Matthew 24:34

[Psalm 51:17]

https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/don-39-t-know-managing-millennials-180000378.html

What You Don't Know (But Should) About Managing Millennials
7/15/14

Whether they are called Generation Y, echo boomers or even the Peter Pan generation, millennials are becoming more prevalent and weighty in today’s business world. This younger generation is expected to comprise 36 percent of the American workforce this year and 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025.

Adapting to the influx of millennials entering the workplace doesn’t mean a company must to overhaul its entire environment, but managers may have to make adjustments to their supervisory style. Here are three lessons I’ve learned from my experience managing a team of millennials:

1. Promote a work-life blend and balance. Millennials live by the motto “work hard, play hard.” They are not willing to sacrifice their personal lives for the advancement of their careers. As a manager, empower millennials to manage their own schedules, yet continue to motivate them to be diligent about their assigned tasks.

Their contributions should never be measured by the number of late nights spent at the office but instead by the results realized, whether it’s producing high-quality work, beating project deadlines or thinking outside of the box to great effect.

At my company, Retention Science, which is teeming with millennials, I and other managers don’t clock hours or track vacation days (we offer a flexible and accommodating vacation policy), but set an aggressive timeline for each person to deliver tasks. This promotes a “work smart” approach and ensures that every employee stays focused. We want our team members to enjoy their time at work rather than to constantly feel as if working long hours were the only way to excel.

2. Spur collaboration. Millennials have grown up working in teams, participating in group projects in the classes, high school sports and group-chat video games. They want an atmosphere that promotes cooperation. A collaborative working environment can foster learning within a company.

At my company, Retention Science, our desks are arranged in an open floor plan to encourage teamwork.  No one is confined to cramped, isolated cubicles. Having a group setup lessens the sense of a corporate hierarchy and creates an ambiance of community. The team dynamic in the office is augmented by bonding events through company-sponsored activities, such as surfing lessons, pick-up basketball games and monthly dinners that let employees have a chance to get to know one another personally. A team that is built on trusted personal relationships will lead to solidarity.

**These modern-day "churches" also have a "corporate hierarchy" as well.

3. Set personal goals. Many millennials consider themselves altruists by nature. They want to have a purpose, whether it’s contributing to their co-workers’ success, company growth or aiding those using the products or services they create. Millennials' can-do attitude makes them mentally prepared to take on challenging tasks. They’ll continue to assume those tasks when it's apparent they contribute to their professional development.

Personal goal setting is important for millennials who want to see forward movement in their careers and take ownership of their progress. Allow new hires to spend a few weeks getting a lay of the land before asking them to record their goals – for the near term for their current position and long term to map their career aspirations.

From there, managers should conduct a monthly meeting with each team member to check in on their goals, outline expectations and provide candid advice. A manager’s job is to help every employee become more successful , and goal setting, along with periodic check-ins, adds a layer of measurement that's beneficial for the team member and manager.

I’m a millennial myself, but don't know everything there is to know about managing this generation. What I do know is this: Millennials’ appreciation for work-life balance, affinity for team collaboration and passion for helping co-workers makes them an important asset in the workplace. I never hesitate to tell each person how much I appreciate her or his work, whether it’s closing a deal with a new client, or documenting product updates. At the end of the day, showing gratitude and respect is the best and only way to manage millennials.

[Psalm 51:17]

Move out? Millennials should live with their parents as long as possible
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/move-out--millennials-should-live-with-their-parents-as-long-as-possible-210016752.html
7/17/14

It’s time to cut the millennials some slack.

It’s supposed to be terrible news that more people in their 20s and 30s are living at home with their parents. Pew Research, for instance, just reported that a record 57 million Americans — about 18% of the population — live in multigenerational households. The main reason for that is a sharp increase in the number of 25-to-34-year-olds crowding into the family abode with their parents and grandparents.

This “boomerang generation,” needless to say, is the target of much scorn over its slow start in life and its apparent aversion to independence. They’re also causing considerable anxiety among homebuilders, automakers, appliance manufacturers and many other companies that rely on a steady flow of U.S. consumers spending every last dollar on things prior generations considered indispensable.

