Millennial Musings
Marina LeightDirector, Center for Digital [email protected]
The Millennial Profile
• Self-confident• Ultra-communicators• Team players• Activist oriented• Smart • Conventional• Technology Experts
Millennials believe their mission is to fix the world that the
Gen Xers and Boomers messed up!
The GenerationsGeneration Birth Years Famous
ManFamous Woman
Glorious 1648-1673 Cotton Mather
Hannah Dustin
Republican 1742-1766 Thomas Jefferson
Abigail Adams
Progressive 1843-1859 Woodrow Wilson
Mary Cassatt
G.I. 1901-1924 John Kennedy
Clare Boothe Luce
Millennial 1982- Frankie Muniz
Mandy Moore
Source: Millennials Rising, the Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & William Strauss, 2000
The Millennials
Values of Millennials . . .
• 96% get along with their parents
• 75% share their parents’ values
• 78% believe religion is important
• 60% engage in community service
• 80% think it is cool to be smart
Source: Millennials Rising, the Next Great Generation,
Neil Howe & William Strauss, 2000
Family is Important
• 91% of students felt they have at least one family member they can confide in.
• If they could, 50% of students would spend more time with their family.
• 74% get along with their parents extremely or very well.
• When picking one person as a role model, 44% of students pick a family member.
Source:The State of Our Nation’s Youth.” Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. 2003. 7 Aug. 2003
Things you discuss with your parents: Important Family Matters
5563
72
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
9 to 11 12 to 14 15 to 17
9-17 in 2003
2003 63%
2001 53%
Millennials Feel They Are Unique
51% 50%42%
69%
39%47%
54%
29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Matures Boomers GenX Millennials
My age group is unique Nothing distinctive about my age group
Source:Keeter, Scott, et al. “The Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait.” The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). 19 Sep. 2002. 7 Aug. 2003
Millennials Are Ambitious
• 88% of students report that attending college is critical or very important to future success.
• 94% plan to continue their education after high school.
• 90% feel being personally satisfied is very important for success.
Source:The State of Our Nation’s Youth.” Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. 2003. 7 Aug. 2003
• 86% say their generation will produce the next Bill Gates
• 67% say they know the next Bill Gates and • 24% say they could be that person
How ambitious are they?
Source: Millennials Rising, the Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & William Strauss, 2000
Who wants to be President of the United States?
Who believe they could be elected president someday:
•62%
Who would want the job:
•Girls-21% •Boys-13%
Source: Survey of 12- to 17- year-olds, ABCNEWS.com (February 15, 1999)
Interested in World and Community
• 76% of students would like to learn more about the world.
• 28% of high school students use a foreign news source to learn about current events.
• After September 11, 2001, 78% of students felt optimistic and hopeful. Two years later, 75% still look toward a future with optimism and hope.
• 70% of students report volunteering or participating in community service.
Source: “The State of Our Nation’s Youth.” Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc
Have Substantial Purchasing Power
• In 2002, teens (ages 12-19) spent $170 billion.
• 15.6 million college students (ages 18-30) spend almost $200 billion annually.
• Two out of three students report influencing their parents’ buying decisions.
• 20% of teens own stock.
Source: Interprise Poll on Personal Finance 2002.” Junior Achievement, Inc.
19
40
25
45
65
51
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
9 to 11 11 to 14 15 to 17
2001 2003
Percent of online children whose parents asked them to go online for info on products/services
Source: Yankelovitch Youth MONITOR
Internet is Medium of Choice
• In 2003, the time spent with the Internet exceeded the time spent with TV for ages 13-24.
Source:United States. Dept. of Commerce. Economics and Statistics Administration.
. “A Nation Online: How Americans are Expanding Their Use of the Internet.”
“Teens and young adults are searching for independence and control, and the Internet gives it to them like no other media can.
Millennials vividly expressed excitement, freedom, immediacy, and most of all control over their experience – where they go, what they learn, what they buy, whom they talk to, and how they live their lives.”
Source: Yahoo Born to Be Wired
But kids are still reading…
Source: Salij, Marta. “Potter’s Numbers are Pure Magic.” Detroit Free Press.
