18 Myths and Truths About Millennials as Revealed by 7 Google Searches
With more than 3 billion searches each day, Google has become a global hub to see what’s top of mind for humanity. Type a query into the search bar and the Autocomplete feature displays the top searches related to your search that other people are also searching. So it’s no surprise that the world’s true feelings about Millennials are revealed when Google searching for them in the Autocomplete section. But which are myth and which are true? (Note: All seven of these searches were done on a desktop using a Chrome incognito window so the user’s past searches wouldn’t skew the results.)
Google “millennials are …”
And the results:
- millennials are lazy
- millennials are the worst
- millennials are stupid
1. Millennials are lazy.
According to this 2017 study by Alamo Rent a Car Family Vacation Survey, more than one-third of Millennials worked every day of their vacations. Why? Thirty-four percent of Millennials said it “feels good to know they’re needed,” and another 23 percent “wanted to impress their boss.”
2. Millennials are the worst.
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” Is this statement describing why the Millennial generation is the worst, or is it a quote from Socrates, the father of western philosophy? If you said Socrates, you’re right — it seems that each new generation gets labeled “the worst.”
3. Millennials are stupid.
Definitely a myth. In fact, Millennials are on track to be the most educated generation of all time when compared to previous generations.
Google “millennials won’t …”
Results:
- millennials won’t buy houses
- millennials won’t marry
- millennials won’t retire
- millennials won’t grow up
4-7. Millennials won’t buy houses, marry, retire, or grow up. True.
According to Pew Research, Millennials have a record low participation in the housing market compared to previous generations. The median first-marriage age for women is 27; for men, it’s 29, up from 20 for women and 23 for men in 1960. And, yes, it’s no secret that the Millennial generation will struggle to retire: 79% of Millennials are struggling to understand the overwhelming choices for retirement planning.
Delayed marrying, home-buying, and retirement planning have, in turn, delayed the process of Millennials having children — which, by the way, has also been delayed.
Google “millennials want …”
Results:
- millennials want experiences
- millennials want to change the world
- millennials want meaningful work
8. Millennials want experiences. True.
78% of Millennials choose to spend money on experiences or events over buying something desirable. They’ve grown up with the world’s knowledge at their fingertips. They’re interested in unique experiences they can’t get from a Google search
9. Millennials want to change the world. True.
Eighty-four percent of Millennials say making a difference in the world is more important than professional recognition. The Millennial generation shares a common quest to “change the world” through the work they produce and through the brands they buy from, such as Millennial-favorite Warby Parker and their one-for-one movement.
10. Millennials want meaningful work. True.
Inc.com columnist J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of CareerHMO.com, where the average worker age is 25, agrees: “Millennials want to do meaningful work all the time.” According to the 2014 Millennial Impact Report, 55 percent of Millennials are influenced to accept a job offer at a company if the company is involved with a meaningful cause.
Google “millennials need …”
Results:
- millennials need to grow up
- millennials need praise
- millennials needs in the workplace
11. Millennials need to grow up. Myth.
Millennials are delaying adulthood, but they don’t necessarily “need” to grow up. Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, believes that Millennials’ rookie mindsets can trump veterans in today’s ever-changing workplace.
12. Millennials need praise. Half true.
Forty-one percent of Millennials prefer to be rewarded or recognized for their work at least monthly, if not more frequently, whereas only 30 percent of non-Millennials want that much frequency. Millennials grew up in an on-demand world and are used to a loop of constant information, which has created a desire from Millennials for more frequent, constructive feedback, not just fluffy praise and platitudes.
13. Millennials needs in the workplace. A good idea.
Searching to better understand what Millennials need to be successful the workplace is a powerful investment for this generation of workers. In fact, by 2025, Millennials will be 75 percent of the global workforce, bringing with them new and innovative ways of working and career expectations.
Google “millennials hate …”
Results:
- millennials hate cars
- millennials hate advertising
- millennials Baby Boomers
14. Millennials hate cars. True.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the number of cars bought by Millennials in the U.S. dropped about 30 percent from 2007 to 2011. Car-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, as well as alternative transport such as electric scooter upstarts Lime and Bird, will continue to fuel the Millennial no-car trend.
15. Millennials hate advertising. True.
Millennials have grown up bombarded by ads: billboards, commercials, banner ads, etc. They hate feeling marketed to and have a well-developed ability to tune out irrelevant ad noise. Instead, Millennials are persuaded by their peers. Ninety-five percent of Millennials say they turn to a trusted friend or group of friends as a credible source of information on what to buy.
16. Millennials hate Baby Boomers. Myth.
Seventy-five percent of Millennials want a mentor — and want to be mentored. Believe it or not, they’re interested in absorbing the wisdom of previous generations, the “tricks of the trade” that they can’t get from a Google search. What drives Millennials crazy is when Baby Boomers aren’t willing to change and grow alongside them.
Google “millennials love …”
Results:
- millennials love experiences
- millennials Bernie Sanders
17. Millennials love experiences. True.
Fifty-five percent of Millennials say they’re spending more on events than ever before. For this generation, it’s not about the stuff you can carry — it’s about what you can’t take with you that matters more to this generation.
18. Millennials love Bernie Sanders. True.
During the run-up to the 2016 Presidential elections, Bernie Sanders captured the support of 54 percent of those under the age of 30.
Humanity has always looked to its youth for innovation and hope. This Autocomplete proves that sentiment is still alive today. Despite the perceived setbacks and shortcomings of this generation, Millennials just want to change the world and save us all.
