In a recent column, John Leo talks about the generation born between 1977 and 1994: “Now the focus is almost entirely on millennials, 78 million strong and the largest birth cohort in American history. Speaking at the American Magazine Conference, (Ann) Clurman (of the Yankelovich Partners) described millennials this way: ‘They are family oriented, viscerally pluralistic, deeply committed to authenticity and truth-telling, heavily stressed and living in a no-boundaries world where they make short-term decisions and expect paradoxical outcomes. (The sense of paradox means that every choice results in some good consequences, some bad: Air bags save lives but kill people, too.)’
“By pluralistic, Clurman means that distinctions of race, ethnicity and gender are of little interest to millennials–they tend to overlook differences and treat everyone the same. ‘Part of the fallout is that opposition to gay marriage, strong among older Americans, is low among millennials. Authenticity and integrity are prime values. Millennials want very much to succeed in life,’ says Clurman, but ‘integrity trumps success.; (Enron should have hired millennial executives.)
“Yankelovich and other researchers have been picking up a renewed emphasis on family for years. The yearning for a good marriage is a dominant value among millennials, Clurman says; and 30 percent of those surveyed say they want three or more children. Indeed, one research company, Packaged Facts and Silver Stork, recently predicted a 17 percent increase in the U.S. birthrate during the next 10 years.” (Click here to read the entire column.)