20 June 2003. 8 Aug 2003
Summary of Findings – March 2004
Geography Review: all 50 states + DC + PR + DOD Schools worldwide
K-3 Class Surveys3-6 Class Surveys3-6 Individual Surveys6-12 Class Surveys6-12 Individual Surveys
Summary of Findings – March 2004
Participation Overview210,000 surveys submitted by students from 3,000 schools during
the survey time period October 25 through November 3, 2003
Grade distribution: K-3 (5%) - 3-6 (26%) - 6-12 (69%)Gender distribution:
Female (50%) - Male (50%)
Survey type:Class version (70%) - Individual version (30%)Community profile:
Urban (27%) - Rural (32%) - Suburban (41%)
School profile:Charter (1%) - Private (3%) - DOD (4%) - Catholic (5%) –
Public (87%)
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
The Millennials
Millennials and technology . . .
The Internet is not an “extra” for most students – but an essential component of every aspect of their lives.
•81% of the students said that losing access to the Internet would impact their personal lives and their schoolwork
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
The Millennials
Millennials and technology . . .
Today’s tech-savvy kids are using technology in ways that surprise their teachers.
Assignment to write a report?• 67% of students in grades 7-12 go online to
research their topic first, • 10% go the library to find a book• 9% ask their teacher for help• 5% look in a textbook
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
Summary of Findings – March 2004
How are students using technology in their free time?
• For grades K-6 : Online gaming
• For grades 7-12 : Email
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
The Millennials
Millennials and technology . . .
IM is changing the way students are communicating with each other.
• 54% of students in grades 7-12 know more of their friends’ IM screen names than their home phone numbers.
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
Summary of Findings – March 2004
Who are today’s students in terms of technology use?
• Have an email account? K-3 (29%) Gr. 4-6 (45%) Gr. 7-12 (79%)– Significant increase in email connectivity (+22%) from 3rd grade to 6th grade– 12% of students in grades 7-12 have 4+ email accounts
High percentage states:
K-3 : IL, TX, PA Gr. 3-6 : KY, MI, NY Gr. 6-12 : WI, WA, MN, AK, SD
• Use IM? Yes – 70% of students in grades 7-12– 18% of the students have 4+ IM screen names– 54% of the students know more of their friends’ IM screen names than home
phone numbers– Highest percentage of those students in 9th grade
High percentage states : TX, NJ, NC
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
Summary of Findings – March 2004
Who are today’s students in terms of technology use?
• New sites and technology? Students list friends, exploring on their own and family members as the top influencers.
• How tech-y are you?– 26% of students in grades 7-12 assess themselves as advanced
as do 23% of the 4th-6th graders• The gender divide is real here: 31% of boys in gr. 7-12 chose
“advanced” for themselves; only 17% of the girls – 78% of the K-3 students knew what the Internet was
• Like using technology?– 71% of students in grades 4-12 enjoy using technology and
learning new ways to use it – a subset of those students are “tech mentors” and help their friends with tech problems
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
For specific information about Washington and Speak Up Day
contact:
Julie Evans CEO NetDay949-609-4660
The New Junior Citizen: Millennial Civics 101
Grassroots Reconstruction
• Community Service
• Politics
• Teamwork
• Civic Spirit
Waukazoo and Woodside, Michigan
Students speak OUT…
Tax Dollars
American tax dollars should be used for schools so they can have
computer upgrades and more up-to-date books so kids can be more
confident in themselves.Katelyn Baldys, 9
Tax Dollars
“Tax dollars should be used for schools, food, roads, parks, charity,
protection, transportation, electricity,police and fire
departments, army, the marines, school boxes, backpacks, glue,
folders, paper, and flowers.James Lewis, 10
How a millennial would spend a tech budget:
All K12 students surveyed said their top priorities for increased spending are:
• More computers• Better software for student use
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
How a millennial would spend a tech budget:
And if students were in charge of designing a new school their number one tech demand would be . . .
Fast, wireless access throughout the school
Source: NetDay’s Speak Up Day 2003
The Millenials Vote
Our Challenge
• Are our schools ready for this generation?• How do we create the learning environments
that engage this generation to help them reach their full potential?
• How do we equip these students with the skills and knowledge they need to be competitive in a global, information-based economy and contributing citizens?
• What assumptions about education do we need to question?
How
’s t
his
for
Ou
t of
the
Box?
Jungle Magic
Millennials don’t think about technology as a subject unto
itself. Why do we?
Millennials influence the present and are the future. Pay close attention to them,
as their usage of media influences other
demographic groups and they literally represent the
world to come.Yahoo: Born to Be Wired
Center for Digital Education
For more information about the Center for Digital Education contact:
Marina LeightDirector
Top Related