Page 1 ..... âMy mate is in a relationship with a girl on Facebook, but they are not actually togetherâ .... What we
WHO DO YOU THINK WE ARE?
We’ve been called narcissistic, apathetic and lazy - but we prefer words like thoughtful, passionate and optimistic (we’re determined to make our mark on the world, so don’t underestimate us). Our lives and aspirations are a tangle of contradictions - if you unpick them with care you’ll discover a narrative that we ourselves only comprehend in glimpses. We don’t even see the world through our own eyes. Our stories are complex fusions of sense, impulse, information and anticipation. We capture, preserve and communicate our lives in fragments, snippets, moments - the sum is a blur of fact and fiction, truth and lies, the fleeting and the fixed. If you try to pin us down you’ll find we’ve already moved on. Catch us if you can - we are the people who will decide the fate of many of the world’s top brands. We are the Millennials…
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It is a strange one because we have the best of everything but also the worst - Female (22, UK)
ONE
WE ARE THE MOST ADVANTAGED AND DISADVANTAGED GENERATION We’re constantly being told that life has never been so comfortable and easy - we have access to everything everywhere, and anything is possible. “We never had all that you have - I wish I’d had your opportunities” “Why aren’t you making more of it? You can do anything” Think about the pressure that brings. Real pressure. Real expectation. Real guilt. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. Sometimes it is simply easier to do nothing.
That way we feel like we haven’t failed and let everyone down. Cut us some slack. If this world of opportunity is new and we are the first beneficiaries of it, then let us experience it in new ways too, without the weight of the old expectations upon us. (And no, technology doesn’t have all the answers - but we’ll come to that later…)
“The pressure has been on us from an early age, we have had to make decisions that affect the rest of our life really early on” Male (19, USA)
“ We can do anything! That’s what we’re told, anyway” Male (17, Brazil)
“It is overwhelming how much choice and opportunity we now have - where do you even start?” Male (18, USA)
“There is a real weight of expectation that we need to live up to” Female (19, China)
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I will make the biggest impact when I have discovered what to do - Male (21, Japan)
TWO
WE HAVE OUR GOALS, WE JUST DON’T HAVE A ROADMAP We see people achieving, doing the things we’d like to do, and we want it too. We are ambitious. We want to feel like we have made it, or that success is a real possibility. But sometimes we lack the motivation, encouragement and confidence to make it happen. With so many opportunities out there, it’s impossible to know where to begin. Technology has given us so many tools and opportunities, but it has given them equally to everyone, meaning the competition is fiercer than ever. We are competing on a global scale. We reject the popular claim that we are lazy and unfocused - you mistake our efficiency for laziness and lack of focus - we are digitally native and we have the skills to use technology to take the right short cuts so we can focus on what is important to us.
We might not know exactly what we want, but we know what we don’t want. We know we need a plan; that we need to get ‘ready for the reals’ and ‘prepared for the fight’. If we don’t have a plan, someone else will take our place and get there first.
“ Independence is scary but exciting - once you are fully independent, then you have made it”
But we need help.
Male (17, UK)
Female (19, USA)
“ If I am lazy it’s because I am being made to do something I don’t want to. Give me something I enjoy and I will show you the opposite of lazy” “I know what I don’t want, that’s for sure - working in an office 9-5” Female (23, UK)
48.6% of Millennials say their future is in their own hands 45.2% of Millennials look to their parents for valued advice. 41.7% of Millennials attribute success to their parents.
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The biggest impact I can make is in the area of hard work. By working hard, I can encourage other people to work hard - Male (24, China)
THREE
WE NEED BETTER ROLE MODELS IF WE ARE TO BECOME THE ROLE MODELS WE WANT TO BE We want to give back and inspire others in the same ways that we have been inspired. But our role models are different to yours. The old role models have let us down. Superstar heroes do not exist for us like they did for our parents; athletes, politicians, movie stars and musicians have been well and truly knocked off their pedestal, exposed through social media. They are role models for us only in so far as we are learning from their mistakes. Our role models embody values which are most relevant to us - they taught us something, gave us something tangible, made an impact directly and personally - our teachers, siblings, grandparents, and school sports coaches.
