In this report, we take a look at the group now becoming known as ‘The Millennials’ – the young people who will change our society over the next decade.
Gone will be the downbeat, depressed, drug-taking, binge-drinking Gen Y views – replaced with upbeat and community-minded optimists.
The rates of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis consumption and binge-drinking have consistently fallen amongst 12 – 17 year olds since 1979. After hitting record highs in the mid-nineties the rate of serious crime committed by 12 – 17 year olds has dropped to an all time low. Similarly, rates of pregnancy, abortion and childbirth which sky-rocketed in the early nineties have fallen dramatically to all-time lows.
Even more surprising, support for ‘Zero Tolerance’ or ‘ZT’, which arose in the late eighties in response to rapidly rising rates of drug and alcohol abuse and the out-of-control pop culture, has itself risen. Now approximately 7/10 school children support ZT.
The Gen X slogan was ‘Just Do It’; the Gen Y slogan was ‘Just Done It’. The Millennial's slogan is ‘Won’t Do It’. Remember Alex (Michael J Fox) in Family Ties, the archly conservative Republican son of left-wing Democrat parents? He is here amongst us in huge numbers. He is the new generation – the Millennials.
Rejection of Pervious Morals and Behaviour
“I can’t excuse what the baby boomers did with sex and drugs when they were kids.”
Michael 17
“I am not old enough to vote yet, but I am writing this on behalf of my generation of future voters…we are becoming selfish and displaying so much dishonesty. When kids see the highest authority in the country lying about detention centers and many other things, who can you trust? And, if we cannot trust the government our parents voted in, can we really trust our parents?” Chris, 15
Survey Question: Wait Until Married To have Sex?
Very Important: 53%
Somewhat Important: 23%
Not Important: 22%
Today’s teens are confident, even cocky, about how they can improve things when their turn comes. Surveys within schools show that with a two-to-one majority they expect that the government will run better when they are in control. They think the economy will be better by a three-to-one majority.
Millennials believe in positive change, but that’s less the belief that things are getting better than the belief that things can get better. They seek some new form of order and stability – not a return to the 1950’s, but forging a new national consensus.
There has been a significant shift in game enemies; from facing down demons who attack for no reason other than they’re evil, to fighting terrorists and other modern foes for a cause, and a good one, human freedom, liberty and so on. Strategy games used to be about conquering the world, tearing down a society. Now there’s been a shift to games in which the goal is to build a civilization and to defend it against barbarian hordes and the forces of chaos.
Like the Power Rangers they idolized as children, Millennials believe they can magically transform themselves into a massive force against evil by simply working together.
Millennials are developing an amazing optimism and conviction that the future will indeed be better for all.
“We are not going to let the world down.” Charlie, 16
“We can reach our destiny. We will feast in harmony as one.” 'N Sync.
In the 1980 the rate of overdose with illicit drugs was less than 1 per 100,000 teens and adults alike. In 1996 it was still at 1 in 100,000 for teens but had jumped to 12 in 100,000 amongst adults. What does this tell us? That Gen Xers and Yers went through a grungy phase.
Millennials are more ‘preppy’ to coin an American phrase. They don’t feel the pessimism of the past generations. They look at what their parents did and think it wasn’t so great. They now work harder at school than any previous generation has; they socialize less often than the three previous generations; they consume significantly less alcohol, tobacco and cannabis as well. What is likely to affect our society is that they have much stronger beliefs in marriage than the last two generations.
Even movies and TV shows are starting to reflect this growing shift in morals. “In fact, for all the naughty talk and edgy sound tracks, most teen movies offer up archetypes that seem closer to the 50’s and 00’s. There is nothing more than playful subversiveness in most teen movies today.” MacLean’s
The thesis is that the Millennials will bring dramatic changes to the social, moral, ethical and cultural landscape of Australia.
The one major concern of Millenials is the environment. They are concerned about global warming, man's contribution to this, and the possibility that they will have to make the changes that previous generations have failed to do (in their eyes).
“You and I are capable of infinite futures.” Di. 13