Yet we should reexamine our assumptions about millennials, generally considered to be Americans born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. We’re programmed to consider robust consumer spending the ultimate indicator of a healthy economy. If spending is down, something must be wrong. So alerts are going off as millennials bank what money they can instead of spending it on rent, cars and the endless filler items that tend to devour your paycheck when you live on your own.

Foolish? That’s actually shrewd. Good financial advisors urge people to save as much of their income as they can, so they can invest it, apply it toward a nest egg and set something aside for a rainy day. Yet Americans in general are terrible at this. The overall savings rate is a paltry 5% or so. That’s considered high, since it dropped near zero as recently as 2005. One reason so many Americans got swamped during the recent recession is they thought home equity and stock-market holdings were the same as savings, only to learn those “savings” can plummet in value.

Millennials obviously have reason to be frugal. The unemployment rate is highest among the youngest, while it’s far below average for people over 35. Older workers have been holding onto jobs longer and retiring later, slowing the rate of turnover throughout the labor force and leaving fewer openings for younger workers. Meanwhile, the total amount of student loan debt has skyrocketed during the past decade and now tops $1.1 trillion. Many recent college grads can’t find jobs that pay enough to cover rent and student loan payments both.

Living at home obviously allows young, struggling workers to pay off bills, get out of debt and make a meaningful contribution to the economy, at some point. So what if it lowers the household formation rate? So what if Ford (F) and GM (GM) don’t hit their sales targets for hipstermobiles? So what if Home Depot (HD) and Lowe’s (L) end up with excess inventory of light fixtures and vanities? Instead of griping, maybe all the companies desperate to crack open millennial wallets should feel reassured that the future spenders of America are doing something to right their finances.

There are other signs the millennials aren’t as bumbling as popular opinion suggests. Although data clearly show a spike in the percentage of young adults living with their parents, the Census Bureau surveys from which those numbers come count students living on college campuses as “living at home,” as the Atlantic recently pointed out. The latest Pew report excluded such students from its count of multigenerational homes, but most media reports about the boomerang generation lump the two groups together without pointing that out. That exaggerates the portion of millennials who ought to be self-supporting but aren’t.

There’s also some recent data suggesting millennials are starting to move out in larger numbers. Jed Kolko, chief economist at the real estate website Trulia, told Yahoo Finance recently that Trulia’s data shows a 0.9% increase in the percentage of 18-to-34-year-olds who bought a home in 2013. He’s more worried about a falling homeownership rate among strapped middle-aged consumers than among the young.

Living standards during the past decade or so have fallen more than at any time since the 1930s, which means the millennialls face challenges their parents and grandparents didn’t. It’s not reasonable to expect them to hit life’s big milestones at the same pace as their parents. They’ll move out eventually, and when they do, they'll have something to show for the extra time they spent at home.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/20/news/economy/millennials-marriage/
7/20/14
Millennials say no to marriage

When it comes to marriage, Millennials are saying "I don't."

Today's young adults are on track have the lowest rates of marriage by age 40 compared to any previous generation. If the current pace continues, more than 30% of Millennial women will remain unmarried by age 40, nearly twice the share of their Gen X counterparts, according to a recent Urban Institute report.

 And that could have serious economic repercussions for both the Millennials and the nation as a whole.

There are several reasons behind the plunge. The importance of marriage has been diminishing for years. More Americans are living together without getting married, and some are raising families ... just without the gold bands, said Neil Howe, an economist and author of several books about Millennials.

Also, marriage used to be the starting point for young adults. They got hitched early and built a life together, Howe said. Now, many people feel they have to be more established, especially financially, before they walk down the aisle.

"The shift is the shift in the role of marriage in one's life," he said.

Marriage rates fell even more drastically during the Great Recession, when young adults had a tough time landing their first jobs and other Americans found themselves collecting unemployment checks.

Just how many Millennials tie the knot by the time they hit 40 depends on whether marriage rates return to their pre-recession levels or not. Only 69.3% of women will marry if the post-recession rate continues, while 76.8% will if the rate returns to pre-downturn levels. For men, the rates come in at 65% and 72.6%, respectively.

Regardless, it will be fewer than Gen Xers. Some 82% of Gen X women and 76.6% of Gen X men were married by 40.

