Boomers, Xers, and Millennials:

How New Research on Generations

Can Inform the Future of Prevention
Massachusetts Statewide Substance Abuse Prevention Conference
At the Educational Development Center, Led by MassTAPP
October 30, 2014 – Waltham, MA

Rodney A. Wambeam, PhD

Senior Research Scientist
Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center
A Matter of Facts
Slides available at…
rodneywambeam.com
References presentation tab and NPN
conference website

Further Readings
Trivia
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Zeitgeist and Epidemiology
The Spirit of the Time, the Spirit of the Age

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My Interest and Full Disclosure

(Howe and Strauss, 1993) (Coupland, 1991) (Green, 1984)

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And I have Millennial Children

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Generation Trivia
What was the name of the 1994 movie
starring Winona Ryder, Ben Stiller, and Ethan
Hawke as Gen Xers looking for work and love
in Houston?

Reality Bites
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Raise your hand if you were…
Born before 1925 WWII or GI
Born between 1925 and 1942 Silent
Born between 1943 and 1960 Boomer
Born between 1961 and 1981 Gen X
Born between 1982 and 2002 Millennial
(Howe and Strauss, 2000, p. 41)
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 Discussion: Think about
Boomers, Xers, and
Millennials
What one word comes to mind when you think
about these generations?

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 Trends:
Which way are things moving?

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The Trouble with Young People Today
Past month use of alcohol
60

50

40

30

20
Data Source:
Youth Risk
Behavior 10
Surveillance
Survey, CDC
0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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The Trouble with Young People Today
Past month use of cigarettes
60

50

40

30

20
Data Source:
Youth Risk
Behavior 10
Surveillance
Survey, CDC
0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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The Trouble with Young People Today
Rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
60

50

40

30

20
Data Source:
Youth Risk
Behavior 10
Surveillance
Survey, CDC
0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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The Trouble with Young People Today
Carried a weapon on school property
30

25

20

15

10
Data Source:
Youth Risk 5
Behavior
Surveillance
Survey, CDC 0
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

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Generation Trivia
Who are the identical twins that created
“HarvardConnection” and later sued
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg claiming
he stole their idea?

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss

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Generation Populations
Boomers 77 million

Xers 51 million

Millennials 77 million

(Taylor, 2014, p. 33)

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Who are Millennials?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY&t=0m1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE&t=0m3s

(Howe and Strauss, 2000, p. 41)

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The Millennial Future?

(Howe and Strauss, 2000, p. 41) (Stein, 2013)

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What do Researchers say?
To understand
Millennials you
need to
understand
Boomers and
Xers
(Howe and Strauss, 2000, p. 48)

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Baby Boomers
“As exuberant youths, led the countercultural upheavals of the
1960’s. But the iconic image of that era – long-haired hippy
protestors – describes only a portion of the cohort. Now on
the front stoop of old age, Boomers are gloomy about their
lives, worried about retirement, and wondering why they
aren’t young anymore.”

(Taylor, 2014, p. 33)

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Gen Xers
“Savvy, entrepreneurial loners. Distrustful of institutions,
especially government. Children of the Reagan revolution –
and the divorce revolution. More comfortable than their
elders with an increasingly diverse America.”

(Taylor, 2014, p. 33)

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Millennials
“Empowered by digital technology; coddled by parents;
respectful of elders; slow to adulthood; conflict-averse; at ease
with racial, ethnic, and sexual diversity; confident in their
economic futures despite coming of age in bad times.”

(Taylor, 2014, p. 33)

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Millennials and Community

(Taylor, 2014, p. 3) (Taylor, 2014, p. 70)

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Millennials and Community

(Taylor, 2014, p. 120) (Taylor, 2014, p. 128)

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Millennials and Technology
“The Millennial Generation and digital
technology, like two good friends, have been
there at all the important moments for each
other” (Burstein, 2013, p. 53).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

(Taylor, 2014, p. 238) (Jawed Karim in “Me at the Zoo”)

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Millennials and Technology
“Digital natives don’t just experience friendship differently from their
parents; they also relate to information differently” (Palfrey and Gasser,
2013, p. 40).

“The younger generation learned about winning and losing from

gaming, and they bring that to the workplace. If they don’t like a job,
it’s re-set. Goodbye” (Ellin, 2014, p. 62).

But what about this…

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Millennials and Politics
On Average Millennials are…
Optimistic
Confident in the American
Political Process
Liberal
Consensus Builders
(Winograd and Hais, 2008) For Activist Government
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Millennials and Politics
And there is also this…

(Pew Research Center, 2014)

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Millennials and Popular Culture

Millennials only,
what is this?

It’s a…
(Gladwell, 2002)

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Millennials and Popular Culture
And let’s not forget…
“The greatest magic
of Harry Potter:
Reducing prejudice”

(Vezzali, Stathi, Giovannini,

Capozza, and Trifiletti, 2014)

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Discussion: Surprising thoughts,
ideas, questions, or answers?

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Generation Trivia
Which Beatle crossed Abby Road first on the
famous album cover?

John Lennon
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 Five challenges for
Millennial targeted
prevention?