These are the people who have influenced us most, they have given back and made a difference to us, our families and communities - we respect that and we want to do the same. We feel let down by the ‘system’. That’s why we remember those individuals who took notice and went that extra mile for us. We want to be like them and help others so we can inspire the next generation.
“ Social media has brought us closer to our heroes but at the same time removes their hero status as you see them for what they really are” Male (21, USA)
“ My maths teacher really went out of his way to help me. He still does. I want to help others like I have been helped” Female (22, UK)
“Friends - supportive, yes - but they also provide you with a constant comparison for how well you should be doing” Male (21, UK)
34.7% of Millennials say their parents are their inspiration or role model 15.6% Say it’s their friends 11.5% Say it is their teacher.
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Future happiness for me will be about being surrounded by people I love - Female (21, USA)
FOUR
WE THINK WE WILL BE HAPPIER IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE ARE FEARFUL OF WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT BRING We believe that the future will bring us happiness, but we do not judge happiness on what we see on the outside; it is not material things, it is how you feel on the inside, doing what you enjoy, that really matters. We want the same things that people have always wanted to be healthy, to put down roots, to be part of a loving family, and to start a family of our own - to be content within ourselves and within our closest relationships.
are growing up in economies that cannot support us. Some of us are fearful of the power of our governments, our over-reliance on technology and the way that technology can be used against us. We all fear the effects of war and terrorism, and of the world our children will inherit.
“ It’s not about what you can see on the outside - bankers might look like they have it all but I bet they are pretty miserable”
We wish we could feel in greater control of our own destinies, but often it seems that we are controlled by our own fears.
“I just worry for what the world is going to be like for our kids”
The threats to those things seem to be all around us. Some of us
Male (19, UK)
“ Happiness is about being successful on the inside” Female (22, UK)
Female (23, Japan)
“I am scared of technology taking over. Soon technology will be controlling us, not the other way round - that is terrifying” Female (21, USA)
MOST HOPEFUL
73.3% of Millennials agree they are happy
Terrorism
Traditions and values
Population overcrowding
Respect of online privacy
Politics & government
Being alone
Short term finances
The environment
Employment
Being close to my roots
Health of my loved ones
Long term finances
My health and wellbeing
Having children
GLOBAL RANKING OF HOPES AND FEARS FOR THE FUTURE
MOST FEARFUL
68.2% of Millennials agree they are excited by the future
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Just what is real? I don’t know anymore. You can pick and choose what you believe to suit yourself - Male (23, Brazil)
FIVE
WE DO NOT LIVE IN THE ‘REAL WORLD’, YET STILL WE PURSUE AUTHENTICITY AND TRUST Sometimes it is hard to know what is true, because the internet offers so many variations on the truth. The internet is a kind of unpredictable information and culture platform, where what is real is often indistinguishable from what is fake. Fakeness is everywhere - fake friends, fake bodies, fake food, fake relationships. We see through the fakeness but crave it too. We know that fake friends have no real value, yet those fake friends confirm our popularity and give us a platform for self-expression. We know how easy it is to manipulate images, situations and identities - so to us ‘selfies’ feel more authentic than photos of us out with friends (where we are just playing a part).
With so much fakeness going on, our friends often don’t believe us when we have been somewhere without them. We need to prove it, because if it was not recorded it did not happen. This makes the demands for trust and authenticity even stronger - we seek it from everyone (even when experience has taught us that we rarely get it) - from parents, friends, teachers, managers, companies and brands.