Underlying these numbers, however, are major divisions by race and educational attainment. Hispanic and black Millennials, as well as those without college degrees, are expected to see greater declines in their marriage rates.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/140718154053-marriage-projection-no-degree-620xa.png

White Millennials will see a small drop.

College grads could remain steady if rates return or decline slightly if they don't. That runs contrary to the current narrative that Millennials are putting off marriage because of high student loan debts and unemployment rates, as well as the increased propensity to live with their parents, said Steven Martin, senior research associate at the Urban Institute and the report's co-author.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/140718154853-marriage-projection-degree-620xa.png

He found, however, that college graduates marry later so they are better able to ride out poor economic times just after they finish school. And staying single while young gives them more opportunity to establish a financial base since they can focus on their careers.

But the explosion in singles has its downsides. Married couples are often better off financially, which means they can spend more.

"The evidence shows that getting married increases wealth and income," said Pamela Smock, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan.

Single Americans may be less likely to buy homes or trade up to accommodate growing families, while single parents may be more likely to qualify for government safety net programs.

And the growing schism in marriage rates could exacerbate income inequality in this country, dividing society into still mostly married "haves" and increasingly single "have nots."

[Psalm 51:17]

How Ronald Reagan turned America into a nation of children
http://theweek.com/article/index/265595/how-ronald-reagan-turned-america-into-a-nation-of-children
A new book on the rise of modern conservatism argues that Reagan's rhetoric infantilized our political culture — with devastating consequences

8/1/14

If you only manage to read one big book of political history this year, make it Rick Perlstein's The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan.

The third in a series of phonebook-sized tomes tracing the ascendency of the conservative movement since the early 1960s, The Invisible Bridge devotes over 800 pages to three years (1973 to 1976), with lengthy (and highly disparaging) digressions into Ronald Reagan's biography thrown in for good measure. These were the years leading up to and including Reagan's (nearly successful) effort to unseat a president of his own party (Gerald Ford), and Perlstein makes a powerful, intellectually bracing case for treating them as critically important for understanding much that has followed in American politics and culture.

Not that Perlstein's account is flawless. As with his previous books, Before the Storm and Nixonland, the enormous size of The Invisible Bridge and its density of historical detail are mixed blessings. Many of his often obscure anecdotes are marvelously apt and delightfully fun to read. And he is a master of making bold and unexpected connections among political, social, and pop cultural events. (The box-office smash Jaws spoke to a country in which fear was both hidden and seemingly everywhere, "consuming everything," while the hit TV sitcom Happy Days nostalgically conjured a 1950s world of national innocence that he tartly notes was "especially popular among children.") On the other hand, the seemingly endless flood of facts can be numbing at times, with the reader sometimes left groping to find the thread of the argument or the story to which they are presumably invoked to advance.

Then there's Perlstein's political agenda, which also harms as much as it helps. On the positive side of the ledger, his explicitly stated left-liberal commitments give his writing an edgy, polemical swagger often missing in stuffier histories written by academic scholars striving for a level of objectivity far above the political fray. Perlstein thinks the story of America in these years is terribly important, and that urgency permeates the book, making it read at times like an elaborately plotted murder mystery in which the victim is none other than America's soul. The intensity is often infectious.

But it can also lead to distortion. Perlstein's subject is conservative ideas and their impact on political reality. But he is so utterly unsympathetic to those ideas that he finds it impossible to see them as anything other than expressions of animus and anxiety, and an outgrowth of a childish refusal to face and accept the moral and historical complexity of the world.

Sure, that's part of the story. But does he really think that's the whole of it? In implying that he does, Perlstein ends up wandering at least partway down the same gloomy path that Corey Robin exhaustively charted in his thoroughly unhelpful history of conservative ideas, The Reactionary Mind. Neither author finds anything particularly insightful or useful in the ideas they've devoted themselves to exploring and examining.

That would be fine if it didn't result at times in tendentious, one-sided history. Take Perlstein's treatment of the neoconservative intellectuals who (unbeknownst to them, of course) were in just these years laying the groundwork for what would become the Reagan Revolution's domestic policy agenda. Perlstein mentions the crucially important neocon quarterly journal The Public Interest on just two pages of his book, and he has little to say about it beyond noting that it was "inaugurated in 1965 and financed by a former CIA agent who was now a stockbroker."

