Comments for Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web

Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web

2008-05-15T18:30:00Z

Gen Y is taking over. The generation of young adults that's composed of the children of Boomers, Generation Jones, and even some Gen X'ers, is the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers and three times the size of Gen X. As the Boomers fade into retirement and Gen Y takes root in the workplace, we're going to see some big changes ahead, not just at work, but on the web as a whole.

]]> There's some contention over where exactly Gen Y starts and stops - some say those born 1983-1997, others think 1982-1997. In this week's Entertainment Weekly, Gen Y is defined as "current 13 to 31 year-olds" and BusinessWeek says they can be as young as five. Regardless, we know who they are - they're the young kids of today, the most digitally active generation yet, having been born plugged in.

How They're Different

They're Plugged In: The term "digital native" applies to most Gen Y'ers. Those in Gen Y grew up around computers, the Internet, mobile phones, video games, and mp3 players. They are web savvy multitaskers, able watch TV, surf the web, listen to music, and talk or text on their phones, often performing several of these things at the same time.

TV Isn't King: Although you'll find some Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of "The Hills," and other shows, they aren't watching TV as much as other generations do. Instead, Gen Y'ers spend more time surfing the net and using other devices, like iPods and Xboxes, even when it cuts into TV viewing. For them, TV is often just "background noise."

They Don't Care About Your Ad, They Care What Their Friends Think: Because they are immersed in media, both online and off, Gen Y'ers are marketed to left and right. But when it comes to making decisions, Gen Y tends to rely on their network of friends and their recommendations, not traditional ads. "Ads that push a slogan, an image, and a feeling, the younger consumer is not going to go for,'' says James R. Palczynski, retail analyst for Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Instead, they respond to "humor, irony, and the unvarnished truth." They're also somewhat distrusting of ads, which is why grassroots efforts can also work. However, don't get too comfortable, Gen Y doesn't have brand loyalty - they're quick to move the next big thing.

Work Isn't Their Whole World: Sure, they're going to go to work, but it had better be fun. For Gen Y, work isn't their identity. It's just a place. Gen Y sees no reason why a company can't be more accommodating, offering benefits like the ability to work from anywhere, flex-time, a culture that supports team communication, and a "fun" work environment. They're also not going to blindly follow orders just because you're the boss. Sometimes dubbed "Generation Why?" they need to "buy in" as to why something is being done. Old school bosses may find their questioning insubordinate behavior, but they would be best to just change their management techniques and adapt. Gen Y hasn't known much unemployment and they're not going to put up with being treated poorly just for sake of a paycheck. (Bosses, your survival guide is here).

They're Socially Conscious: Gen Y cares about the world. They pay attention to politics, the economy, social causes, and environmental issues. They think they're a force to be reckoned with in elections and follow the candidates online on social networks. They read the news, but not in newspaper format, which is is going to hurt that industry even more as time goes by.

Gen Y & Technology

Since Gen Y grew up on the web, they're going to be the driving force behind the way the web of the future is shaped. What Gen Y wants from the web will be the web.

Internet TV: Although watching TV online is something that few Boomers do, Gen Y is perfectly comfortable with this. They time-shift content all the time, not only on the web but via portable devices and mp3 players, too. When it comes to TV on the web, a recent study showed Gen Y leading the way when it comes to internet TV viewing:

Generation Y (33%) and Generation X (27%) led early Baby Boomers (19%) in use of official TV program web sites.
Gen Y (62%) users are much more likely to have watched a full episode on the program site than Gen X (41%) or younger Boomers (32%).

Socializing Rules...But They Want to Control It: Gen Y thinks a truly "private" life is a crock. 54% have used MySpace, Facebook, or some other social network. Most of Gen Y had to learn the hard way about the perils of posting everything online. As they've aged, they realized blogging their every thought and posting those embarrassing pictures might have hurt their jobs prospects at times, so now some of them are interested in more privacy on their social networks. They're happy to continue over-sharing with friends, but also learning how to protect their updates and set their profiles to private. They're also wary of old folks, like their boss, trying to "friend" them in their social space, especially if they're tragically un-hip wannabes.

