TWO weeks ago I attended a company brainstorming session and made a discovery.

It came in the form of a fascinating presentation by a colleague from the marketing and sales department on consumer behaviour in Asia and Malaysia, focusing on the general characteristics and expectations of the solabelled “Generation Y”. I realise, of course, that most everyone involved in marketing or sociology would have found this information blasé, but for me, a true-blue editorial nerd Generation X-er who had failed miserably to study the fi ner nuances of her generation next, it was a revelation. The Gen-Y/Whys, like so many nubile, fashionsavvy Frankensteins, are wired to the core. They generally walk around with wires (either black or white) or Bluetooth-enabled protrusions sticking out of their ears. So if they seem to be talking to the air even as they look right through you, it’s because they’re so busy living virtual lives through all forms of instant communication technologies such as the Internet, text messaging, Instant Messaging (IM), VOIP, FaceBook, MySpace and the like. They have been programmed to be multi-taskers existing simultaneously on two planes — reality/virtual — at any one time. This generation, born between 1980 and 2000 (also known as “The Millenials” or the “Echo Boomers”), is the fi rst “demographic cohort” to come to age just as the Internet began to completely fl ower. They are thus familiar, usually from childhood, with not only Internet surfi ng but also all the gadgets that have come along with it. But, you know, this really isn’t the main characteristic of the Gen-Y that scares me. In fact, I love tech and duly humbled by the power of the gigabyte. After all, Gens X (born circa 1965-1979) and Y have much in common (or so the Internet tells me). Both generations believe in their own self-worth enough that they’re not shy about trying to change the world, value highly independent thinking, are addicted to change and place great emphasis on family. What really scares me about my succeeding generation (and I pray it succeeds) is what the marketing folk fi nd so crucial: The generation’s monetary values, or, more precisely, their lack thereof. According to my colleague’s presentation, The Millennial generation is the largest after the boomers (their/my parents), and are poised to become the next great luxury consumers. They make up the 13 billion people aged 15 to 34 in Asia and represent 35 per cent of the total Asian population. These urban young Asians are three times the total of the European youth market and fi ve times that of North America. Accordingly, these young adults indicate greater purchase intention than the general population in many categories. And, they exert substantial “infl uence” over their parents’ purse-strings for the goods and services that they feel are their birthright. They place great emphasis on brands and a lot less value on actual quality. Looking stylish and appearing trendy is what makes them feel good about themselves. They tend not to save, seeing that they worship conspicuous consumption (in simple Manglish, “actionsaja”) and immediate gratifi cation instead. I’ve seen this in action in my own nieces and nephews as well as friends’ “young working adult” children who spend entire months’ salaries on branded clothes or accessories (because mum and dad are there to pay for everything else). I’ve seen still schoolgoing teenagers change very high-end cell phones as soon as the next model comes in (every four months or so). I shudder because I think of my own fi ve-yearold son — Generation Z? — who once misplaced my cell phone, and when asked how the problem of the missing phone was to be solved, simply answered: “Buy another one.” Imagine, a generation Y/Why that lives on other people’s money! X them, I say… X them. ● Woo Lyn, who has a Masters in English Literature from Canada, is defi nitely not a fan of the MTV-Generation’s ‘You’ve got Punk’D’ or ‘Pimp My Ride’.

Source: Malay Mail – June 5, 2008