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1. Stay the Course
SAMHSA SPF SIG DFC
SPR
State Incentive
NPN
Grant NREPP
CSAP MassTAPP
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Prevention Block Grant 33
2. Really use Technology

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3. Involve Parents More

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4. More Effectively Use Teamwork

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5. Tie Prevention to Social Good
We’re in business to help improve lives.
With every product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in
need. One for One.®

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 Discussion: What are your
ideas for improving prevention
targeting Millennials?

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Millennials in the Workforce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owwM6FpWWoQ

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Millennials in the Workforce

8% report having a 87% say it is

parent accompany them important to
have a career
on a job interview, and
that betters
3% have had a parent sit the world
in on the interview 79% say it is around them
more
important to
enjoy their job
than to make
big money
(Ellin, 2014)

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Millennials in the Workforce
• Entitled
“If there’s one overriding
• Demanding
perception of millennials, it
• Want it all
is that they are a
• Attention seeking
generation with great –
• Job hopping
and sometimes outlandish
• Self-centered
- expectations” (Alsop,
• Lazy
2008, p. 24).
• Self-promoting
• Chutzpah
(Alsop, 2008; Stein, 2013)

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Millennials in the Workforce
• Nice
“I don’t know what my • Flexible
future holds, but I am sure • Resilient
it is something great.” • Smart
- Whitely Lassen, 17 • Entrepreneurial
(Howe and Strauss, 2000, p. 367) • Frustrated
• Optimistic about the
future
• Confident
(Burstein, 2013; Ellin, 2014; Stein, 2013) • Socially responsible
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 Ten bits of advice for
the prevention workforce

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Millennials…
1. Love them, live with them, but don’t bring your parents to
a job interview
2. If not to the organization, then at least commit to the
project
3. It’s hard, but try to respect your elders
4. Hold on to your optimism as long as possible
5. Slow down – life is a marathon not a sprint

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Boomers and Xers…
1. Embrace Millennial workplace culture
2. Mentor and provide lots of feedback
3. Use their technological savvy to your advantage
4. You are not dinosaurs, evolve already!
5. Believe in them as long as possible

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 Discussion: What is your
advice for the new
prevention workforce?

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Generation Trivia
What phrase did Amy Chua use to describe
herself in her battle to raise her Millennial
daughters in America?

“Tiger Mom”
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Further Readings
Check out these books:
Alsop, R. (2008). The trophy kids grow up: how the millennial
generation is shaking up the workplace. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
And visit these websites:
Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials rising: the next great
jasondorsey.com
generation /by Neil Howe and Bill Strauss; cartoons by R.J.
Matson. New York: Vintage Books. pewresearch.org/millennials

Taylor, P. (2014). The next America: boomers, millennials, and the millennialimpact.com
looming generational showdown. New York: PublicAffairs.

Winograd, M., & Hais, M. D. (2011). Millennial momentum how a new

generation is remaking America. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers
University Press.
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References
Alsop, R. (2008). The trophy kids grow up: how the millennial generation is shaking up the

workplace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Burstein, D. D. (2013). Fast future: how the millennial generation is shaping our world. Boston:

Beacon Press.

Coupland, D. (1991). Generation X: tales for an accelerated culture. New York: St. Martin's

Press.

Ellin, A. (2014, April). The Beat (Up) Generation. Psychology Today, 47, 56-63.

Gladwell, M. (2000). The tipping point: how little things can make a big difference. Boston:

Little, Brown.

Growing Support for Marijuana Legalization. (n.d.). Pew Research Centers Social Demographic

Trends Project RSS. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/sdt-next-america-

03-07-2014-2-02/

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References
Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (1993). 13th gen: abort, retry, ignore, fail?. New York: Vintage Books.

Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials rising: the next great generation /by Neil Howe and

Bill Strauss; cartoons by R.J. Matson. New York: Vintage Books.

Palfrey, J., & Gasser, U. (2013). Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital

Natives. The Millennial Generation: Opposing Viewpoints (pp. 35-42). Detroit:

Greenhaven Press.

Green, H. A. (Director). (20031984). Sixteen candles [Motion picture]. United States: Universal.

Stein, J. (2013, May 20). The New Greatest Generation: Why Millennials will Save Us All.

Time, 181, 26-34.

Strauss, W., & Howe, N. (1991). Generations: the history of America's future, 1584 to 2069.

New York: Morrow.

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References
Taylor, P. (2014). The next America: boomers, millennials, and the looming generational

showdown. New York: PublicAffairs.

Vezzali, L., Stathi, S., Giovannini, D., Capozza, D., & Trifiletti, E. (2014). The greatest magic of

Harry Potter: Reducing prejudice. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, **, **-**.

Winograd, M., & Hais, M. D. (2008). Millennial makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the future of

American politics. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

Winograd, M., & Hais, M. D. (2011). Millennial momentum how a new generation is remaking

America. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

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Contact Me!
Baby Boomers come talk to me after the presentation

Gen Xers shoot me an email

Millennials text me Rodney Wambeam

(307) 760-8928
rodney@uwyo.edu
rodneywambeam.com

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