But that's not to say their over-sharing is going to stop - Gen Y is getting into lifestreaming too, streaming live video via services like Yahoo! Live. In their own world, they're celebrities. Says Jason Barg, a 2004 graduate of Penn State University and founder of an online real estate company, notoriety is more about standing out from the crowd. "A primary goal of people my age is not necessarily to become famous but to become distinctive," he says.

Marketing Has To Change: Because Gen Y is media savvy and conscious of being marketed to, brands that succeed in the future will be those that open a dialog with their customers, admit their mistakes, and essentially become more transparent (save one notable exception, apparently). Companies' web sites that want to attract GenY'ers will become more like today's Web 2.0 sites. Social networking will be just a feature. Blogs will be standard ways for companies to reach their customers. Customer service won't just be a phone call away, it will be available via non-traditional means, too. Today, savvy companies might be using Twitter, but that could change at any time if Gen Y moves on. Companies will have to keep up with Gen Y and not get too comfortable using any one format. (Oh, and you can stop calling everything "viral" - that's lame.)

Work Tools Need to Mirror Web Tools: Gen Y will drive adoption of "Enterprise 2.0" products and services. Gen Y in the workplace will not just want, but expect their company to provide them with tools that mirror those they use in their personal lives. If socializing on Facebook helps them get a sale, then they're not going to understand why they can't use it at work. For more buckled down companies, if workers aren't provided with the tools they want, they're going to be savvy enough to go around I.T.'s back and get their own.

Companies wondering how Gen Y wants to use these tools at work should take a look at this - Sacha Chua's Gen Y Guide to Web 2.0 at Work (made for IBM):

| View | Upload your own

Web Sites Will Need to Cater to Shorter Attention Spans: No more long boring text! Thanks to constant media input, Gen Y has shorter attention spans and their "grasshopper minds" leap quickly from topic to topic. (They also didn't read this whole article...too long!)

Mobile Web? Yes Please!: Gen Y will be happy to adopt the mobile web - they are practically glued to their phones. Currently, Gen Y is using the mobile web to socialize, not search. Steve Ives, Taptu CEO, in a company whitepaper, Making search social: Unleashing search for the mobile generation, concludes that "...Generation Y, who sees the mobile as a social device first and an information device second, is not using today's mobile search as much as expected. But Generation Y is using mobile phones to access social networks."

Conclusion

Ignoring the voices of Gen Y is something you should do at your own peril, especially if you're a business looking to hire, a company selling a product, or an advertising firm trying to reach them.

Some good resources I've found recently for following Gen Y trends comes in the form of blogs (you know we love RSS here at RWW!). If you're interested in this topic, you might want to subscribe, too. See below the list for additional subscription options.

You can also subscribe to just the "greatest hits" from all of the above blogs by adding the following OPML file to your feed reader: GenYGreatest Hits (Most popular items filtered using AideRSS.) If you'd like to subscribe to a daily email digest of just the most popular posts from all of the above blogs (RSS) you can enter your email address in the box below.

This article is just meant to highlight some of the ways Gen Y will impact the future of the web. What other ways can you think of?

Image credits: Who's going to Hire a Gen Y? Picture: Anthony Weate; Hates Ads: debaird

Comment from Beth Kanter on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T18:51:10Z

They are going to change organizational culture from the bottom up!
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2008/05/a-change-from-t.html

Comment from Rob D on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T18:53:12Z

I think they will be the ones who really drive the mobile web. The phones are finally getting good enough to surf the web in a reasonable manner, and more interesting services are being created because it isn't as difficult.

Timing is everything.

Comment from MrCooker on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:05:57Z

For a second I thought you were describing me...

But just like Rob D said. I think the mobile web is gonna change drastically because of generation Y.

Comment from Elliott Pesut on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:18:31Z

Sara, this is a terrific post!

