Processing over three billion searches per day, Google has become a global hub for the mind for humanity. Type a query into the blank Google search bar and the Autocomplete feature will display top searches from other people related to your search.
The world's true feelings about the Millennial generation are revealed in the seven searches below. Which are millennial myths and which are true?
(Note: The below searches were done from a desktop through a Chrome "Incognito Window" so that the results were not skewed by my past searches.)
1. Millennials are lazy. Myth.
According to a recent study by Alamo Rent a Car, more than one-third of Millennials reported working every day of their vacations.
2. Millennials are the worst. Myth.
"The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elder and love chatter in place of exercise." This statement seems to describe why the Millennials are the worst generation. It's from Socrates around 400 B.C. It appears that every young generation has been labeled "the worst."
3. Millennials are stupid. Myth.
Millennials are pursuing higher levels of education and are on track to be the most educated generation of all time.
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 with previous generations. The median age at first marriage is 27 for women and 29 for men, up from 20 for women and 23 for men in 1960. And 79 percent of Millennials are struggling to understand their choices for retirement planning.
Delayed marrying, home-buying, and retirement planning have delayed the process of growing up for Millennials. Millennials consider themselves "an adult" once they have a child, and yes, that's been delayed too.
8. Millennials want experiences. True.
Seventy-eight percent of Millennials would choose to spend money on experiences or events over buying something desirable. Millennials grew 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. Millennials share a common quest to "change the world" through the work they produce and through the brands they do business with, such as Millennial-favorite Warby Parker and its 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 age is 25, agrees that "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 if a company is involved with a cause.
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 rookies can trump veterans in today's 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 would like that level of frequency. Millennials grew up in an on-demand world where a constant feedback loop was provided. It's cultivated a desire within Millennials for more frequent and constructive feedback, not just fluffy praise or recognition.
13. Millennials needs in the workplace. A good idea.
By 2025, Millennials will be 75 percent of the global workforce, bringing with them new ways of working and career expectations. Searching to better understand "Millennials needs in the workplace" is a powerful investment.
14. Millennials hate cars. True.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the number of cars bought by American Millennials (18-34 years old) dropped about 30 percent from 2007 to 2011.
Uber and other car-sharing services will continue to fuel the Millennial no-car trend.
15. Millennials hate advertising. True.
Millennials hate feeling marketed to, and having grown up bombarded by ads (billboards, commercials, banner ads, etc.), they have a well-developed ability to tune out irrelevant ads. Instead, Millennials are persuaded by their peers. Ninety-five percent of Millennials say friends are the most credible source for product information.
16. Millennials hate Baby Boomers. Myth.
Seventy-five percent of Millennials want a mentor. Believe it or not, they're interested in absorbing the wisdom of previous generations--the tricks of the trade they can't get from Google. What drives Millennials crazy is when Baby Boomers aren't willing to change and learn alongside them.
17. Millennials love real estate agents. True.
Millennials haven't been buying homes, but many financial experts have declared 2016 the year Millennials will move into the housing market. According to the National Association of Realtors, 90 percent of Millennial homebuyers use an agent, more than any other generation.
18. Millennials love experiences. True.
Fifty-five percent of Millennials say they're spending more on events than ever before. See also "Millennials want experiences" above.
19. Millennials love Bernie Sanders. True.
As of this writing, Bernie Sanders has 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. Amid the setbacks and shortcomings, many remain hopeful that Millennials will change the world and save us all.
Question: What other Millennial myths and truths exist?
Consider Ryan Jenkins to be your next Millennial/Generation Y or Generation Z keynote speaker by clicking here...
This article was originally posted on Ryan's Inc.com column, Next Generation Insights.
