Brittany King (University of Houston) on the Millennial Generation

The Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, has revitalized the workplace and social landscape as we know it leaving many members of previous generations troubled by their tenets. These young adults were raised to the mantra of conscious inquiry into every statute, regulation and ideology that had previously been accepted as the status quo. Whereas previous generations perceivably adhered to and seldom questioned authority and social standards, Generation Y (why) has used their art of asking to leverage both social and workplace change. Yes, these “renegade” rebels of our world are different from the generations that have gone before them, but they are perfectly poised to address some of our greatest societal needs. With technology in-tow, these young adults pioneered the election of the first African-American president and have, in large part, bid adios to the “arbitrary” 8- hour workday, trading time constraints for talent optimization. The power of this persistent group has been displayed in our society in countless ways over time. Although often perceived as the lazy or “go-nowhere” generation, Millenials are a distinctly valuable class of our culture-without them barriers to positive change may still be widely prevalent. Unlike the Baby Boomers, and even dissimilar to the antics of Generation X, Millenials approach the world carrying the belief that there exists a plethora of innovative and atypical ways to address both personal and cultural needs. They seem to traverse the path of life by wandering aimlessly through many jobs, passions, and pursuits, yet they are some of the most self-aware members of our society.