Generation Y Facts

It is generally agreed that ‘Generation Y’ means anyone born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. In terms of technology, that means that the oldest members of Generation Y were born at the same time the Compaq Portable PC was issued, and the youngest members at the same time as the first generation iPod mini.

Generation Y adults live with their parents, on average, longer than members of older generations did.

It is estimated that only 5% of Generation Y adults do not own a mobile phone, and even fewer do not own a computer.

Generation Y makes up a rapidly increasing proportion of the world-wide workforce.

A frequent criticism of Generation Y is that it is a generation that typically has unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved in the work-place. Members of this generation, some social critics say, seek to put in next to no effort and be rewarded for it, leaving them frustrated and unfulfilled when this is not a reality. However, many Gen Y adults contest the notion, saying that their generation is not a lazy, but one inspired by all the possibilities in the world and all the opportunities for job satisfaction within it.

Generation Y adults are considered more narcissistic than those of previous generations.

Of all work-age adults, it is those from Generation Y who are most averse to working long hours, preferring a more flexible approach to the working day.

Roughly 1/3 of Generation Y adults use the internet as their primary source of news updates.

‘Generation Y’ can also be referred to as – amongst others – ‘Millennials’, ‘Generation 9/11’ or the ‘Global Generation’.

Over the course of their lifetime, most members of Generation Y will hold down more jobs than their parents or grandparents did. On average, they only stay in one particular job for around two years before seeking to move on to the next one. Some social critics say that this is because, as children, they were taught that simply by participating in activities, they were entitled to a reward. As such, the concept of ‘winning’ is almost lost on Generation Y, and they expect reward for relatively little achievement.

As a general trend of thought, most Generation Y adults are more interested in job fulfilment and satisfaction than they are large salaries.

On average, Generation Y adults are more liberally-minded than people from older generations.

Approximately 65% of Generation Y says that they support same-sex marriage.

Generation Y is considered overall the most ambitious of all the generations.

The medium of communication that Generation Y adults favour is the e-mail, whereas most of their parents in Generation X would opt for the telephone.