One wonders: Does Perlstein think the neocons ever had a point about anything at all? Were there any Great Society programs that called out for reform or repeal? Did economic or environmental regulations ever produce unintended negative consequences? Were any cultural consequences of the 1960s worthy of concern or even ambivalence? Or did the neocons automatically demonstrate their intellectual fraudulence merely by raising objections to liberal policies and expressing ambivalence about cultural trends?

To concede the validity of some of what the neocons were saying in these years would imply that the Reagan Revolution was not entirely worthless, not entirely an expression of cultural resentment and a desperate, childish attempt to evade reality. That would make for a less cogent polemic but a better work of history.

Which isn't to imply that The Invisible Bridge should be judged entirely by standards set by historians. For my money, its most interesting and worthwhile contribution may be found in those passages that strive to make broader political and moral claims, especially about the troubling character of American patriotism — in the mid-1970s, but also before and since.

As I noted in my critical (but sympathetic) comments about Ta-Nehesi Coates' extraordinary essay in defense of slavery reparations, patriotism comes (roughly speaking) in two forms. All political communities — from city states to nations to transnational empires — inspire and cultivate attachment on the part of citizens. This attachment — love of one's country — is an outgrowth of the natural "love of one's own" that shows up in love for oneself, love for one's family and friends, and love for one's neighbors. To be patriotic in this sense is to love your country because it is yours and for no other reason.

But some political communities go further, to uphold an ideological form of patriotism that treats the nation's goodness as an intrinsic quality that deserves to be recognized by all, citizen and non-citizen alike. In Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles talks this way about ancient Athens. Imperial Great Britain and post-revolutionary France often thought about themselves in similar terms. And then, of course, there's the United States and its ideology of American exceptionalism, which goes back, in rudimentary form, all the way to colonial New England.

Like many dissenters and critics down through the centuries, Perlstein thinks the ideology of American exceptionalism is delusional. But he also suggests that its grip on the American imagination briefly loosened in the years covered by his study. Thanks to military humiliation in Vietnam, the Watergate scandal, an epidemic of political violence (assassinations and terrorism), and a steady drumbeat of press reports about America's morally dubious actions around the world, the nation finally began to "reflect critically on its power, to shed its arrogance, to become a more humble and better citizen of the world — to grow up."

The American people were poised to begin fashioning "a new definition of patriotism, one built upon questioning authority and unsettling ossified norms." Until Ronald Reagan came on the scene, that is. This master of "turning complexity and confusion and doubt into simplicity and stout-heartedness and certainty" encouraged his fellow citizens "to think like children, waiting for a man on horseback to save them."

It was nothing less than "a tragedy" — one that has deepened over subsequent decades, as the American people have allowed themselves to be lulled to sleep by patriotic fairy tales. Meanwhile, a "cult of official optimism" has turned unconditional expressions of American exceptionalism into a cornerstone of political rhetoric. As soon as a public figure suggests even a slightly more nuanced take on the country's history and actions, he opens himself up to charge of "apologizing for America." And so Democrats and Republicans alike trip over themselves coming up with new and better ways to say what Mitt Romney repeated countless times in his 2012 stump speech: "America is the greatest nation in the history of the earth."

I share Perlstein's irritation with the prevalence of self-congratulatory bromides in our politics and his disgust at the "shallowness of the flag-wavers." I agree with him that some of our worst foreign policy mistakes (including the Iraq War) have followed from taking such rhetoric far too seriously. I also join him in greatly admiring the popular art that America produced in its brief mid-70s flirtation with wrenching self-doubt.

Yet I can't help wondering if it makes sense to hope or expect that any political community — let alone one that for the better part of four centuries has imagined itself as a City on a Hill and a Light unto the Nations — would embrace the deeply self-critical form of patriotism that Perlstein thinks Ronald Reagan murdered in its crib sometime during 1976. Even non-ideological patriotism is, after all, a form of self-love. What Perlstein seems to want is something closer to self-laceration.