Also see: http://www.slideshare.net/ashwinl/nasa-geny-perspectives

Comment from maxCohen on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:19:30Z

ok, i'm confused. This sounds just like me and I'm a "gen x'er".

Comment from Monica O'Brien on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:22:17Z

Thanks for the plug. I really enjoyed your article, and I did actually read it to the end, despite the link that said I wouldn't! So much for Gen Y stereotypes =D

Comment from Keith Newhouse on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:31:56Z

Brilliant article! As an end of Gen X'er on the cusp of Gen Y, I was nodding my head during the entire article even though my coworkers thought I was going insane. Especially identify with the part about buy-in. I've been very lucky in my job with that, but I have left previous positions for that reason.

Comment from Andrew Dobrow on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T19:55:47Z

Really great post, Sarah. One thing that Gen Y lacks as a result, is patience. This includes me, born in 86.

Comment from Shawn K on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T20:08:43Z

This post is absolutely, without a doubt, BRILLIANT! It is quite simply the best thing I've read all year. I am going to share this with everybody who will listen, you nailed it all right on the head, and spotlighted several issues that me and my friends have been trying to work through in an area that is horribly behind on technology.

Comment from aldamiz on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T20:17:58Z

This is an excellent post Sarah!

Comment from cease on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T21:18:13Z

Well to sum up this article.. no ish sherlock. Of course younger people will have different cultural values until they grow up. How about this for a summation... gen 1950's consumed content by listening on the radio.. then when tv's came out.. gen 1960's visually watched content on guess what... the tv. gen 70's and early 80's had to use land line phones.. then oh crap.. they gen 90's had mobile phones. gen 90's had slow internet connections .. now gen x has broadband .. how insightful is my writeup

Comment from Andy on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T21:42:42Z

Thanks for the interesting post, particularly the link through to the New York mag feature (which I read right the way through)! I'm 22, which probably puts me at the oldest end of this "Generation Y", but it's not a term I've heard used here in Britain.

Online, I'm at a bit of a halfway house. I've had an internet connection of some kind for about ten years, I regularly email friends, post on forum sites anonymously and I have a fairly popular website. However, that website's content is nothing to do with me as a person (it's about non-profit broadcasting) and I've never had a MySpace profile or even looked at Facebook. I know I *should*, everyone around me is on Facebook in particular, but I find it all a bit creepy, especially people whipping out cameras at any gathering of three or more people! I tried Twitter, as it seemed like very little effort, but I couldn't even be bothered to keep that updated. I do feel a bit left-behind, but what can you do?!

Comment from Jess on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T22:35:01Z

The possibilities on the web are mind boggling. By encouraging their participation there is huge opportunity. The beautiful/unfortunate thing is that most of the people in business today don't get it. Opportunity and possible headaches result, I think the opportunity part is bigger. Exciting!

Comment from Jess on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T22:39:28Z

@ Andy. Get an RSS reader. Find blogs like this one that you find interesting, subscribe, read and enjoy.

RSS in plain english - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

RSS Reader - http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Good luck!

Comment from steveballmer on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T22:43:09Z

Please get rid of that "I'm a Mac" idiot and put Bill Gates in!

Comment from michaellambie.org on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T22:45:25Z

What a great and comprehensive article. I myself fall slightly out of the Gen Y by about a year, but i feel that i can identify with much of the generation. Also, i'd say that early adopters in general are exempt from generation profiling. Most folks at many of the web/tech/interactive conferences i meet are pretty gen agnostic.

Also, have to add, that i love the RWW OPML feeds, do you keep a repository of them?

Comment from Phil Dunn on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T22:51:42Z

Looks like a clash of etiquette/communication is in the works. I've seen texters and phone surfers in action, and it can be socially disruptive... As in, 'Hey, I'm talking to you. Put down the crackberry.' Some people are this way with TV.. if there's one nearby they'll tune out of a conversation and lock on. TV is pretty passive, though. Social networking and texting/twittering takes engagement. Hard to imagine how to reach an audience with an important message in 144 characters or less. However, with a link, a tween can be treated just like an AdWords ad with a landing page.

