Friday, October 10, 2014

How Millennials are Different From Baby Boomers

By Robert Wenzel

Oh boy, it appears that Millennials overall are less likely to choose difficult subjects to study, don't like to work while they are getting "educated," and have no significant desire to settle down at start a family.

We all know that Millennials are the first generation to have had access to the Internet during their formative years.

But their differences, as a group, with Baby Boomers goes well beyong that. They are the most
diverse and educated generation to date: 42 percent identify with a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white, around twice the share of the Baby Boomer generation when they were the same age, according a new report by the President's Council of Economic Advisers:

About 61 percent of adult Millennials have attended college, whereas only 46 percent of the Baby Boomers did so.

Millennials are those born between 1980 and the mid-2000s They are the largest generation 
in the U.S., representing one-third of the total U.S. population in 2013.

 The share of people age 20 to 34 who were born in a foreign country is now around 15 percent – much higher than it was in 1950 and near the peak of almost 20 percent seen in 1910 during the last great wave of immigration to the United States.

Millennials are more likely to attend graduate school than previous generations. Among 18 to 34 
year-olds, college enrollment stood at 19 percent in 2010, up from 15 percent in 1995. Graduate school enrollment for the same age group has increased at an even faster rate, jumping from 2.8 percent in 1995 to 3.8 percent in 2010 – a 35 percent increase.

Millennials are more likely to study social science or applied fields—like communications, criminal 
justice, and library science, than other generations. 

Curiously. the share of Millennials choosing computer and information science majors has fallen over time, and this decline has been most pronounced among women, according to the study. In 1987, 2.9 percent of women graduating with a bachelor’s degree received a degree in computer and information science, and women comprised 36 percent of all computer science graduates. In contrast, in the class of 2011, only 1.1 percent of women graduated with computer science degrees, and women comprised only 18 percent of all computer science graduates. Over the same period, the share of men graduating with such degrees fell only slightly, from 5.7 percent to 5.4 percent.

Millennials are also somewhat less likely than previous generations to major in fields like business and health (which includes pre-med and nursing).

Millennials, in particular, have been less likely to work while enrolled in high school. Since 2000, labor force participation rates among high school and college students have fallen more sharply than those who are not enrolled.The result is that more students are focused exclusively on their studies during school years. On the other hand, labor force participation has been relatively stable for 18 to 24 year-olds who are not in school.

Millennials tend to get married later than previous generations.

Since 1950, the median age at which both men and women have married has steadily increased. In 
1950, men first married at age 22.8 and women at age 20.3; by 2013 the median marriage age 
increased by more than 6 years for both genders, reaching 29.0 and 26.6 for men and women 
respectively. As more young adults delay marriage, the fraction of young adults who are currently 
married has fallen. Millennials have continued on this path and are marrying later, with more of them 
remaining unmarried in their 20s. In 2013, only 30 percent of 20 to 34 year-olds were married, 
compared to 77 percent in 1960.

5 comments:

  1. Young people are different, and are different in a good way. They are smarter (Flynn effect) and much less violent: violent crimes are typically committed by young folks, and the rate of violent crime has fallen by 60% plus since its peak over the late '70s-early '80s. Young people are awakening to the stupidity of this world and the U.S., which is why they are more apt to be an independent vs. a Democrat or Republican. I see these things firsthand, from being a father of two Millenials and having been very active in the Ron Paul presidential campaign of 2012. I am heartened by the change.

    FWIW -- my worldview has changed markedly since I began reading much more broadly. There is compelling scientific evidence for reincarnation -- read the books by physicians, 'Life Before Life' or 'Proof of Heaven.' There is compelling physics evidence for everlasting connections between basic particles and between a person and their cells; read 'The Source Field Investigations' or 'The Holographic Universe.' Most old people (Baby Boomers) stay clear away from these things, while many young people are open to these things. The world is about much more than chasing money.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And, Millenials are much more apt than Baby Boomers to hold government in disdain and comprehend that governments do evil things to citizens. My kids find the alternate explanations of 9/11, Patton's death, JFK's assassination, Pearl Harbor and who knew what when, Apollo 'landings,' etc. to be plausible, unlike the Baby Boomers in my family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for your book suggestions JohnG. I'm not quite a millennial (78'), but highly interested. I've been exploring spirituality as of late and find this all connected. Can I suggest you read Donald Miller's article on Lew Rockwell a few days ago. It was based on compassion. Yes, it really is an interesting topic based on how universally connected we really are.
    A couple other books I find interesting on varying subjects:
    The Power Of Subconscious Mind... by Joseph Murphy (Subconscious mind and it's connection universally)
    Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas (Primal Diet but also the programming of our brains...Excellent podcasts too)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Neil Howe, coauthor of The Fourth Turning, has some interesting views on Millennials.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I read Dr. Miller's article when it came out, A-; it was excellent! Thanks for the other recommendations.

    Yep, this world is much different -- and better -- from what we are told, what we are taught, and what we can sense with our five senses. Thank goodness for the Internet, so we can quickly find fellow awakened souls and share the exciting developments in physics, archaeology, etc.

    ReplyDelete