“ Our generation is a beautiful disaster - what is on the outside isn’t the same as the inside” Female (21, USA)
“Selfies are pictures which are a true reflection of yourself; pictures with friends and stuff - they are less real as you are not just yourself” Female (19, UK)
“I don’t see anything wrong in using a plastic surgery app on pictures of yourself - it shows the real me” Male (19, UK)
“I read there are 20% more profiles on social media than there are actual people” Male (17, Japan)
“Fake everything, fake everywhere - the world is fake” Female (21, USA)
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Things were just so much lighter before; social media plays on everyone’s insecurities - (Female 20, Japan)
SIX
WE ARE SO CONNECTED, WE HAVE BEGUN TO FEAR BEING ALONE Communicating with people has never been easier or more accessible - we can connect with people around the world from wherever we are, at any time; we can hook up; we can get to know people intimately without ever meeting them - we have re-defined how relationships are formed and then dissolved. It’s hard to imagine being connected to a much bigger or wider group. And yet we are so scared of being alone. Social media fuels our social insecurities. We feel loved and on top of the world when our picture gets multiple likes and comments, but we are left out in the cold when our tag is missed from a status.
The social triumphs and emotional setbacks we have experienced on social media have taught us to understand and appreciate the high value of our relationships with family and friends. The love they give us sets the benchmarks for all relationships.
“ When I feel down, I know I have my phone. Just a few messages can make me feel liked again”
Our quest for happiness and security in our relationships has created a complicated sub layer of guilt, rejection and desire to please, as we seek to protect ourselves from loneliness now and in the future.
Male (17, UK)
Female (21, Brazil)
“We all think the best thing in his life [a friend] is that he has a girlfriend - he’s lucky as he always has someone there for him” “My mate is in a relationship with a girl on Facebook, but they are not actually together” Male (18, UK)
“I want what my parents have. I hope to have a family like our family growing up” Female (24, China)
“I know it’s a bit sad, but I can see why people buy likes on social media” Female (20, UK)
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People don’t make eye contact any more, they only communicate through screens. Even friends hanging out don’t seem to be looking at each other - Female (20, USA)
SEVEN
WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT OUR PHONE, BUT FEEL TRAPPED INSIDE THE SCREEN We do not remember life without our phones. We take them everywhere. They are a part of who we are - we can use some of their functions in our sleep. We crave ‘always on’ internet access like a basic human need. We talk about how our life is over when our phone battery dies and we’re only half joking. We recognise that this addiction to connected technology is not always healthy. Indeed, we often feel trapped by having lives that are so exposed by, and reliant on, mobile internet. Part of us wants to break free.
We know that good times can still happen when we are without our phone - we have experienced those moments and we have felt happy and liberated within them - but still we are unable to leave our phones behind for fear of missing out. We crave spending time together away from the screen, in the ‘real’ world, but we need inspiration on how to achieve that - some of us have forgotten how; some never knew.
“ My phone is dead, does anyone have a charger I can borrow?” “I take a charger everywhere with me so this never happens” UK Males (17/18)
“I haven’t checked my phone for over an hour, what if I have an urgent Snapchat?” Male (18, UK)
“Being online you can control what people know and think about you” Female (23, Brazil)
“The best thing about my life right now is hanging out with my friends. We try and do something like go out for dinner” Male (17, China)
63.2% of Millennials agree they cannot be without technology
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I set up a new clothing line as I didn’t want to wear the same clothes as everyone else [he was wearing the same top as someone else in the group] - Male (18, UK)
EIGHT
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR INDIVIDUALITY, BUT WORRY ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO BELONG We see ourselves as individuals. We are unique, and we want to make our own mark in the world. We are happiest when we can be ourselves. And yet our individuality breeds a kind of anxiety. We strive to conform, to fit in and belong. We feel greater self-worth and validation when we are part of a group - we have proved ourselves, we have been accepted. This tension can lead to a crisis over identity. We hide our true feelings from others, we use ‘selfies’ to portray who we are to others, we post photos and ideas and updates that will win the approval of our peers.
We are always looking for new channels for self expression, yet we fear having the real us exposed on social media and becoming vulnerable to judgement or criticism. This is why many of us are leaving Facebook behind. We grew up on it - it has become a repository of many things we wish we could hide or leave behind, a lifetime of baggage and insecurities. And yet we are still reluctant to delete Facebook for fear of missing out.