Comment from Sherry on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T23:21:33Z

What an excellent and powerful post. As you stated "Since Gen Y grew up on the web, they're going to be the driving force behind the way the web of the future is shaped". It is a shame so many school districts do not see that. We need school districts to realize that they are catering to Gen Y and that they need technology and their tools in order to stay interested.

Comment from SkipM on 2008-05-15

2008-05-15T23:23:23Z

Well I'm in what you would call the "Crusty" age, old as dirt.
What I see here is young people thinking they can just "Cruz" though life, not working hard and having fun. Well your competitors (China, India, Japan and a bunch more) will eat your lunch and make you poor, because they are disciplined and don't play like Gen Y will. You will be the leaders of a third world nation, or residence in another country, taking orders, working hard and paid well.

Get a grip. Listen to your elders.

Comment from Erik Johnels on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T00:50:02Z

You are absolutely right. The Gen Y is influencing not only the way we market to them. But marketing as a whole. The Media barrage and carpet bombing of ads is a thing of the past. The network and word of mouth marketing is what is going to rule the future of both marketing and management.

Comment from Ferodynamics on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T01:03:47Z

Going to? The many millions of visitors to my blog are Gen Y, they took over a while ago, which is why my blog gets more traffic than yours, I cater to them.

Gen X is best defined as anyone reaching adulthood in the 80s, most of these people aren't online much. When you consider Netscape didn't exist until the end of 1994, most people born before 1979 finished college, found a job, started a family without ever using the Internet, now they check their email on the weekends, maybe.

Gen Y is the first generation really using the Internet.

Comment from dmix on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T02:13:15Z

Although you'll find Gen Y'ers obsessing over the latest episode of "The Hills,"

I'm completely offended by that sentence.

Comment from Daryl Tay on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T02:14:39Z

I've been telling people variations of the same thing. There was a pretty big hoohah when I spoke at a conference and said Gen Y doesn't read the newspapers but gets everything "fed" via rss or Twitter or IM or Facebook online. The older generation doesn't believe it, but it's true. So if they want their products to reach us, they'd better start with finding out where we spend our time!!

Comment from Kosol on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T03:09:55Z

That's right.Thanks.

Comment from Bob on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T03:20:17Z

Know what I'm sick of? Old people telling me how I supposedly behave and what I supposedly want.

Comment from JessieX on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T04:08:32Z

Some great points, particularly Gen Y (sic) are glued to their mobile phones. But I'm not sure where you get your numbers. GenXers are 28% larger than Boomers and a smidge larger than Gen Y (Millennials). 2005 US Census data plus Strauss and Howe's generational theory will show this.

I offer that GenXers just don't need to be noticed to be effective, preferring, often, to be left alone for maximum effectiveness. They tend to prefer to a job well done, rather than a job well noticed. ;-)

Can you tell in which generation I land?

Comment from Sarah Perez on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T04:13:32Z

@dmix - Point taken. I guess that didn't work. My point was that Gen Y may get caught up into fandom surrounding one particular TV show, but in general, TV is not their only, nor their main, form of entertainment.

Comment from Reginald on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:00:35Z

@SkipM

People in India and China waste time having friends and being in romantic relationships too, so maybe they are just "Cruz"-ing through life as much as Generation Y Americans.

Comment from Johan Ronnestam on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:23:20Z

Covered this in some presentations I held this year. Check out this slideshow to get more input on this subject:

http://www.slideshare.net/ronnestam/foreign-presentation-on-innovative-communication-at-the-2008-european-snowforum-livigno-08

Comment from GenYers.org on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:26:51Z

Nice reviews and summary! :-)

Comment from gregory on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:35:45Z

oh god, cliche upon cliche upon cliche, sounds like a reader's digest article, or us weekly being thoughtful

belief in all these categories is a pure self-limiting concept play, and totally ignores the role of awareness, consciousness, intelligence, energy that totally transcends generation .... it implies limits, and that just ain't so

crikey!

