The Kennedy Tragedy was an:

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Is There an Echo in Your Laboratory? Managing,
Teaching, and Working with Echo-Boomers
Linda Laatsch, Ph.D., MT(ASCP)SM Marquette
University
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Objectives

• At the end of the session, the participant will
  be able to
• 1. Describe characteristics of Echo-Boomers (aka
  Millennials).
• 2. Provide possible explanations for the
  behaviors and values of Echo-Boomers.
• 3. Discuss methods for effectively managing,
  teaching, and working with Echo-Boomers.

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Pseudonyms

• Millennials
• Boomerang Kids
• Internet Generation
• Boomlet
• Nexters
• Generation Y
• Nintendo Generation

• Generation Tech
• Generation.com
• Generation 2000
• Boomer Babies
• Generation XX
• Digital Generation
• Tethered Generation
• Generation Me

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Generations
Eastern Illinois University
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What generation?

• Grew up during the post Watergate era and the
  energy crisis.
• In many cases they were the children of divorce
  and nontraditional family units
• Many were latchkey kids who were raised on
  electronic media (television, Atari 2600s)

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What generation?

• More likely to live in two-income household.
• Have children at home now
• Have the basic feeling of security
• More likely than others to focus on education
• Have higher level of education
• 88.8 of this generation completed high school

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What generation?

• Born at a time when it was considered natural and
  appropriate for families to have large numbers of
  children
• Wed early
• About 95 are retired at this point
• Lived during the great depression

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What generation?

• Sheltered
• Experienced a positive economy while moving
  through their school years
• Grew up on kid safety rules, lockdown of public
  schools, sweeping national youth safety movement
• Technological sophistication

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Who are the Millennials?

• Born from approx. 1982 - 2000
• Presently 80 million (largest generation)
• 27 of U.S. population
• The oldest entered college Fall of 2000
• Life expectancy of 75 years
• The Next Great Generation?

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Who are the Millennials?

• Most diverse generation in U.S. history
• 34 minorities
• 96 get along with parents
• 78 believe religion is important
• 60 engage in community service
• 80 think it is cool to be smart

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Defining Characteristics

• Conventional
• Confident
• Special
• Sheltered
• Self-Assured
• Stressed
• Achieving
• Pleasant
• Helpful

• Team-oriented
• Racially diverse
• Extremely close with parents
• Savvy with technology

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Events That Made An Impression

• 9-11
• Columbine
• Oklahoma City Bombing
• Princess Dis death
• Clinton Impeachment Trial
• O.J. Simpson Trial
• Rodney King riots
• Lewinsky scandal

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What is the Millennial Childhood Like?

• Older parents (ave. mom 27 y.o.)
• Busiest generation of children
• Scheduled by parents and teachers
• Have had more contact with other races/cultures
• Have experienced more patriotism
• Think globally and 24/7
• Helicopter parents

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Millennial Parent Characteristics

• Idealist
• Passionate
• Protective
• Involved
• Concerned
• Intelligent
• Demanding
• Prioritize education

• Knowledgeable about college experience
• Sense of entitlement
• high cost of attendance
• view students as children, not adults
• Expect to be involved from admission to graduation

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Messages that Millennials have been given

• You are special
• Be inclusive and tolerant of others
• Connect 24/7
• Achieve! (and do it now)
• Serve your community

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Emerging AdulthoodJeffrey Jensen Arnett

• 18-25 year olds
• For some, it occurs in late 20s
• Used to happen much earlier
• Improved socioeconomic status
• Not eager to enter adulthood
• Other reasons for change?

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Older marriage age
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Sexual freedom co-habitation
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More attending college 2/3 go to college 1/3 of
these go to grad school
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Features of Emerging Adults

• Age of identity exploration
• Used to happen in teens
• Now they use graduate school to figure it out

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Features of Emerging Adults

• Age of identity exploration
• Age of instability
• Change college majors frequently
• Change jobs frequently
• Almost every year in their 20s
• Change residence frequently

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Features of Emerging Adults

• Age of identity exploration
• Age of instability
• Self-focused age
• Not egocentric
• Focus on self-development
• Aware of that what they are doing affects others

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Features of Emerging Adults

• Age of identity exploration
• Age of instability
• Self-focused age
• Age of feeling in-between

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Features of Emerging Adults

• Age of identity exploration
• Age of instability
• Self-focused age
• Age of feeling in-between
• Age of possibilities
• Optimism not always based in reality

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Millennial StudentCharacteristics

• High-achievers parent expectation
• Very stressed
• Cheating on the rise
• Emphasis on teamwork
• Respect for authority
• More prone to
• Obesity
• Asthma
• Attention deficit disorder
• Depression
• Self-mutilation
• Eating disorders
• Casual sexual encounters

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Cheating

• Students dont see cheating as a moral breach
• Cheating is o.k. if you dont get caught
• Plagiarism is up because of internet access to
  essays

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Americas New Conformists

• More conservative than their parents
• More likely than their parents to
• Support prayer in school
• Support federal aid to faith-based charities
• Favor restrictions on abortions
• Believe in
• Security rather than radicalism
• Political order rather than social emancipation
• Collective responsibility rather than personal
  expression

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Helicopter Parents and College Students

• Parents telephone administrators to complain
• Childrens housing
• Childrens roommates
• Grades
• Why this has changed
• More involvement when children are young
• Cell phones (External Umbilical Cord)
• No need to wait for dorm phone

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Narcissism Through Proxy

• Millennials are the most protected, over-watched
  generation ever
• They have been instilled with a false sense of
  pride
• Overestimate their abilities
• Teachers often rewarded them more for
  participation than for achievement
• They feel like trophies for their parents

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Twenge Jean, et al. Workshop 2/27/07

• Narcissistic Personality Inventory
• 16,475 college students
• 1982-2006
• Scores have risen steadily
• More narcissistic self-centered.

