No Underestimating Millennials Here

Recently read this BP article about millennials.

Sometimes I feel like I am a Millennial stuck in a Gen X body. I’m not exactly tech savvy, but I got to my smart phone for a ton of things, none of them as a phone. I fell into the marketing hype for Scion, the now-defunct new cars geared toward the younger generation. And I don’t think I could ever live in a traditional suburb again, I want to try out tiny living in the heart of the city.

Millennials are born between 1982 and 2004and are stereotyped as:

• more like the "civic-minded"with a strong sense of community
• part of "Generation Me" – confidence, tolerance, but sense of entitlement, narcissistic
• keep abreast of political affairs
• switch jobs frequently, due to high expectations regarding versatility, flexibility, strong work–life balance
• optimistic, engaged, and team players
• less interested in home ownership or the suburbs

My kids are Millennials. They agree with the BP article that they hate being lumped into one group. They are confident, they are tech savvy, they are way more invested in the presidential campaign than I was as a teen. They are getting a lot of exposure to parents, grandparents, and acquaintances making good and bad decisions about money and investments, and they are paying attention to what works and what doesn’t. They aren’t rebelling against what older generations chose, but they are willing to choose their own path. They aren’t sure if they want to live in the city or in the suburbs.