Comment from Peter T Webshop on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:47:45Z

If one reads recorded history, in majority of cases new generations have usually been a bit more enlightened than the past, it's simple evolution. Gen Y may not care as much about publicizing and over sharing aspects of their personal lives because they are not as self conscience as previous generations. The less educated, insecure and fearful one is the less one is willing to share. The Gen Y generation seems to be a bit more brave as have many generations compared to their previous.

I don't think there is anything earth shattering about this generation as evolution is a VERY slow process. As far as mobile web, yes it will grow in popularity until a more user friendly device/gadget is created as mobile/smart phones are not very user friendly (interface/keyboard is difficult to type into). As voice recognition tools improve, mobile devices will improve as you won't need to key in text on a ridiculously small keyboard (however if Gen Y miraculously grow smaller hands and toothpick like fingers, the keyboard issue won't exist and that development would be more interesting than Gen Y caring less about a paycheck, etc). This was an excellent and thought provoking post. Keep it up! Thanks.

Comment from Charlie Anzman on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T05:59:32Z

Ditto Sarah. Not only good post but great dialog in the comments. As a generation-x dad of a generation-y daughter, I tend to agree with almost everything you wrote. More than half of my X peers didn't retrain or gave-up a long time ago. I still maintain that they Y's can learn 'a little' from the X's (Book to follow :)

Comment from Jim Durbin on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T06:24:47Z

The myth of Gen Y being socially conscious is built on the amazing affluence of the US in the last twenty-five years. I predict the volunteering ethos of Gen Y to end abruptly when their parents stop paying for insurance, rent, and iPods.

Nothing like a mortgage or a job loss to shake the tree. The real question is whether this generation, if it runs into real economic trouble, has what it takes to bounce back.

No one knows, because they haven't been tested. Before you get all fist-pumping jazze over traffic and social networking sites, take a look at their credit card bills and student loan debt. Reality won't be pretty when Mom and Dad turn into a net drain on the economy in a few years.

Comment from Jo on 2008-05-15

2008-05-16T06:43:25Z

If anyone gets this far down, I am interested in the leadership style of Gen Y.

It strikes me that many Gen Y have been consumers - there are brilliant puppet masters out there (see I love bees). On the whole though, Gen Y don't interact with puppet masters. They don't negotiate the game itself.

Where do they get experience of managing the game, and if they never take responsibility for the game itself, how will they react when, for example, their own Gen Y and Gen Z subordinates hold them responsible for the resources and climate in a department?

If you are interested in this too, please drop me a line on my blog.

Have a good weekned.

Comment from TVSpy on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T08:10:15Z

Ughhh..what about Generation X - I think they're the ones who are going to change the web, Gen Y (which is 1990-2000) are still in their infancy, ok not really but they're not even out of college yet.

Comment from Bea Fields on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T11:06:58Z

Sarah,

Great post. I would love to interview you for Y Talk Radio. Send me an e-mail to bea@millennialleaders.com if you are interested. I think the thing that is interesting is that Gen Y is living the way we all want to live, and Gen Y is the first generation to finally have the guts to stand up and ask for what they want. The rest of the world just sits and sulks over not getting the life they want, so for Gen Y...more power to ya!

Comment from JJ on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T13:33:30Z

Facebook is NOT innovation

Comment from Jeff Brewster on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T14:02:27Z

Great post, Sarah.

I was born in 1980 and believe that year marks the start of this generation.

We were on the cutting edge back in the early-mid 90s, chatting on IRC and AOL, installing Linux, teaching ourselves programming languages and participating in open source projects. In college, we moved to AIM and web-based forums. We were on Myspace the day it launched in 2003.

Having now been in the work force for 6 years, I'm hoping to be on the cutting edge of the "Enterprise 2.0" movement and to help shape the "social shift" staring business dead in the face.

