FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Millenials are Grounded, Family-Focused

Today's teens ("Millenials") are not the "slackers" that their Gen X elders were accused of being. Nor are they workaholics who worship the almighty dollar. Instead, their priorities revolve around family, security and enjoying life.

The GenWorld Teen Study found that young people surveyed globally chose the following as their top values:

  1. Protecting family and loved ones
  2. Freedom in action and thought
  3. Enjoying life
  4. Stable personal relationships
  5. Having fun

Their top five life expectations were to:

  1. Make my family proud
  2. Be financially secure ("Be rich" was much farther down on the scale)
  3. Travel the world
  4. Lead a stable life
  5. Get married

Millenials seem to be taking the long view in life, foregoing immediate material rewards in search of stability and meaning. For this group, family and friends come first, before career success. As they enter the workforce, this group may well prefer employers who offer such benefits as liberal vacations and flexible working arrangements rather than large salaries.

Source: VisibilityPR