What makes students born in 1994 unique

Recent research has shown dramatic shifts in youth behaviors, attitudes and lifestyles — both positive and concerning — for those who came of age in this era. Beginning to track this new generation over time will be of significant importance. Pew Research Center is not the first to draw an analytical line between Millennials and the generation to follow them, and many have offered well-reasoned arguments for drawing that line a few years earlier or later than where we have. Perhaps, as more data are collected over the years, a clear, singular delineation will emerge.

We remain open to recalibrating if that occurs. But more than likely the historical, technological, behavioral and attitudinal data will show more of a continuum across generations than a threshold.

As has been the case in the past, this means that the differences within generations can be just as great as the differences across generations, and the youngest and oldest within a commonly defined cohort may feel more in common with bordering generations than the one to which they are assigned.

This is a reminder that generations themselves are inherently diverse and complex groups, not simple caricatures. In the near term, you will see a number of reports and analyses from the Center that continue to build on our portfolio of generational research. Today, we issued a report looking — for the first time — at how members of Generation Z view some of the key social and political issues facing the nation today and how their views compare with those of older generations.

To be sure, the views of this generation are not fully formed and could change considerably as they age and as national and global events intervene. Even so, this early look provides some compelling clues about how Gen Z will help shape the future political landscape. In the coming weeks, we will be releasing demographic analyses that compare Millennials to previous generations at the same stage in their life cycle to see if the demographic, economic and household dynamics of Millennials continue to stand apart from their predecessors.

Yet, we remain cautious about what can be projected onto a generation when they remain so young. Donald Trump may be the first U. Bush and Barack Obama shaped the political debate for Millennials, the current political environment may have a similar effect on the attitudes and engagement of Gen Z, though how remains a question. Your music tastes are truly diverse because you bridge two generations. While you were too young to bootleg music from Limewire before it shut down, you mastered the YouTube to MP3 conversion, so your possibilities were endless.

You got the best 90's kids hand-me-downs and the coolest new earlys tech. Teilen Facebook. While some say Generation Alpha is named for the first letter of the Greek alphabet and denotes the first of a series of items or categories, Generation Alpha may also just be an easy way to round the corner into a new alphabet.

While all Millennials were born around the turn of the century, some of them are still in early adulthood, wrestling with new careers and settling down, while the older Millennials have a home and are building a family. You can imagine how having a child might change your interests and priorities, so for marketing purposes, it's useful to split this generation into Gen Y. The younger group is just now flexing their buying power.

The latter group has a more extensive history and may be refinancing their mortgage and raising children. The contrast in priorities and needs is stark. The same logic can be applied to any generation that is in this stage of life or younger. As we get older, we tend to homogenize and face similar life issues. The younger we are, the more dramatic each stage of life is. Consider the difference between someone in elementary school and high school.

While they might be the same generation, they have very different views and needs. Marketing to young generations as a single cohort will not be nearly as effective as segmenting your strategy and messaging. Each generation label serves as a shorthand to reference nearly 20 years of attitude, motivations, and historical events.

Few individuals self-identify as Gen X, Millennial, or any other name. Ten years from now, the priorities of Millennials will have changed — and marketing tactics must adjust instep. Remember, these arbitrary generational cutoff points are just that. Whatever terminology or grouping you use, the goal is to reach people with marketing messages relevant to their phase of life.

In short, no matter how many letters get added to the alphabet soup, the most important thing you can do is seek to understand the soup du jour for the type of consumer you want to attract.

Before we dive into each generation, remember that the exact years born are in dispute, because there are no comparably definitive thresholds by which the later generations after Boomers are defined.

But this should give you a general range to help identify what generation you belong in. The other fact to remember is that new technology is typically first adopted by the youngest generation and then is gradually adopted by the older generations. This generation has begun to adopt more technology in order to stay in touch with family members and reconnect with old friends. While this might seem counterintuitive, it can be explained by the fact that this generation has the most wealth and is looking to help their children with their student debt.

They have a belief that you should take care of your children enough to set them on the right course and don't plan on leaving any inheritance. With more Americans outliving their retirement fund, declining pensions, and social security in jeopardy, ensuring you can successfully fund retirement is a major concern for Boomers. However, they are also digitally savvy and spend roughly 7 hours a week on Facebook the highest of any generational cohort.

They believe banking is a person-to-person business and demonstrate brand loyalty. They are, as Guardian journalist Shiv Malik wrote, the Jilted Generation , who are set to be the first generation to do worse than its parents as far back as data goes.

This article is more than 5 years old. What does being a millennial really mean? Millennials are a generation marked by creativity and flexibility. Photograph: PeopleImages.