In a very real sense, they are the new kids on the block – and turning
out to be what no one expected.
In a very real sense, they are the new kids on the block – and turning
out to be what no one expected.
They are traditional, conservative – and even have displayed a surprising
sort of modesty in a runaway culture.
They are their parents children – but not their parents clones.
Say hello to the “Millennials” – the generation of Americans
born since 1982.
Churches can reach these young people by understanding their world and helping
them “figure out the code” to lifes profound questions, futurist
Neil Howe said.
“We are constantly trying to predict what the next generation is going
to be like,” noted Howe, a demographer, economist, historian and author
of several books on U.S. generations, including “Millennials Rising: The
Next American Generation.”
A common way of doing so is extrapolation – predicting that the rising
generation will be like the current generation, only more so. Unfortunately,
that “always proves to be wildly inaccurate,” Howe said.
For example, historians guessed the Baby Boomers – born between 1943 and
1960 – would be more conformist than their parents. However, they proved
to be the opposite, questioning virtually all authority.
Based on how the Boomers lived, Generation X – born between 1961 and 1981
– was expected to be even more passionate and ideological than their parents.
That was wrong as well.
And now that Millennials are coming of age, they also are turning out to be
quite different than anticipated, Howe said.
Extrapolating from Generation X, experts expected Millennials to be “more
culturally cynical, collectively pessimistic about the future and prone to risk-taking
activities like sex, drugs and crime,” he reported.
“But once again, truth conflicts straight-line extrapolation,” Howe
explained.
He cited an array of developments that show the Millennials conservative
turn.
For instance, in the past decade, teenage violent crime has declined by 65
percent, “the greatest reduction in history, … down beyond imagining,”
Howe said.
Sexual activity by high school students has dropped 20 percent in 10 years
as well, and the rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion and births have declined
30 percent to 40 percent, he continued.
Teenagers also are less likely to be loner “free agents,” Howe explained.
High school students involved in community service climbed from 27 percent in
1984 to 83 percent in 1999-2000.
And 56 percent of Millennials say they find explicit depictions of sexual activity
and nudity offensive, a trend Howe characterized as “the new modesty.”
Millennials also are the most ethnically diverse U.S. generation, Howe said.
Non-Anglos account for 37.6 percent of Millennials, compared to 32.8 percent
of Gen-Xers and 24.2 percent of Boomers.
Howe said the shifts that shape each generation should not be surprising, since
the parenting generation responds to the weaknesses or challenges they experienced.
“Its not that one generation rebels,” he explained. “The
previous generation raises kids to complement themselves, not to be like themselves.
New generations always are the answers to the problems of the older generation.”
For example, late Boomers and early Gen-Xers grew up with the insecurity of
divorce and parents who put careers ahead of kids. They naturally compensate
by lavishing attention and security on their Millennial children, Howe said.
So, early Millennials grew up riding in minivans – the quintessential
family cars – with bumper stickers touting, “Baby on Board,”
he noted. And in their era, the markets were flooded with books calling for
raising children better and movies casting them in a positive light.
“Its been a good thing to be seen as a kid,” Howe said. “The
90s was the first decade when per capita spending on kids grew faster
than any other generation.”
Responding to all the forces upon them, Millennials have developed seven generational
characteristics, Howe described.
Millennials are:
Special. Millennials value stability over rapid change, Howe
said. More of them want to have children than their counterparts in previous
generations.
They also expect society to be better when they take over, with significant
numbers of them saying they intend to make improvements in technology, ecology,
foreign relationships, government, arts and culture, and religion.
Sheltered. Steps to care for children – such as child
protection policies – have been in place throughout the lives of the Millennials,
Howe noted. “Millennials see protection as a sign that older people care
about them and want to protect them to go out and do great things,” he
explained.
While 58 percent of their parents acknowledge they sometimes are overprotective,
90 percent of Millennials agree on parental rules that are “strict and
fair,” Howe noted. Indeed, in 2002, 56 percent of high school students
said they prefer to attend a college that is nearby, compared to 41 percent
who said they want to go far away.
Confident. Among Millennials, 90 percent said they are happy,
and 82 percent predicted they will be better off than their parents, Howe said.
