Generational Differences

1. Mooks, Midriffs, Boomers:oh my! Dr. Linda Lujan, South Mountain Community College linda.lujan@smcmail.maricopa.edu Dr. Elisa Robyn, Regis University erobyn@regis.edu

3. In case you're worried about what's going to become of the younger generation, it's going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation. (Roger Allen)

4. POP QUIZ! Test your Millennial IQ

5. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: Millennial students born during the years 1981 and 2000 are called Generation Net, the Internet Generation, Echo Boomers, the Boomlet, Nexters, Generation Y, the Nintendo Generation, the Digital Generation, and in Canada, the Sunshine Generation

6. Test Your Millennial IQ Which of these is not a trait of the Millennial student? Multi-tasker Has short attention span Status conscious Voracious reader Values racial and ethnic diversity

7. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: There are 80 million Millennials in the U.S., compared to 76 million Boomers

8. Test Your Millennial IQ Which one of these is not a compelling message of the Millennial Generation? Be smart-you are special Leave no one behind Connect 24/7 Keep your nose to the grindstone Achieve now! It’s cool to be smart Serve your community

9. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: Their parents established FERPA and are now frustrated because they cannot gain access to their adult children's records!

10. Test Your Millennial IQ Mooks and Midriffs are Composites created by Madison Avenue for purposes of developing marketing strategies Millennial gangs A type of clothing Males and females who have dropped out of school and are pursuing low-paying careers

11. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: Millennials spend their free time on-line. Forty-three percent spend more than 10 hours on-line a week with their favorite destinations being Google, Yahoo, and MySpace. Seventy-five percent spend less than two hours reading magazines and 67 percent spend less than two hours reading newspapers.

12. Test Your Millennial IQ Which of these are not Millennial-speak? Flashy or Glitzy = Bling Bling Hot Rod = Ride or Hooptie Sneakers = Shox Hunk/Stud/Babe = Hottie Girlfriend/Boyfriend = Boo Cool/Awesome = Sweeeet! Thongs = Flip Flops All of the above are Millennial-speak None of the above are Millennial-speak

13. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: “Service Learning” and “Engaged Learning” have become buzz words in the Millennial vocabulary

14. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: The Internet is not an “extra” for most students but an essential component of every aspect of their lives and 81% of the students said that losing access to the Internet would impact their personal lives and their schoolwork

15. Test Your Millennial IQ Millennials are predicted to change careers how many times? 3 5 8 10 1

16. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: Millennials are America’s most ethnically and racially diverse, as well as least Caucasian, generation.

17. Test Your Millennial IQ What percentage grew up in poverty? 25% 10% 16% 33%

18. Test Your Millennial IQ True/False: The recession will see more Millennials going to graduate school because there are no jobs.

19. Test Your Millennial IQ Which one of the following characteristics is not true for Millennials oustide the USA? Use of technology Sense of entitlement Desire to serve community Need for social networks

20. Your Score How’d you do? 1- 5 right = LOL 6- 10 right = IMHO not bad 11 or more right = WTG

21. Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it (George Orwell)

22. Generalizing a Generation Cautions Individuals matter Research focuses on the mean, median, and modal dimensions of a generation Some findings are unique to the United States; others are global Nobody likes to be pigeon-holed There’s always an exception

23. World View Multitasking Upgrading Brand loyalty affects X and Boomers Self organize online, conventions, meet-ups ¼ life crisis because of too many options and too many expectations Praise is expected

24. New Market Experience is currency Exploring edges Actively participating and testing abilities Want transparency, moved from push to pull Reinvention, new possibilities, on demand free source Connection, who we are and what we know Expression is cool

25. Why? Why Personalize? Hardwired to want attention, entitlement, self promotion Student blogs, T-shirts, games, mythic themes Why Adventure? Do-overs, life experience, bore easily Adventure learning, coaches, jobs for a day

26. Why? Why Virtual? Connections Free source, face book, flexibility Why Design? My way everywhere Design matters in spaces, places Compare the size of their computers to their textbooks

27. What They Want Voice Membership Meaning Life/work balance Enrichment Appreciation Tip: Decide how this should influence pedagogy and curriculum. Decide how this should influence workplace.

28. If you want Gen Y, then Chase Cool Trends: Gap year or stopping out Individualize Credit for life experience (shorter path to goal) Fast track High maintenance….want it now Small Group Activity

29. Parents Paratrooper Involved at every level with kids Want to be part of everything Showing up in the workplace Tip: Decide in advance how you’re going to deal with parents (distract, divert, and reassure).

30. High pressure Media pressure High stakes sport Trophy for their parents Tip: Decide in advance how you can challenge and reward them? Help them identify what you expect and why?

31. Entrepreneurs Finding business opportunities Embracing design Adapting to life Persevering Tip: Decide in advance how to design the right structure and format and how you’re going to turn them loose within that structure. They want “elegant” design.

32. Communication Skills Used to electronic communication Miss subtle physical cues Used to being able to “block” someone they do not want to deal with Virtual networking vs. face-to-face Tip: Decide in advance how you’re going to mentor them to communicate across generations in the classroom and workplace. (And what to wear.)

33. Millennial Learning Preferences Teamwork Technology Structure Entertainment & excitement Experiential activities Tip: Decide in advance how you’re going to change pedagogy and materials. (We teach to our own learning style… we need to adapt; they need to adapt once they’re in front of the classroom).

34. Managing Millennials You be the leader Challenge me Let me work with friends Let’s have fun Respect me Be flexible Tip: Don’t expect to manage them the way you like to be managed.

35. What about the Recession?

36. Recession Realities for Millennials $20,000 – average debt for college graduates $2,500 – average credit card debt (2008 ) 57% pay minimum on their credit cards 77% moving in with mom and dad

37. Recession Pain Points for Millennials student loans credit card debt (average salary for young grads is less than a generation ago, but prices are higher) Jobs disappearing (more laid-off professionals are willing to take jobs that used to be entry-level)

38. Recession Spirit for Millennials 81% are optimistic Most are adapting “Thrifty is good” Flash mobbing New interest in “practical” careers Re-examining priorities (but not giving up social responsibility) Feeling resilient (even when experts claim this is not a resilient generation)

39. Demographics – don’t forget Nearly 35% of Millennials are nonwhite or Latino. Twenty percent of this generation has at least one parent who is an immigrant. Millennials have become the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US History. SES is the great divide Recession may act as an equalizer All this makes them great candidates for a teaching career