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Generation iY

Equipping the future leaders of Christian nonprofits.
by  Tim Elmore

I just got off the phone with a business friend. He and I chuckled over an interview he’d just conducted with a recent college graduate. The candidate was a bright and overconfident female who told him in the midst of their conversation: "I’m going to have your job in 18 months.”

Needless to say, my friend passed on hiring her. What she lacked in self-awareness she made up for in a sense of entitlement. Sadly, my friend concluded, "I’m giving up on these kids. I’m gonna just wait for the next generation to come through in 20 years.”

While I understand his sentiment, I cannot agree with his conclusion. We must not give up on this generation of young people. Regardless of our experiences, we must embrace our role as mentors and prepare them to move from backpack to briefcase.

If you’ll stay with me in this article, I plan to explain exactly why this is a must.

A Demographic Explosion

Have you been keeping up with demographics? Almost half the world’s population is 25 and under. That’s about 3 billion young people. If we’re really serious about reaching the world, we must get serious about understanding and connecting with these kids.

Just three years ago in America, Generation Y reached a milestone. (Generation Y is comprised of youth born between 1984 and 2002). They’re now the largest generation in American history, passing up the baby boomers in size at 80 million people.

I call the youngest members, born since 1990, "Generation iY.” I use this term because they’ve grown up online, impacted by the "i” world — iTunes, iPhones, iPods, iMacs, iPads — and for many of them, life is pretty much about "I.” We’ve raised a more self-absorbed batch of kids than their earlier counterparts.

Much more than their predecessors in Generation X, young people from Generation iY seem to be acting as a generational group. In some ways, the university students I talk to in the U.S. feel they belong to each other. They’re truly connected, both via technology as well as a community across the globe.

Ron Alsop, in his book The Trophy Kids Grow Up (Jossey-Bass, 2008) quotes the recruiting chief at L’Oreal, Francois De Wazieres, who agrees that these kids are surprisingly similar. "One thing I find to be very universal is that they have international experiences, are eager to take on the world and value their relationships … whether they are from Malaysia, India, France, Argentina, or the U.S; they wear similar clothing, have the same iPods, and mix and connect easily. Two hours after meeting, they’re probably best friends on Facebook.” This, of course, doesn’t sound bad. What’s wrong with a tight-knit demographic like this?

Let me begin with one phenomenon: the delay in adult responsibility. I have lost count of the number of university deans who have said to me, "26 is the new 18.” When I wrote the book Generation iY in 2010, about 60 percent of students were moving back home after college. According to The Baltimore Sun, the number is now 80 percent.

It’s a "Twixter” phenomenon in America where young adults just aren’t ready to grow up, lingering somewhere between childhood and adulthood. The U.S. isn’t the only nation battling this situation either. In some countries, it’s even worse.

In England, they’re called KIPPERS, which stands for "Kids in Parent’s Pocket Eroding Retirement Savings.” British twenty-somethings are staying at home with mum and dad to fight the rising cost of living. The median age for marriage: males 29.7; females 27.7. In Canada, they’re called "Boomerang Kids” — kids who return home when finished with school. In Japan, they’re called "Freeters.” In Germany, they are called "Nesthockers,” literally translated as "nest squatter.” Research suggests the reluctance of Germans to move out could be that they see their parents as friends. Median age for marriage: males 30.3; females 27.1. Italy has its own term: Mammone. It’s a description of young adults who won’t give up Momma’s cooking. According to a Jan. 24, 2005, TIME magazine article "Meet the Twixters,” the number living at home had grown nearly 50 percent in the past decade.

To be clear, returning home is not the end of the world. The problem is these kids are moving home without a plan. They get stuck, as mama is all too happy to do their cooking and cleaning.

The MacArthur Foundation, which sunk millions of dollars into studying this reality, suggests that adolescence doesn’t really end until 34 years old. This delay seems to be sweeping the world. Are these trends a coincidence or is there some connection? What will it mean to our future?

Some may view this generation’s size and connection as a warm, fluffy phenomenon that has no downside. I hope they are right. Unfortunately, with my ear to the ground, I am picking up some signals that could be trouble if we fail to respond well. Let me tell this story beginning with Generation iY in America.

Rising Generation – Retiring Generation

Our situation has even greater ramifications than the ones above. Because we have two large generations sandwiching a smaller one in between, we have a new challenge on our hands here at home. The following two points summarize the challenge in front of us:

1. Young people (Generation Y) will be entering the marketplace in greater numbers and more quickly than we can prepare them.
2. Older people (the baby boomer generation) will be retiring in greater numbers and more quickly than we can replace them.

This is one of the most crucial tests we’ll face in our lifetime. It will impact everyone and yet few seem aware of the dilemma it presents for our generation. Unless we raise the standard for kids today and help them to think and act like authentic leaders, they will not be ready for the responsibility thrust on them as they enter adulthood.

A Nov. 6, 2005, USA Today article by Stephanie Armour — "Generation Y: They’ve arrived at work with a new attitude” — indicates that Generation Y is the fastest growing segment of the workforce. With immigration, some social scientists say it could reach 100 million strong. While the generation of younger children is much smaller (in America, some call them "Homelanders,” as they were born after the launch of the Department of Homeland Security), there is a swelling of teens and twenty-somethings.

