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Where did millennials get their name?

PotomacBob ๐Ÿšซ

The word millennial, I had guessed, had something to do with the year 2000 or 2001 (whenever you count when the 21st century started). It therefore surprises me to learn that most definitions I have seen say the latest people could be born and still be counted as a millennial is about 1996 or 1997. The Millennial Generation starts 16 to 18 years before that. If that's the case - how did millennials get their name?

Replies:   Keet
Keet ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@PotomacBob

From Wikipedia (yeah, I know...)

Millennials, also known as Generation Y (or simply Gen Y), are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with 1981 to 1996 a widely accepted defining range for the generation.
Millennials are sometimes referred to as "echo boomers" due to a major surge in birth rates in the 1980s and 1990s, and because millennials are often the children of the baby boomers. This generation is generally marked by their coming of age in the Information Age, and they are comfortable in their usage of digital technology and social media. Millennials are often the parents of Generation Alpha.
Members of this demographic cohort are known as millennials because they became adults around the turn of the millennium.

PotomacBob ๐Ÿšซ

@Keet

Members of this demographic cohort are known as millennials because they became adults around the turn of the millennium.

Thus, many of the people in the generation do not fit that definition. People born in the 1990s did not become adults by either 2000 or 2001.

Replies:   Keet
Keet ๐Ÿšซ

@PotomacBob

Thus, many of the people in the generation do not fit that definition. People born in the 1990s did not become adults by either 2000 or 2001.

As far as I know and could find with searches there is no exact definition of "millennials". A generation flows from one to the next over years, no exact date where one starts or one ends. So that leaves a wide margin to what someone considers a millennial.

Replies:   richardshagrin
richardshagrin ๐Ÿšซ

@Keet

A generation flows from one to the next over years, no exact date where one starts or one ends.

The baby boomers started when world war two ended, a relatively precise date. Perhaps a little later when their fathers and a few mothers got back from military service and started engaging in procreation. If you were born in 1944 you were not a boomer. 1945, probably, 1946 certainly.

Replies:   Not_a_ID  Keet
Not_a_ID ๐Ÿšซ

@richardshagrin

The baby boomers started when world war two ended, a relatively precise date. Perhaps a little later when their fathers and a few mothers got back from military service and started engaging in procreation. If you were born in 1944 you were not a boomer. 1945, probably, 1946 certainly.

The Baby Boomers are an exception in regards to their start date. As it is clearly linked to an event, well events, which has a date. The event being the conclusion of World War 2 in Europe and Asia respectively.

Things get fuzzy when you see people trying to put an end date to "the baby boom" however. Everything beyond that becomes even fuzzier up until you hit the Millenials where the leading edge of that cohort is "coming of age" at the start of the new Millennium. Although I find it interesting the variability on that one. Part of that though is I think demographers are increasingly looking at the technology side rather than the calendar date. Which is why many more recent definitions for "Millennial" doesn't even start until 1984(classes of 2002 or 2003). While some of the earliest definitions(back when I was in high school) were considering inclusion of the late 1970's into the mix.

But the "analog childhood, digital adolescence" crowd probably gets the Xennial tag now.

Keet ๐Ÿšซ

@richardshagrin

The baby boomers started when world war two ended, a relatively precise date. Perhaps a little later when their fathers and a few mothers got back from military service and started engaging in procreation. If you were born in 1944 you were not a boomer. 1945, probably, 1946 certainly.

There's always an exception to the rule :)

StarFleet Carl ๐Ÿšซ

@Keet

Members of this demographic cohort are known as millennials because they became adults around the turn of the millennium.

That's incorrect. They may have reached an actual age, but most of them are in no way, shape, or form adults.

I saw the best meme today. All those people who are raising their kids to be hellions with no respect for others, to not follow rules, or just be whiny ... enjoy your time with them in quarantine!

Replies:   Keet
Keet ๐Ÿšซ

@StarFleet Carl

That's incorrect. They may have reached an actual age, but most of them are in no way, shape, or form adults.

Don't blame me, blame Wikipedia ;)

Vincent Berg ๐Ÿšซ

Generally, most millennials got their names the way that everyone else did: their parents picked it from a parenting website somewhere.

Replies:   Dominions Son
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ

@Vincent Berg

Generally, most millennials got their names the way that everyone else did: their parents picked it from a parenting website somewhere.