“ We were happiest in our senior year at high school. You knew you were leaving so you just relaxed and were able to be yourself” Male (20, USA)
“We made this new guy in our WhatsApp chat group go through an initiation ceremony - we had to make sure he added something to the group!” Male (22, UK)
“It’s all about the group. There is no better feeling than being part of something” Female (24, Japan)
“You act a certain way on social media. You have to, you have to portray a certain image of yourself” Female (19, Brazil)
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I copied it all from scratch - Male (18, UK)
NINE
WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR BELIEFS, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE CONCOCTED THEM FROM THE BELIEFS OF OTHERS Information of all kinds comes down on us from above, via the internet. It bores us. It is just part of the accepted narrative. It has nothing to do with us - we have seen it all before. We have become adept at finishing and interpreting this information on our own terms: adapting, customising, editing, refining and then sharing. The possibilities are endless. What we create ends up validating ourselves. We see it as making not stealing.
We feel empowered by this ability as this is where we can make our mark on the world. Technology has given us the tools to do this, to craft our beliefs so we can express ourselves and cut through what we think is generic. It puts us in the driving seat. It’s where we feel we will thrive.
“I thought the ‘Three’ cat advert was rubbish, so I made my own - I used the same song though” Male (25, UK)
“Me and my mate make this thing called Kitty Weekly. It’s where we get all these cat pictures people post and just make them better then publish it and share with our friends. We have about fifteen editions already” Male (23, UK)
“ It’s all about creating, you can make anything you want!” Male (21, Brazil)
“ Because of Twitter I can choose what I want to think or share” Female (23, UK)
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If you don’t like a picture, you delete it and start again; it’s like it didn’t happen - Female (18, China)
TEN
WE CHOOSE TO RE-CREATE THE PAST SO WE CAN SHAPE OUR FUTURE Through technology and social media, we now choose to create multiple versions of the same moment in time.
We share our ‘recreations’ with who we want, when we want, and we decide when it becomes permanent.
These tools and platforms allow us to re-create the past so it represents how we want to remember it. If we don’t like it, we can simply start again. What we no longer need, we can dispose of it - it is as though it never happened.
We choose how our past and present are defined, informing the future we want to have.
“You can create photos so they are truly of the moment” Female (19, UK)
“I like to look back on the past as it confirms what makes me happy” Male (20, Japan)
“You choose how you look and then try again if it’s not right - so you show to the world who you are” Female (16, Brazil)
“Selfies differ to group photos ‘cause you’re in control of the photograph, you can represent yourself exactly the way you want to” Female (22, USA)
2/3 of Millennials prefer to share content with their friends through channels which save their activity, e.g. Facebook, rather than channels that dispose of it, e.g. Snapchat. OVER
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CONNECT WITH MILLENNIALS…
ONE Be there when Millennials begin their journey into the unknown. Provide support, guidance and flexibility - help them turn their opportunities into reality.
FIVE Your brand story will appear fake if you don’t encourage Millennials to own it and tell it their way. Offer platforms for the co-creation of some of your brand narratives.
TWO Help Millennials get on their chosen path by ensuring they are fully armed with the tools they need to be successful - then stand back and watch them surprise you!
SIX Be a catalyst for coming together. Help Millennials find ways to connect and engage in real and meaningful ways.
THREE Give Millennials ways to inspire the next generation. Let them be role models. Turn “I want to make a difference” into “I can make a difference”. FOUR Fear of the future is simply fear of the unknown. Provide solutions, strategies, and action plans so they feel more in control and better prepared for their journey.
SEVEN Real world experiences have great value to Millennials, but they can feel scarce too. Create them. Offer them. Provide safety nets, reassurance, and encouragement to enjoy certain precious moments without their phone or away from social media.
EIGHT Encourage self-expression - Give Millennials permission to find themselves and celebrate their uniqueness within their group. NINE Give Millennials platforms and outlets for sharing their beliefs and creativity. TEN Understand how Millennials conceive the past and you could become a part of their future.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
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