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2007 National Survey of Student Engagement

• 4,518 freshmen
• 4,644 seniors
• 24 universities
• For the 1st time, asked about parent involvement

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2007 National Survey of Student Engagement

• Freshmen
• 38 frequent or occasional parent intervention
• Seniors
• 29 frequent or occasional parent intervention

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Helicopter Parents and College Students

• This is undermining the out-of classroom lessons
  on problem-solving

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What Universities are Doing About Helicopter
Parents

• Washington University St. Louis
• Upperclassmen do skits about healthy
  transitioning from parents
• University of Vermont
• Students are hired as parent bouncers
• Colgate University New York
• No longer give parents the phone numbers of
  administrators
• Hope to assign parent reading on the transition
  to college

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• The number one thing to realize with the
  Millennials is that as a whole they reflect much
  more parental perfectionism than any generation
  in living memory. Colleges and universities
  should know that they are not just getting a kid,
  but they are also getting a parent.
• William Strauss
• Author, Millennials Rising

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Observed behaviors in college classroomRebekah
Nathan

• More cheating
• Ruder
• Less motivated
• Steeped in sense of entitlement
• See themselves on par with the teacher
• Less participation in class discussions
• Wont read assignments
• Know how to play the system

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What 50-Year-Old Rebekah Nathan Did

• Fall, 2002
• Enrolled as full-time undergraduate student
• Moved into a dorm
• From My Freshman Year

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Rebekah Nathans Observations as a Student

• Students valued future careers more than their
  courses
• Fun was cherished
• Many worked
• Time management a priority
• Guided choice of courses
• Sought to limit their workload
• Cheating seen as a time mgmt tool

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What Millennials Need in the Classroom

• Structure
• Must teach them how to do things in a step-wise
  fashion
• Collaborative learning
• Multi-media
• Relevant learning experiences
• Feedback not just grades

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What Would YOU Do??????

• Write your childs resume to help him secure a
  job
• Accompany him or her to a job fair or interview
• Call a prospective employer on your kids behalf
• Admonish your child not to accept an offer
  without consulting you
• Negotiate your childs salary or benefit package
• Call the business on your childs behalf if he
  did not get a job

Micheleborba.ivillage.com
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What happens when Millennials hit the workplace?

• Have higher expectations than any generation
  before them
• Want
• strong leader
• learning opportunities
• to be friends with co-workers
• to work with positive people
• to have fun at work
• a life outside of work do not want 60 hr. work
  weeks want flexible schedules
• to be paid well
• to be treated respectfully
• Revolving door

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A 60-year-old remarkedWe wanted what they
want. We felt we couldnt ask. Herein lies the
truth what young workers want isnt so different
from what everyone else wants. However, young
people are asking.Karen Cates Kimia
RahimiMastering People ManagementFinancial
Times. Nov. 19, 2001.
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Downside of Millennials

• Sense of entitlement
• Have lots of options know it
• Need validation high maintenance
• Poor writing skills
• Lack
• Discretion
• Independence
• Realistic expectations
• Patience
• Work ethic

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Upside of Millennials

• Technologically savvy
• Tons of energy
• Positive attitude
• Adept at global diversity issues
• Team-oriented
• Multi-taskers

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What Needs to Happen in Workplace to Accommodate
Millennials

• Increase basic skills training
• Explain the reasons behind processes
• Place clear parameters on communication frequency
  methods, especially IM
• Provide more frequent job performance appraisals
  and other feedback
• Focus on outcomes
• Keep them engaged
• Expand work/life balance programs

Kathryn Tyler, The Tethered Generation, 2007.
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Eleven Tips for Managing MillennialsSusan
Heathfield

• Provide structure
• Provide leadership guidance
• Encourage the can-do attitude positive personal
  self-image
• Encourage work in teams
• Listen
• Avoid boredom provide challenge
• Provide opportunities for multi-tasking

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Eleven Tips for Managing MillennialsSusan
Heathfield

• Take advantage of their electronic literacy
• Capitalize on their affinity for networking
• Provide a life-balanced workplace
• Provide a fun, employee-centered workplace

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What Needs to Happen in Workplace to Deal with
Helicopter Parents

• Beat em or Join em
• Employers MUST accommodate them our society
  will need millennials!
• Enforce strong privacy policies

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How businesses should react to helicopter parents

• Acknowledge the benefit of collaborative
  decision-making but define the limitations for
  parental involvement.
• Stress that negotiations must be with the
  candidate, not the parents.
• Be emphatic that parents of employees will not be
  part of work communications.

Micheleborba.ivillage.com
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Linda.laatsch_at_marquette.edu