Millennials And Their Experiences

In my last post, I wrote about the value Millennials place on relationships. (Millennials are those born after 1982.) They also place high value on experiences. That’s the subject of this post.

Change is constant for Millennials. Many things in their world do not last. They often report feeling as if their opinions don’t matter and knowledge becomes irrelevant almost immediately after they’ve learned it. Their toys are broken and some things they’ve saved for and purchased became quickly outdated. They want and need things that last. That’s where experiences come in.

No one can take their experiences away from them. They’re real in the moment and they last and can be relived alone and with friends.

Another reason Millennials value experiences is that they don’t want to do the same thing over and over. Video games have taught them that each time they have the “same” experience, it can be different. This is why you may notice young people using different procedures each time they do the “same” task.

An older employee may go through his checklist in the same order every night, examining each thing in the same way. Younger employees will prefer to go through the checklist differently. They’ll be obedient and work the checklist, but they’ll want and need freedom to do it their way.

Think about students. Can we give them freedom within our boundaries so they can have experiences that are somewhat new? If we don’t help them create lasting experiences, they’ll create their own. This may be why some participate in unhealthy activities that give them a thrill.

Ask Millennials in your world about experiences. Which ones have they had that they’d love to have again? What do they hope to do that they’ve never done? How would they like to improve upon activities they think are boring?