Things you might not know about millennials

YOU might think millennials are simple, but as a generation, they’re not that easily defined. Here’s what you need to know.

MILLENNIALS, the generation credited with short attention spans and causing an avocado shortage, are often treated like a different species.

Defining the traits of a millennial is complicated: Are they are entitled narcissists and bludgers who would rather take selfies than do actual work? Or are they well-travelled, do-gooding entrepreneurs? Are they victims of the housing affordability crisis?

Even defining what qualifies a person as a millennial can vary, depending on who you ask.

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What makes someone a millennial?

Young adults in their 20s and 30s are most often branded millenials.

Specifically, the millennial year range is said to be from 1982 to 2004, according to researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss, who are widely credited to coining the term back in 2004.

But the cut-off dates are also sometimes cited as falling between 1980 and 2000.

And confusingly, this age group overlaps with Generation Y, which supposedly spans 1981 to 1994.

How are millennials different?

University of Melbourne’s PhD candidate Shirley Jackson, who is researching the working lives of young people at the Youth Research Centre, said the differences between generations aren’t black and white.

“Our research shows quite clearly that while our circumstances might change, we want the same things: security, meaning and a sense of belonging,” he said.

A report from Deloitte in 2017 found in general, millennials in developed countries feel their future looks bleak.

Only a tenth of Australian millennials believed they would be more financially secure than their parents.

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Mr Jackson said despite more students finishing both undergraduate and post graduate degrees, around a third are still looking for work four months after graduating.

“While they are the most educated generation in Australian history, it is also the hardest time to be a graduate,” he said.

But as a generation of entrepreneurs, millennials are optimistic about emerging markets.

When it comes to the workplace, young professionals want their jobs to provide opportunities to engage with “good causes” for positive social impact.

So why is there a “millennials vs. Baby Boomers” mentality?

“The generational debate is nothing new for media, academia or even the family dinner table,” Mr Jackson said.

“Comments like ‘kids these days’ and ‘back in my day ...’ from adult relatives, and youthful cries of ‘you just don’t understand’ would be familiar to most of us, regardless of whether we grew up listening to Beyoncé, Blur or Bob Dylan.”

And according to data gathered by Accenture in 2016, millennials in Asia Pacific are expected to have the biggest spending power than any previous generation with a projected $US6 trillion at their disposal by 2020.

So while Baby Boomers use “millennial” as a dirty word, accusing them of having a lazy work ethic and lacking basic life skills, the generation is charging ahead, leaving everyone else behind.