GenXers.
**Waves**
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 02 January, 2019, 11:45:32 pm
It has been commented on elsewhere.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: FifeingEejit on 02 January, 2019, 11:48:48 pm
Boomers: selfish Brexiteer bastards
GenX: slackers
Millennials: snowflakes

There you go  ;)

You missed one the "Xenials"
Nothing to do with crap TV but it's been identified that those who grew up during the period where modern communication technology (i.e. internet and smart phones) to the consumer market rather don't really fit in with Gen X or the "Millenials" (previously Gen. Y)
This is reckoned to be Late 70s ish to mid 80s ish
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xennials

Also I don't qualify for a railcard either being 37 yet very definitely being born in the early 80s
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: phantasmagoriana on 04 January, 2019, 01:07:42 pm
Boomers: selfish Brexiteer bastards
GenX: slackers
Millennials: snowflakes

There you go  ;)

You missed one the "Xenials"
Nothing to do with crap TV but it's been identified that those who grew up during the period where modern communication technology (i.e. internet and smart phones) to the consumer market rather don't really fit in with Gen X or the "Millenials" (previously Gen. Y)
This is reckoned to be Late 70s ish to mid 80s ish
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xennials

Also I don't qualify for a railcard either being 37 yet very definitely being born in the early 80s

Ah, never heard of Xennials before, but I seem to be one. I'll await the Xennial railcard...
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Kim on 04 January, 2019, 01:09:04 pm
Ah, never heard of Xennials before, but I seem to be one.

AOL!

I'm not sure how useful a distinction it is - I've always thought of myself as the tail end of GenX.  On the other hand barakta is only 4 months younger than me, and while she grew up in the same mostly-analogue world, she missed out on most of 80s culture.  She doesn't wince at the words "Go at throttle up"[1], for example, which seems to be a good test for the GenX/Millennial borderline.  We have somewhat different perspectives on the AIDS crisis, too (converging as we got to know the survivors in QUILTBAG adolescence), though I was unusually well informed[2] given my age.

Orgeon Trail[3] and My So Called Life certainly resonate.


[1] Substitute the Chernobyl meltdown, 1987 general election or Herald of Free Enterprise disaster if you're not a space nerd.
[2] Thanks to my parents I was one of those children with a working knowledge of meiosis and retroviruses and so on well before I gave any thought to *how* human gametes might end up in the same place.
[3] Our school had some knock-off Spectrum version without the hunting or decent graphics.  Pretty sure you still died of dysentery.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 25 December, 2019, 08:02:54 pm
Quote
millennial
Noun: Name an old person gives a young person they don't like.
Urban Dictionary.
But... if Millennials came of age around 2000, they are now in their late 30s. That means they're only "young people" in a strictly statistical sense of being (a little) under the median age.
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Phil W on 25 December, 2019, 08:43:53 pm
The Millenials have been superseded by the Z generation though, so not even considered young or the latest generation now. 
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 26 December, 2019, 11:24:03 am
This Unit is either a late-model Boomer or a Something Else.  I'll settle for "Slacker".
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 December, 2019, 11:58:46 am
This Unit is either a late-model Boomer or a Something Else.  I'll settle for "Slacker".
That gets my approval.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Who are the Millennials?
Post by: Torslanda on 26 December, 2019, 03:36:26 pm
This unit wholly endorses the above sentiment.