More realistic and also truer to the decidedly mixed historical record might be a form of patriotism that promotes a deep and abiding love of country — but moderately. That would look and sound quite a bit different than the "perpetual utterance of self-applause" that Reagan liked to indulge in and encourage. But it would also insist on tempering the relentless focus of Perlstein and so many of his left-wing compatriots on our national faults, failings, and crimes.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://raptureready.com/soap2/coticchio1.html
Signs of the Times: Are There Any Pre-Millennial Millennials?

 I read an article on FoxBusiness dated August 7, 2014 titled, “The America Ahead: How Millennials Will Reshape the National Landscape.” It made me think quite a bit about the Millennial Generation, those born in the period between 1981 and 2000 if I understand the definition correctly. The article noted that there are 80 million of them in the United States, a generation even larger now than the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964), which for the most part is the parental generation of the Millennials.

The article noted that many believe this generation may be the first which may have a lower standard of living than that of their parents. Looking at the affairs of this country, the uncontrolled rising level of national debt, our waning influence in world affairs, and our diminishing respect in world opinion, this belief cannot be dismissed out of hand as foolish or outlandish.

Millennials marry later in life, have families later in life than previous generations (a good thing if more maturity and wisdom is attached to those decisions), and Millennials take longer to establish themselves in careers. Millennials are the generation which will have to squarely face the stresses on this country’s social safety nets; the shrinking ability of the country’s finances to be able to maintain the promise made to previous generations.

Given the recent events as they relate to immigration, legal or illegal (and I do not wish to address that controversial topic here), the Millennials will also live in a more ethnically diverse country than the U.S. has ever been before. Time will tell (though the Lord already knows) whether this is a good thing or not.

Clearly the Millennial Generation is different from that of their parents and grandparents. And, time will tell (though the Lord already knows) whether that is a good thing or not. But reading the FoxBusiness article didn’t make me keep thinking about the reshaping of America; I started to think about the faith beliefs of the Millennial generation, beliefs that will be shaping eternity for each and every one of them, depending on what they believe.

According to Pew Forum research, Millennials are less likely to regularly attend church, less likely to identify themselves with a specific denomination or religion, and less likely to believe in the existence of God. Less likely, but not dramatically so, than previous generations at the point in time when they were the same age of Millennials today. They are not a godless generation, but they do believe differently. As with any generation,  a belief in god does not necessarily mean a belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Bible, identified as the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Where it becomes most disturbing is in the area of evangelical Christianity. Millennials from evangelical Christian backgrounds are markedly less likely to believe Scripture is the inerrant, literal Word of God. They are more accepting of homosexuality. They hold similar views on abortion as older evangelicals, but feel less threatened by Hollywood social values and prefer the government to deal more with social issues than do their elders. Statistics go on, but there is a shift, not seismic yet, but a shift away from the more conservative, fundamentalist views of evangelical Christianity as a whole.

Are there pre-millennial Millennials? Does the younger generation believe Jesus is coming soon, and that we are anxiously awaiting a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church wherein Jesus Christ will come to take His church (the remnant church) home with Him before the Tribulation? The seven-year period of the Antichrist’s reign during which Satan will ravish those who believe in Jesus Christ? That time of Great Tribulation wherein God pronounces and enacts His judgment upon an unbelieving world?

 The answer is yes, but in lesser numbers than ever before. Go to any of the major prophecy conferences held annually, and you will see an aging population in attendance, which year by year grows grayer and smaller. Oh, there are younger folks there, but they are in the minority. Going to one actually makes me feel young again for a few days, then life’s reality sets in and I realize that I too am aging year by year. What can be done? We need to better engage this generation into the eschatological conversation.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-sher-alexa-rosenthal-/life-lessons_b_5623499.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
9 Reasons to Pay Attention to Millennials
8/17/14

Everyone's talking about them. We've been talking to them.

For the past two years, our crew has traveled around in a 1978 RV, interviewing hundreds of millennials about what it's like to find a sense of identity and direction post-Recession. So much information out there is negatively spun about our situation. We've found millennials are using that muck to transform social norms and redefine success. There are as many ways to navigate your 20s as there are 20-somethings.

Here is what the next crop of human potential has working in its favor:

1. We know we can change the world. 85 percent of millennials want to work somewhere improving society. We crave meaning over money. 58 percent of students say they would take a pay cut to work at an organization they feel ethically aligned with. We don't want to live in cognitive dissonance by doing anything else.

