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Millennial v. Boomer: Daughter And Mom Compare Notes On Life At 21

Jessica Robinson
Zara and Julie Palmer.

If you want to know what the United States is going to be like in 30 years, you had better look to the generation that's under 34 right now.

They're known as “millennials,” or, sometimes, the “Selfie Generation.” They've gotten a bit of a reputation for being plugged-in, tuned-out and perhaps overly indulged. But is this reputation is deserved?

First of all, let's just say up front: It's hard to say exactly when one generation ends and another begins. But “millennial” generally refers to kids born between 1980 and the early 2000s. These are kids who have known how to use a computer as far back as they can remember, they went to college in unprecedented droves, and tried to launch their careers around the time the economy was killing careers.

Zara Palmer was born in 1992. She is a college student in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She will serve as the representative of the millennial generation. Her mom, Julie Palmer, was born in 1959 and represents the Baby Boomers, once dubbed the “Me Generation.”

Baby Boom To Tech Boom

One of the defining characteristics of millennials is their use of technology. Zara will admit to it: she's online all the time, and it's not just for Facebook.

“There's Pinterest. And then there's Google and then there's YouTube. And Netflix. And Hulu," said Zara. "Yeah, I'm on there quite a bit.”

“I have none of that,” said Julie. “No Facebook. People say, 'Oh, get on Facebook.' I have no time for that. I have no time for that. I'd spend my whole evening—”

“Trying to just figure out how to log in,” interjected Zara.

Point to Zara, in the millennial corner.

“Love you, Mom! It's true though," Zara said as they both laugh.

Zara, like most millennials, will cop to sharing a selfie photo, but at the same time she’s disdainful of technology’s overuse. That matches at least one survey that found nine out of 10 millennials believe people do share too much online.

But technology isn't the full story here. To really compare Zara's generation with her mother's, we need to go back to when Julie was around the age Zara is now.

‘We Feel Like We’re Being Ripped Off’

Credit Courtesy of Julie Palmer.
/
Courtesy of Julie Palmer.
Julie Palmer in the early ‘80s.

The year was 1981. Most millennials were barely a twinkle in their parents' eye. Pink Floyd was wrapping up The Wall Tour. And forget iPhones; Julie had a car with a stereo.

“It was a sports car, Datson 280Z,” she said.

Julie would go cruising around Los Angeles, listening to music. She had moved from her hometown in Ohio and wasn't quite sure what to do for a job. She hadn't gone to college.

“So I went to banker-teller school," said Julie. "I think it was a six-week gig or maybe even less than that.”

Right out of the program, she landed a job.

Now, it's a different story. Zara listens to bands like Mumford & Sons on the streaming service Pandora. And forget cruising around town. Zara has a car, but many millennials don’t. In fact, an increasing number don’t even bother to get a driver’s license.

But where Zara’s generation is really facing a different world is when comes to finding a job.

“Going to school, and still going to school, I'm terrified," said Zara. "I mean, there's no guarantee. Yeah you have a fancy piece of paper but you have to have experience that goes with it. And as far as my mom goes, she went to a teller school for six months and then—”

“No, it wasn't even," said Julie. "I think it was just like six weeks.”

“What?!” said Zara.

“Four weeks.” Julie said.

“I'm going to get a four-year degree! And I'd be happy with that job,” said Zara.

The Pew Research Center just issued a major report on millennials. It described the current 26 to 33 year olds as the best-educated young adults in American history. Yet millennials are also the first modern generation to have more debt, higher poverty and lower wealth than the two preceding generations.

“We're the ones dealing with the economy, getting out of college," says Zara. "And we're the ones that are dealing with all these…we feel like we're being ripped off, is what it boils down to.”

As difficult as the job market is for recent college grads, millennials with only a high school diploma fare far worse than in previous generations. So while Julie didn't feel pressure to go to college, now she says, it's practically mandatory.

“In school now, they say, ‘Go to college, go to college.' There's really no other option,” she said.

Who Has It Better?

So who has the most options in this generational face-off? Julie says it's no contest for her.

“Oh, I'm so glad I'm not in her world. Just the job situation and I don't know. I just don't know how they do it now,” she said.

Zara says her mom’s time did seem less complicated. But she’s torn.

“I think that right now is a really neat time just because things are so innovative and they're always trumping the other thing. But I feel people becoming so consumed by that. Seriously to not look up and enjoy a beautiful day rather than being stuck to your phone screen is kind of pathetic,” she said.

Here's one more thing to consider. Despite record student loan debt and high unemployment, the Pew Research Center found millennials do have an abundance of one thing: optimism. More than eight in 10 believe they'll be able to afford to lead the life they want, if not now, then in the future.

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Inland Northwest Correspondent Jessica Robinson reports from the Northwest News Network's bureau in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. From the politics of wolves to mining regulation to small town gay rights movements, Jessica covers the economic, demographic and environmental trends that are shaping places east of the Cascades.