Unless the parents were celebrities in which case they may have just strung together a bunch of random words and/or letters.

Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

The term is applied loosely to people reaching the age of majority in and around the year 2000. In many ways, it's often used derisively, but I've found that not unlike painting any group of people with large blobs of tar.

As a rule of thumb, I try to look at individuals, not classifications. If the individual lives up to the generalized blob, so be it.

madnige ๐Ÿšซ

So, what name shall we tag the results of social isolation with, the (presumed) increase in births in a bit less than a year's time?

Replies:   Dominions Son  Tw0Cr0ws  BalRog
Dominions Son ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@madnige

Flu babies?

ETA: Yes, I know CORONA is a cold not an influenza. However, most of the general public does not understand this, so flu baby is more likely to stick.

Replies:   Not_a_ID
Not_a_ID ๐Ÿšซ

@Dominions Son

So, what name shall we tag the results of social isolation with, the (presumed) increase in births in a bit less than a year's time?


Flu babies?

ETA: Yes, I know CORONA is a cold not an influenza. However, most of the general public does not understand this, so flu baby is more likely to stick.

I'm leaning towards "The Covfefe's" as a play on both Trump and Covid19.

Tw0Cr0ws ๐Ÿšซ

@madnige

Generation Screwed, because they were born at the beginning of the economic collapse brought on by the effects of the prolonged quarantine?

BalRog ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@madnige

So, what name shall we tag the results of social isolation with, the (presumed) increase in births in a bit less than a year's time?

No idea what we'll call them right now, but after about a decade and a half we'll call them "The Quarenteens".

Replies:   samuelmichaels
samuelmichaels ๐Ÿšซ

@BalRog

No idea what we'll call them right now, but after about a decade and a half we'll call them "The Quarenteens".

Nice one!

Banadin ๐Ÿšซ

I have always wondered what those of us born in 1944 are called.We are children of the depression but not of the depression. I think I read once we are the Lost Generation.

Replies:   Tw0Cr0ws
Tw0Cr0ws ๐Ÿšซ

@Banadin

They are near the tail end of The Silent Generation, which is the generation between The Greatest Generation and The Baby Boomers.

The Lost Generation is the generation that came of age around World War One.

Replies:   Not_a_ID
Not_a_ID ๐Ÿšซ

@Tw0Cr0ws

I have always wondered what those of us born in 1944 are called.We are children of the depression but not of the depression. I think I read once we are the Lost Generation.


They are near the tail end of The Silent Generation, which is the generation between The Greatest Generation and The Baby Boomers.

The Lost Generation is the generation that came of age around World War One.

There also is "Generation Jones" in the mix.

The "Greatest Generation" fought WW2.
"Generation Jones" fought in Korea(alongside many of the Greatest Generation).
The "Silent Generation" are the ones in between Generation Jones and the Baby Boomers. Although Generation Jones and the Silent Generation are often lumped together.

richardshagrin ๐Ÿšซ

f The Silent Generation, which is the generation between The Greatest Generation and The Baby Boomers.

I search on line to find things out. Here is what I found.

"The Generations
Which Generation are You?
By Michael T. Robinson
Founder and Career Coach
CareerPlanner.com


See our new article: Millenials, The Mystery Generation

These are Western Cultural Generations. Japan and Asia and portions of Europe will have their own generational definitions based on major cultural, political, and economic influences.

The Lost Generation and 1890 1915
The Generation of 1914

The Interbellum Generation 1901 1913
The Greatest Generation 1910 1924
The Silent Generation 1925 1945
Baby Boomer Generation 1946 1964
Generation X (Baby Bust) 1965 1979
Xennials 1975 1985
Millennials
Generation Y, Gen Next 1980 1994
iGen / Gen Z 1995 2012
Gen Alpha 2013 2025

Note: Dates are approximate and there is some overlap because there are no standard definitions for when a generation begins and ends. See the section below about why this overlap."

awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

It hails from single mothers who had sex with two men (eponymously Millie, Lennie and Al) around the time of conception and who are uncertain who the actual father is. Hence Millennials are b*st*rds ;)

AJ

Replies:   joyR
joyR ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

Hence Millennials are b*st*rds ;)

Since you are using it in its correct meaning, why the need for asterisks..?