2. There are an estimated 2.5 billion of us across the globe. That's more people than all active military members in every country combined. This is our millennial army, and we are not satisfied with the state of the world.

3. Entrepreneurism is our religion. 70 percent of millennials want to start their own business. We've been bashed for job hopping, when really, most of us are studying our employers. We have a plan. We see entrepreneurship as the best way to create opportunities for ourselves and others, share our gifts, solve international problems, and finally achieve a sense of autonomy and conscientious interdependence.

4. We're all about growth. 77 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds agree emerging adulthood is the time to figure out who you are and what you want to do. We prioritize personal development. That's why we travel across the world to stick ourselves in situations foreign, absurd, and sometimes reckless. Experimenting with partners, professions, and lifestyles is how we discover our likes and dislikes, the parts of ourselves that persist in any environment, and the aspects of tradition that truly feel authentic.

5. We create our own rite of passage. The line between being an adolescent and being an adult has never been so blurred. Biologically, we're adults, but not based on past social indicators like finishing education, buying a home, getting married, and having children. Gen Yers initiate themselves into adulthood by being bold enough to pick a path and take responsibility for the consequences, regardless of what others think about the decision.

6. We hate/love our options. Millennials have a global playing field to compete and find our niches within. Young women are closing the income gap with men. There are thousands of options for our future, which can be viewed as a sign of progress and privilege - but it also makes us want to vomit. Millennials can do almost anything (except, perhaps, affect political policies). But we slowly learn we can't do everything. It takes a while, but once we move past analysis paralysis, get over the crises of confidence, and channel our dreams down to one (or two), we are willing to exhaust ourselves in any effort to succeed.

7. Our best assets are qualitative. Millennials are leading the wave of Americans who think the American Dream is dead. We have adapted to our economic circumstances by basing our self-esteem on less tangible aspects of life that can't always be monetized like creative expression, the strength of our social networks and friendships, our ability to constantly change and stay optimistic.

8. We are open to living alternatively (and we own it). The search for utopia lives on with the modern youth. Off-the-grid homesteads and eco-friendly permaculture communities are being championed by millennials who can't make ends meet within the system and crave to live more sustainably without exhausting their ardor fighting bureaucracy. Our desire to feel support from others and tread lightly on nature has us banding together to see if we can create hyper localized societies together.

9. Our entitlement speaks to our ambition. When a recent college grad acts like they deserve to be CEO in their first week on a job, and you find yourself wanting to kill them, remember this. Millennials may lack experience hacking away in the trenches of the working world, paying dues like you did. We may abandon prudence in our attempts to seize opportunities in an environment where they seem scarce, but it's because we're hungry. Sharing ideas, being heard, feeling like we have a purpose, and getting rewarded with a living wage for our contributions are signs of self-respect and worker rights we believe we deserve.

Millennials are resilient. We embody a joie de vive and live according to a moral compass, despite all our trials and all our errors and all of our uncertainty.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2014/09/07/Being-23-The-meteoric-rise-of-Millennials-a-powerful-force/stories/201409070083
9/7/14
Being 23: The meteoric rise of Millennials a powerful force
The largest single age group is tech-savvy and entrepreneurial and will be shaping the nation’s future

Right now in the United States, there are more 23-year-olds than people of any other age. This seemingly trivial fact of demographics is an anomaly more than 50 years in the making. According to U.S. Census data, since 1947, the most represented age in the United States has always been a member of the group born in the 20 years after WWII, the baby boomers. In 1950, it was age 3. In 1990, it was 29. In 2010, it was 50.

The rise of the boomers, a group forged into adulthood during the social and political upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s, has been chronicled and teased apart since their conceptions. Boomers collectively were named TIME’s “Man of the Year” in 1966. They were the first generation to have television, and, in many ways, the first to be marketed to as a distinct cohort, a collection of citizens with a cultural identity notably different from their parents. They have the highest voter participation rate of any group of Americans and currently hold the most powerful positions in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

But, as the Bob Dylan song goes, “The times, they are a-changin’.”

Today, a member of the most represented age in the United States is tech-savvy, entrepreneurial and less bound by the very term “generation” than ever before. This person will begin shaping the future of our nation from now on.