Comment from Matt Mikulla on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T14:42:06Z

This was a very insightful post. We all need to be thinking about Gen Y because before we know it their presence will be significant.

One sentence summed up the whole article and I will take it with me:

"What Gen Y wants from the web will be the web."

I'm 31 and I feel like I'm on the cusp of the culture associated with the upcoming generation. At the same time I feel very old in the presence of a 20-25 year old. The internet was common place for them while it was barely there when I was in high school.

Comment from Vicki on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T15:05:55Z

maxcohen said "ok, i'm confused. This sounds just like me and I'm a "gen x'er"."

You think you're confused? I'm at the tail-end of the "Boomers" and it sounds a lot like me too. :) I can we can all be multigenerational if we adapt.

Comment from Generation X on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T15:13:31Z

This may be the most insightful, thought-provoking post I've read on the Web this year to date. I am of Generation X (39), a small collective of pioneers who I like to think paved the way a little bit for Generation Y. We brought the world Nirvana and grunge, Hotwired, Suck, and the first real wave of Web culture starting in 1993-94.

Anyhow, the last point especially interests me as a software/web developer who frequently works with organizations and companies struggling to "get" the Web:

As Generation Y shifts into 4th and 5th gears and really starts taking over the workplace, they are going to expect and demand that their day-to-day "tools" work and feel like Facebook, Flickr, Mint, and the other Web 2.0 tools. The ad-hoc Access databases and Excel spreadsheets that run so many organizations aren't going to fly any more, and companies that fail to innovate are in for a heap of trouble.

Comment from Carlos Hernandez on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T15:57:05Z

I did not finish to read your whole article but I jumped to the link about Apple & Steve Jobs.

Yeah, I hate reading to looooong articles. I prefer reading to the other's comments and del.icio.us linkbacks.

Comment from Doug on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:04:20Z

Why Generation Y will NOT change the Internet.
http://www.michaelcastellon.com/2008/05/why-generation-y-wont-change-internet.html

Comment from Gen X on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:07:15Z

No more long text? What the hell do you call this article? Bunch of ADD morons going to change the world? Fat chance, it's already been screwed by the "Greatest Generation" and the one that came before it.

Comment from The Big Bull on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:24:03Z

I think the author needs to realize that:

1. No one will pay you to work only the way "You want to."
or Pay you to have fun."
Work is Work. The real world expects results, and it wants them yesterday.

2. The older generation isn't "fading away" They're better paid, more experienced, and still as poignant as ever.

Comment from kaiser on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:24:10Z

Fine if you have a steady , constant and growing stream of oil. Otherwise , this whole article isn't worth the binary digits it's printed on. How about this? Gen Y becomes Gen Serf as in you know "The Serfs". Wake up!!! it's time to die

Comment from Damon on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:29:11Z

Don't try to use catch-phrases and slogans like "Web 2.0" -- or even "Generation Y" -- with savvy internet users if you want to be taken seriously.

They're not a generation. They don't need to be understood as a generation. There's no such thing as a generation.

They are people. Individual people. And while some people born around the same time may share certain influences, they can't be lumped together and categorized, any more than the so-called "Generation X" or any other group of people born between two arbitrarily set dates.

Comment from unholyguy on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:35:26Z

it's good to see that they have inherited the baby boomers sense of entitlement and unrealistic world view.

GenY, as some previous posters have noted, is competing not primarily competing with GenX, or Americans at all. They are competing with offshore Indians, Philippinoes, and Chinese.

For many in this offshoring world, work IS their life. These people don't value culture, they don't care about fun, and they will damn well follow orders because you are the boss.

They are ruthless competitors who will do whatever they need to get ahead. They will eat these young punk up like they were candy, crap them back out again and then sell the feces back to America.

Good luck GenY, hope you like flippin burgers.

Comment from Dave Ambrose on 2008-05-16

2008-05-16T16:45:26Z

Sarah,

Great post but I'll play Devil's Advocate. :)

http://datainsightsideas.com/post/35037689