What Is A Millennial? * The Profile Of A Millennial series*

In this first piece of a series we’re calling The Profile of a Millennial, we answer the question: What is a Millennial?

What Is A Generation?

A generation is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously”. That is to say, all of the people born between a certain time period. Often times  these common birth times include traits based on historical events and cultural norms that influence the upbringing and lifestyle of those people.

What Is A Millennial?

A Millennial is the name for the generation of people born from 1980 – 1995. Millennials are also referred to as: Generation Y (or Gen Y) as they came immediately after Generation X;  Echo Boomers as they are mainly the children of Baby Boomers; Digital natives as they are the first generation to grow up in a digital world. Additionally, Millennials are sometimes referred to as Generation 9/11 due to their coming of age around the time of the September 11th terror attacks.

Was There Controversy On the Age Range of Millennials?

At first, there was controversy on the specific birth years, but 1980-1995 is now the accepted age range of the Millennial generation. These specific years, defined as the Millennial generation, have been cemented by the United States government as the official years. Famously, The New York Times and Slate entered into a rather public feud on defining what years Millennials were born in.

How Did Millennials Get Their Name?

The term “Millennials” was coined by demographers Neil Howe and the late William Strauss back in the mid 1990’s. Their book, Millennials Rising, released in 2000 is credited as bringing the term Millennial mainstream.

The Profile of a Millennial series goes in depth on demystifying the Millennial generation, answering questions worth asking and shedding light on a highly misunderstood generation. The Profile of a Millennial series is produced by Kyle McMahon – a leading voice on Millennials, trusted by the world’s top media outlets, global brands and most importantly – other Millennials. Explore The Profile of a Millennial Series.