Millennials by the numbers

“I’ve graduated from college. I got my associate’s and now I’m in debt because of it. And that’s it,” says Lexi Williams. She turned 23 in late July and lives in Overbrook. She works in the health insurance industry and is frustrated by her $400 a month loan payment, but knows things could be worse.

“I work with a girl who has $50,000 in student loans. She has a history degree. She sells health insurance. Yeah.”

By the numbers, Ms. Williams is nowhere near alone. In most discussions, 23-year-olds like her are lumped into the debt-riddled, amorphous, often critiqued, little understood demographic cohort we call Generation Y or “Millennials.” Although definitions vary, the term is commonly understood to mean the roughly 77 million people born between 1980 and the early 2000s. Twenty-three-year-olds, in particular, stand in the midst of what marketing agency Sparks & Honey call a “demographic tsunami,” the wake of which will undoubtedly change facets of American life from entertainment to health care and everything in between.

Not that it hasn’t already. Thanks to ample new technology that this group is most adept at using, the traditional barriers of entry to many lucrative industries have crumbled, and Millennials have begun to rise to the top of fields where boomers formerly reigned. There are more CEOs under 40 than ever before thanks to the proliferation of startups. Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer is 39. Burger King’s CEO Daniel Schwartz is 34. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg celebrated his 30th birthday in May and as of July sits on a personal wealth of more than $33 billion.

In entertainment, the impact that tech-savvy Millennials have had is even more striking. My­space and YouTube essentially created the careers of artists such as Justin Bieber, Chief Keef, Iggy Azalea, Lana Del Rey and Pittsburgh’s Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa. Today, applications such as Vine and Instagram have created their own world of comedians, actors and models who command hundreds of thousands of viewers and thus hundreds of thousands of advertising dollars.

But it is not just technology that can be credited for the Millennials’ meteoric rise. There is something distinct about their attitudes as well. According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials are nothing if not confident and optimistic. Ninety percent of them believe they will reach their lifetime financial goals. In November 2008, in the midst of the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, not one Millennial reported in a Pepsi Refresh Report that they lacked hope about the long-term future. In 2010, the Harvard Institute of Politics reported that nearly half of all Millennials thought they would be better off than their parents are. Overall, Millennials seem to believe in themselves and their abilities more than any other group before them.

Although there is little that has crystallized the Millennial identity like the former World Wars or the civil rights movement that shaped earlier generations, all agree about the importance of technology to this group. Nearly one in four Millennials say technology is what makes their generation unique, more than double the percentage of Generation Xers (those born between the early 1960s to early 1980s) who say so, according to the Pew Research Center.

“I don’t need to watch the news. I have Facebook and Twitter,” says Klase Danko, 23, an aspiring actress from New Kensington. She works three part-time jobs and still lives in the same house she was born in, after graduating from Point Park University in 2013. “Technology has changed everything.”

James Snyder, a 23-year-old financial analyst from Shadyside who has been in the city six years, doesn’t have Facebook himself, but says social networking is “the most defining thing” for this generation.

“When you didn’t have social networks, you really didn’t have this direct visibility into one another’s lives … Now you have this platform where you have instant access and visibility into anyone’s lives at literally the touch of a fingertip. And I don’t know if it makes everyone more connected, but it gives you access that didn’t really exist before.”

Allison Martini, a 23-year-old cashier from Scott, agrees. “It makes it easier, in some respects, but definitely harder to have a real conversation.”

The Web was a fact of life from birth for most of this group, unlike its slow infiltration into the lives of Generation Xers and the way television gradually became part of boomers’ leisure time. By the time Millennials hit their teenage years, they had been through AOL chat rooms, Myspace and more. In that way, technology defines them only as a continuation of a trend started with the creation of the Web, not the start of something new.

All in all, the tendency to hold a mirror up to the boomers has perhaps led society to paint the Millennials with much too broad a brush, relying on a cultural oversimplification about 30 years wide.

Researchers for the Millennial Segmentation Study at Carnegie Mellon University have delved into their project with just that thought in mind. Surveying 2,000 people ages 18-34, the study aims to focus on “sub-segments of the demographic that are becoming increasingly evident.”

