The Millennial Generation: A Demographic, Ethnographic, and Religious Profile

A new generation is emerging into adulthood in the first years of the new century. Born from 1977 through 1994, most are the offspring of parents in the Baby Boom generation. Just as their parents’ childhood and adolescence largely paralleled the development of television, so the Millennial generation has grown up with the Internet. They share many of the values and interests of their Baby Boomer parents, although the world is starkly different. There is much greater diversity, and global boundaries are transparent, while economic anxiety is increased. The young adults and teens in the Millennial generation tend to be positive about life, about themselves, and involved in family, friendships, and civic structures. They attend church about as often as their parents do and have adopted much the same set of values and religious beliefs, although sexual freedom is more pronounced, and there has been a doubling of the relatively small percentage who are not connected with any organized religion