Here’s why our problem is amplified in America. The baby boomers (78 million) are aging. The first wave has already begun retiring. In fact, during the next decade, about 45 percent of the workforce will vanish. And they’ll continue retiring for the next 18 years. There is a much smaller population behind them — Generation X (46 million). Just do the math and you can see there are not enough leaders within Generation X to fill the spots vacated by the baby boomers. Someone must fill those roles. Ready or not, our kids today will be our leaders tomorrow.

Our Challenge Worldwide

What we have discussed so far is sobering, but it’s not nearly the most critical part of the equation with Generation iY globally. The history of large youth populations provides a glimpse of what could happen in the future. We must beware. If history repeats itself with this new mammoth, connected generation, we could see the largest expression of revolt the world has ever seen. Let’s examine two major facts:

FACT: Today, almost half of the world’s population is 25 years old or younger.

I just read the numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. The population of kids worldwide from birth to college age is 2,987,230,232 — that’s nearly three billion people. I’ve said it already — there is a worldwide swelling of young people.

Admittedly, some European countries and even Japan face the opposite problem — not enough kids — but much of the rest of the world is quite different. While people do live longer, the birthrate is surpassing older generations — in some countries at an alarming rate.

The average age in India (the second largest nation in the world) is mid-twenties. Many people in African nations won’t even see their 30th birthday due to the AIDS pandemic. These youth serve as teachers, nurses, and postmasters long before they’re ready because elders are gone. These kids desperately need guidance.

FACT: When there is a bulge in the youth population, violence follows.

Gunnar Heinson, a social scientist at the University of Bremen in Germany has uncovered some startling patterns. After studying centuries of history, he concludes that when 15- to 29-year-olds make up more than 30 percent of the population, violence occurs; when large percentages are under 15, violence is often imminent.

The causes for such violence can be immaterial. Whether the country is rich or poor, whether they experience good conditions or bad, violence and passion follow a bulging population of youth. This explains Ireland 90 years ago. It explains Africa over the last 50 years. It explains Latin America in the 1980s and Europe in the 1500s. For that matter, it explains the violence America experienced in the 1960s. It was primarily the young baby boom population rioting on the university campuses or in the streets.

Today there are 67 countries where a youth bulge exists (that is, populations where more than 30 percent are young adults or kids). Sixty of those countries are presently in civil war or are experiencing mass killings.

Heinson has written an eye-opening book called Sons and World Power. In it, he documents this history of youth and violence. It matters not if the countries are civilized or not. It is more about the next generation finding a place to express their identity. Without healthy guidance, they’ll join any cause and enter into anarchy. Don’t believe me? Just watch them. Of the 27 biggest youth bulge nations, 13 are Muslim. Those kids will find expression and may take it out on the rest of the world.

Changing Our Minds about Generation iY

So, how should we lead these young people? May I talk straight? We must master the art of mentoring them and leading them. Let me suggest seven shifts we must make:

1. Don’t think CONTROL, think CONNECT.

Often our ambition as a parent or leader is to seize control. Studies show that parents who over-program their child’s schedule often breed kids who rebel as teens. Instead, wise leaders work to connect with them. Why? Because once we connect, we build a bridge of relationship that can bear the weight of truth. We earn our right to influence them.

2. Don’t think INFORM, think INTERPRET.

This is the first generation of kids that don’t need adults to get information. It’s coming at them 24/7. What they need from us is interpretation. Their knowledge has no context. We must help them make sense of all they know as they build a wise and healthy worldview.

3. Don’t think ENTERTAIN, think EQUIP.

I’ve seen parents who are consumed with entertaining their child. I know teachers who approach their classrooms the same way. A better perspective may be: how can I equip these young people for the future? If I give them relevant tools to succeed, they’ll stay engaged. Happiness is a byproduct. True satisfaction comes from growth.

4. Don’t think "DO IT FOR THEM” think "HELP THEM DO IT.”

Adults have been committed to giving kids a strong self-esteem for 30 years now. According to the American Psychological Association, healthy and robust self-esteem actually comes from achievement, not merely affirmation. We lead for the long term, not the short term. Sure, it’s quicker to do it yourself — but it’s better to transfer a skill.

5. Don’t think IMPOSE, think EXPOSE.

When adults become scared a kid is falling behind, they tend to impose a rule or a behavior on them. While mandatory conduct is part of life, if kids feel forced to do it, they usually don’t take ownership of it. It becomes someone else’s idea, not theirs. Why not think "expose” instead of "impose.” Show them something. Give them an opportunity they can’t pass up.

6. Don’t think PROTECT, think PREPARE.

We are paranoid about the safety of our kids. Sadly, in our obsession over safety, we’ve failed to prepare them for adulthood. Instead of fearing for them, it’s better to recall our entrance into adulthood and discuss what we learned that helped us succeed. The greatest gift we can give our children is the ability to get along without us.

7. Don’t think LECTURE, think LAB.

When young people do wrong, we’re predisposed to lecture them. While it’s a quick way to transmit an idea, it’s not the best way to transform a life. We must create experiences from which they can process truths — like science class — a lab with a lecture. They’re not looking for a sage on the stage with a lecture, but a guide on the side with an experience.