Besides, some millennials know exactly who their father is and yet are still bastards...

BookHungryMechanic ๐Ÿšซ

As a textbook millennial, many members of my generation (myself included) consider 9/11 to be a sort of measuring stick. Although 95 is the technical cutoff, many of us view being old enough to remember the difference in society between pre- and post-9/11 as defining the younger cutoff of the generation. I was 12 when it happened, and was able to note a sort of loss-of-innocence, at least in my sphere of awareness.

Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

I personally disagree with attempts to force any group of people into a one size fits all mold. Every individual should be judged by their words and actions, or lack thereof. Not for what society would paint them to be based upon arbitrary factors such as date of birth, race, gender, and others beyond the control of the individual.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

and others beyond the control of the individual.

The ways children are brought up and educated are out of their control, but each generation tends to have its own standards and they mould the whole generation towards generalisation.

The current disdain for corporal punishment and lack of academic rigour in education have both left their marks.

AJ

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

The ways children are brought up and educated are out of their control

Out of their control yes, but arbitrary no. In context:

Not for what society would paint them to be based upon arbitrary factors such as date of birth, race, gender, and others beyond the control of the individual.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

Out of their control yes, but arbitrary no.

I don't think you can separate them like that. A child's date of birth determines what child-rearing and educational trends they'll be exposed to.

AJ

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ

@awnlee jawking

I don't think you can separate them like that. A child's date of birth determines what child-rearing and educational trends they'll be exposed to.

Let's take five children born in August 1956. The locations are as follows:
1. Russia
2. Japan
3. W. Germany
4. America
5. England

Each would have had distinctly different childhoods/rearing, much less education. The child didn't ask to born, much less in any given country. To that extent it is the hand of fate that cast them to the winds of chance, thus it is effectively arbitrary.
Anyone of them could have been adopted into a different country which would further muddy the waters.

Out of the child's control, but no less arbitrary in effect.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

Do Russia, Japan and Germany have the same problems with Millennials as the 'civilised' world?

AJ

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@awnlee jawking

Do Russia, Japan and Germany have the same problems with Millennials as the 'civilised' world?

As the civilized world? I think maybe there is a larger misunderstanding at play if you consider Russia, Japan, and Germany as uncivilized.

Replies:   Tw0Cr0ws
Tw0Cr0ws ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

Russia? Maybe, much of it is the same as it was since the Mongols wiped the Rus (kin of the Vikings) that ruled it out.

I would call Germany and Japan civilized.

But then all civilized really means is adapted to living in cities.

Replies:   Remus2
Remus2 ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@Tw0Cr0ws

In context, the orginal disagreement was related to these statements;

The ways children are brought up and educated are out of their control

Out of their control yes, but arbitrary no.

I don't think you can separate them like that. A child's date of birth determines what child-rearing and educational trends they'll be exposed to.

Date of birth does not determine any such thing. Even within the countries listed, the variations in culture within them assure that the child-rearing and educational trends are not uniform. Just the difference between rural and city assures that, therefore making date of birth arbitrary. That's within a single country. It gets much more complicated when considering multiple countries replete with their own variations of the same.

It's not in the child's control, but it is no less arbitrary in effect.

As for Russia being civilized, it has every stage of civilization or lack thereof. As a country, yes they are civilized, but the physical size verses population assures there will be decidedly uncivilized areas within their borders. For that matter, there are still parts of the States that would fit the latter as well. Even the two most populous countries on the planet (India and China) has such areas.

ETA:

All that said, either AJ or I is missing something fundemental here, so I'll let it die rather than carry on with it.

Replies:   awnlee jawking
awnlee jawking ๐Ÿšซ

@Remus2

All that said, either AJ or I is missing something fundemental here, so I'll let it die rather than carry on with it.

Now very unmillennial of you ;-)

I agree wholeheartedly with letting the discussion die: I've almost forgotten what it was about.

AJ

QM ๐Ÿšซ

I believe it's a term of how idiotic they actually they are :D.

BarBar ๐Ÿšซ

I believe that the original use of such phrases as baby boomers and generation x etc were by marketing people as they sought to identify their target audience. Conclusions can be drawn about statistical probabilities of those groups as being more, or less, likely to act in certain ways than other groups. It's all about statistics and doesn't speak to an individual's ability to buck the trend.

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