Everything is Awesome− The Highs andLows of Millennial Life

ISSUE No 6 of 10

Life is great for millennials, at least according to their Snapchat stories. They’re in pretty settings with pretty people, they’re artistic, free-thinking, prosperous, tolerant and…not telling the truth?

Economy/Jobs

Goverment Enviroment Terror ism/National Secur ity

Immigrat ion Federal Debt Healthcare Racia l Tensions

M O S T I M P O R T A N T I S S U E S

10%

20%

30%

40%

0%

Activism or Slactivism?

Flat FriendsTake It, Don’t Make It

62% of millennials think they are a “fundamentally different” generation compared to their parents. 47% of boomers disagree and say millennials aren’t different, they’re just in a stage of life.

Millennials publically light up Twitter with hashtags about social justice, racism, and environmental activism, but privately their real bread-and-butter issue is the one that pays for the bread and butter--economic prosperity.

Millennials mostly interact with their friends through screens. They engage friends daily 2x more frequently online than in person. For younger millennials (18 to 22), that number jumps to nearly 3x more often.

GenX BoomersMillennials

of millennials think they are a “fundamentally different” generation

M I L L E N N I A L S E N G A G E F R I E N D S D A I LY 2 X M O R E F R E Q U E N T LY O N L I N E T H A N I N P E R S O N

More millennials believe that government should cap executive pay at private companies than have a retirement plan. While only 42% of millennials have a retirement plan, nearly 80% of millennials want to cap executive pay at private companies.

Equality for...Men

Procrastinating the Pain

Millennials are prone to virtue signalling on social media about workplace equality but they’re 2x more likely to say men are more effective leaders than women, and that difference jumps to 3x more likely among older millennials (29 to 34).

Millennials aptly forge images as fashionable and carefree, but for cash-tight millennials, coping with everyday expenses like rent, groceries, yoga, and a car can be daunting enough, let alone trying to hunker down for the far-off buzzkill of retirement. 42% of millennials have a plan for retirement, but many are procrastinating on retirement planning. In fact, 30% of millennials say they would rather go to the dentist than plan for retirement. Drilling into the data reveals that millennials are nearly 2 times more likely than their parents to avoid financial planning.

M O R E L I K E LY T O S AY M E N A R E M O R E E F F E C T I V E L E A D E R S T H A N W O M E N

30%42%M I L L E N N I A L S H AV E A P L A N F O R

R E T I R E M E N TM I L L E N N I A L S S AY T H E Y W O U L D

R A T H E R G O T O T H E D E N T I S T T H A N P L A N F O R R E T I R E M E N T

42% of millennials have a plan for retirement, but many are procrastinating on retirement planning. In fact, 30% of millennials say they would rather go to the dentist than plan for retirement.

Inward-Facing LensWe know millennials keep their phone cameras facing inward to always be selfie-ready, but do millennials themselves spend more time looking inward to understand themselves or outward to understand the world? While it turns out that over half (52%) of millennials say they spend time to understand themselves, Gen Xers and boomers are even more likely to look inward (60%) than millennials.

Corporate Stewardship: Image vs. RealityMore than any other generation, millennials know how to curate a personal brand and project it through social media. Millennials like to portray an altruistic image online but many struggle to line up their online brand with their offline life. Millennials, for example, are more likely than their parents to say they chose an employer who gives back to the community, but they are not significantly more likely than older generations to say their employer actually does give back.

71% 68%

Gen Xers & BoomersMillennials

P E R C E N T S AY I N G T H E I R E M P L O Y E R G I V E S B A C K T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y

70% Chance of Mostly Sunny Skies

Ownership Economy and Experience EconomyWith political polarization, student debt, an

unsettled economy, and the looming specter of climate change, it’s no surprise that 70% of Americans say that millennials have it harder than their elders, but the same number of millennials tend to shake it off with 70% of them happily reporting they are optimistic about their futures. Gen Xers still maintain a sunny outlook on their futures at 60% but boomers sour significantly at only 45% positive outlook.

Millennials were prematurely crowned with a reputation for picking character-building and edifying experiences over owning material things, but that’s changing as millennials age and start settling into their money-making years. They’re evenly split on the topic with 47% choosing material items and 53% opting for experiences.

M I L L E N N I A L S W H O C H O O S E E X P E R I E N C E S O V E R S T U F F

M I L L E N N I A L S W H O C H O O S E S T U F F O V E R E X P E R I E N C E S

47%

53%

Staying Busy, Staying Happy

Big Perks, Same Results

Millennials are of two minds when asked if they prefer to accomplish things or do what makes them happy. With the understanding that one can do both at once, male millennials put just slightly more stock in accomplishment (53%) while females prefer to pursue happiness (63%).

For all the perks millennials want at the office like massages, kegerators, nap rooms, snack pantries, etc., they’re no more satisfied at work than their parents.

M A L E M I L L E N I A L S T H A T P U T M O R ES T O C K I N A C C O M P L I S H M E N T

F E M A L E M I L L E N I A L S T H A T P R E F E R T O P U R S U E H A P P I N E S S

P E R C E N T S A T I S F I E D W I T HT H E I R C U R R E N T J O B

Aiding the EnemyMillennials are quick to tweet-flame businesses that don’t toe their political lines, but 70% will still purchase products and services from that business.

Millenials

83%

Gen Xers

84%

Boomers

81%