Not coincidentally, the suicide rate has declined for Millennials.
Team-oriented. Sixty-four percent of Millennials agreed they
will be seen as the “us generation,” Howe said, pointing out their
emphasis shifted from the Boomers “I” to “we.” Also,
50 percent of Millennials said they trust institutions, compared to just 26
percent of adults who say they do.
School innovations that “harness peer pressure” – such as uniforms
and student juries that levy penalties for misbehavior – have been well-received
by Millennials.
Millennials also are quick to point a finger at indulgent individualism, Howe
said. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 said the primary causes of social
problems are selfishness, failure to respond to authority, wrongdoing by politicians
and lack of parental discipline and leadership.
Conventional. Millennials typically expect higher standards
of themselves and others than do adults, Howe said.
Also, 94 percent of children age 9 to 17 told researchers they trust their
parents, and 82 percent of teenagers said they have “no problems”
with any family member – the highest percentage since World War II, he
added. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they would raise their own
children the way they have been raised.
Pressured. Despite all the attempts to protect them, Millennials
feel pressure more intensely than did their predecessors, Howe noted. An unprecedented
number – 84 percent – intend to attend college, he said. The same
percentage see security as “very important” in their lives.
As markers of how driven they are, two-thirds of Millennials do not get enough
sleep, and 88 percent report they have specific five-year goals.
Achieving. “Its cool to be smart,” Howe said
of the young generation. Early Millennials posted the highest SAT college-entrance
scores since 1974, and Millennials have chalked up increasingly high scores
on standardized tests, particularly for math and science.
Perhaps their desire is linked to their view of the future, Howe said, noting
75 percent of college students expect increased terror threats, but 93 percent
said they believe science and technology will play an important role in responding
to those threats.
So, what does it all mean?
For one thing, churches can use this information about Millennials to create
models for ministry that are effective at reaching them with the gospel, Howe
said.
The first step is understanding that – like everything else about them
– Millennials see faith and religion differently than their parents do,
he said.
All their lives, Boomers have keyed on religious insight, “focusing on
the heart … changing you from the inside out,” he noted.
“Millennials are much more interested in figuring out the code: What makes
sense? How do religions work? Millennials are incredibly system-minded.”
They also want to know the “how” and “what” of religion,
Howe continued.
“If youre going to worship God, what do you do? Do you do some things
every week? Practically speaking, what does that mean for changing your relationship
to your parents, to society?” he said.
“Millennials also have a real interest in using the church as a focus
of community involvement,” Howe continued. “They place a large focus
on community service. But they also use the church as an extension of their
social life – sort of a group.”
With Millennials emphasis on behavior and rules, the Christian faith
can become an attractive foundation for their lives, Howe emphasized.
“Ive heard teens talk about churches being an answer to the relativism
of the postmodern time,” he said. “This allows the church to create
anchors of trust and faith to build a basis for acting in this world.
“This is a generation that wants to do things – to plan, act, build
communities. So, it helps to have certain cornerstones.”
For example, ministry to Millennials needs to be “straightforward about
doctrine,” he explained.
“Millennials are not as indirect as Boomers often are in getting at what
religion means. Boomers often get off on what the experience is like, what it
feels like. They get fixated on attitude.
“The Millennial doesnt care about attitude,” Howe explained.
“The Millennial cares about what I have to do, what behaviors are required.
So, be direct. Tell Millennials what is required. Explain what it means. Then,
move on, telling them how they can be effective in this world.
“Millennials want to know how to build a better community, organize, socialize
and have fun,” Howe said.
And even how Millennials have fun is significant for churches that try to minister
to them, he observed. For instance, he cited a new trend – congregations
renting skating rinks, movie theaters or laser tag facilities.
“Obviously, its fun,” Howe said. “But its also in
tune with the whole Millennial approach to protection.”
Millennials also appreciate planning, Howe added. “Millennials, much more
than Boomers, want to plan their lives over time,” he said. “What
does that mean with regard to marriage, careers and education? Im not
sure how a church would do this, but in ways that are fun and interesting, it
can help them focus on how to build a life that is significant.”
And with Millennials, it is clear – significance matters. (ABP)