Marilen F., a 24-year-old computer programmer at a consulting company, lives in Chicago with her parents and siblings. Recently she bought a black 2000 323i BMW because the dealer didn't have any black Toyota Celicas that she'd wanted. Her favorite Web site is the online auction site www.ebay.com, and she has shopped online for clothing and cell phone accessories. But she prefers the mall to the Internet because she likes "seeing the stuff in front of me." Has September 11th affected her spending? "No, I feel that I spend money more now than before," she says.
		Kenneth Hutchinson, 20, of Chicago, chats for about one-and-a-half hours on AOL Instant Messenger daily and spends another half an hour browsing on the Web. The third-year social policy student at Northwestern University has a host of brand names he favors: Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, Eddie Bauer, Pepsi. However, he comments that his generation is too spoiled, prideful and complacent. "We grew up with too much money and too many opportunities," he says. Despite the problems he sees around him, he refers to his Christian faith and is optimistic about the future.
		Andrea Baker, 19, says she usually shops at thrift stores for clothes but online for books, used CDs and hard-to-find items. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native doesn't care much for brand names but appreciates commercials that are funny and clever, especially ones that build on each other. She listens to public radio for news and her favorite Web site is a J.R.R. Tolkien fan site. Since September 11th, she has tried to evaluate the way corporations treat their workers and prepare their products before purchasing them.
		Bard Glynn, 18, a college freshman from Lake Forest, Ill., reads the newspaper when he needs to for school. He says he trusts newspapers slightly more than other media, yet he can't trust any of them completely. "The only thing we get from the news is how people are screwed up and psycho," he says. In the summer he worked in a restaurant, earning $400 a week. Most of his spending during the school year is on food and entertainment.
		Fourteen-year-old Amelia Gonzales from Evanston, Ill., doesn't read the paper but listens to the radio daily. She prefers the radio to TV, because TV is "too hyped up." She reads Seventeen magazine regularly and visits online chatrooms where her friends gather and chat for a few hours every week. She earns money working in a flower shop, and spends her time hanging out, going to the mall or the beach and playing piano.
		Allison Boweus, 11, spends three hours online each week e-mailing and talking to her school friends on AOL Instant Messenger. Her favorite Web site is www.hamsterdance.com, "because it's funny." The sixth grader from Bowling Green, Ohio, rarely touches a newspaper but listens to the radio every day. She earns pocket money by babysitting and doing chores around the house, and spends $100 a month, mostly on clothes and snacks. Her favorite clothing retailers are Abercrombie and Fitch, The Limited and Old Navy.

These are just a few faces from Generation Y, also known as Millennials or Echo Boomers. Born between 1977 and 1995, these youngsters now make up more than a fifth of the U.S. population, and is projected to be six times the size of Generation X. The generation has become the target of marketers and advertisers, because of its size and its enormous spending power. They represent the most diverse, technology-savvy and materialistic generation yet.

Top