Peter Boatwright, professor of marketing and co-founder and co-director of the Integrated Innovation Institute, says the study is looking directly at what distinguishes Millennials from each other, instead of constantly comparing the entire group to boomers and Generation X.

“Eighteen to 34 is a huge segment of the population. You can’t lump them all together,” Mr. Boatwright says.

Technology as a defining factor has its limits. According to the study’s preliminary findings, when it comes to those ages 18-22 in comparison to ages 30-34, there are definite differences, but it’s not in “how digital they are.” Mr. Boatwright highlights what he calls “stage-of-life issues” as well that complicate any attempt to define this generation. Simply put, people in their 20s have less time on their hands than most people in their 50s and 60s. Things like civic engagement and other factors where Millennials seem lacking may be less of a function of their narcissism or laziness and more of a function of the other commitments that come along with being young.

“It’s hard to compare people in their 20s to people in their 60s. You’re going to find differences in actions vs. intent.”

Preference for Pittsburgh

At the intersection of yet another Millennial contradiction lies the new-found popularity of relatively smaller urban environments like Pittsburgh. It is unmistakable that the demographic shift that is changing the nation is also changing the ’Burgh.

The U.S. Census does not break down the number of people by specific ages like its national figures, but overall Pittsburgh’s population is getting younger every year, spurred on by the tech industry and the robust growth of the University of Pittsburgh and CMU and its graduates who decide to stick around. In 2013, The Atlantic ranked Pittsburgh as one of the four cities where Millennials can “make it now.” The recent introduction of ride-sharing applications Uber and Lyft are just one indication of the gradual de-aging of this once gray city.

Kevin Kerr, the 23-year-old chief of staff for city council President Bruce Kraus, is one of these recent graduates who’s decided Pittsburgh might just be the place for him for the long haul.

“I love the city. I love the atmosphere, the overall direction and vibe that you get here. If you would’ve asked me five years ago where I’m going to end up after college, I would’ve never guessed Pittsburgh. But I think coming to school here, I’ve seen something in the culture of the city that I’ve really liked.”

Originally from Erie and born and bred a Notre Dame fan, Mr. Kerr now spends his days working to make positive change through his job at city council. He’s been very encouraged by the way the city has grown in the four years he’s been here.

“I just want to be a part of that. I just want to experience that … It’s kind of this perfect storm right now. Everyone’s working together to make this city the best that it can be.”

Kamala Gopalakrishnan is a 23-year-old teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh who lives in Regent Square. She’s been in the city for only a year and says coming to Pittsburgh was “partially an academic decision and also an emotional decision.” Originally from West Virginia, she was hesitant to go too far away from her only family.

“This is a good-sized city for me because it’s not like New York City where it’s totally overwhelming and expensive. I felt like Pittsburgh had a good mix of urban and nature. I feel like it’s a good transitional city for me.”

Politics and looking forward

As this cohort grows up, their politics will become the nation’s collective politics as they begin to make their voices heard and take spots in the upper levels of government. Do their relatively liberal politics and tolerant attitudes mean less partisan politics in the future or more?

Jeffrey Brinker, a 23-year-old PPG Industries employee from the North Side, thinks that the crazy partisan bickering in federal politics has made him “more charged up about issues.” But, laughing, he acknowledges that his new fervor “doesn’t really help the whole partisanship thing.”

Overall, there is a mistrust of both Democratic and Republican parties that has led to a drastic narrowing in the lead Democrats have historically had with this age group.

“I’m very opinionated as far as my disdain for both parties,” says 23-year-old Brandon Jennings who lives in Highland Park and studies computer engineering at Pitt. “I’d say I’m moderate, leaning more toward the right … But there’s so much more to politics than just conservative views vs. liberal views.”

Despite their fatigue with politics as usual, they see themselves as more than capable of changing the status quo, one day at a time, one click at a time.

“We change more things,” says Ms. Martini, the Scott cashier. “We start more movements. All it takes is a hashtag on Twitter.”

“I really wish there were more Millennials running stuff,” says Larissa Davis, 23, of Bloomfield. “There are, but in other areas like government and business, we’re not there yet … I really do think our generation thinks differently about things.”

When asked to put themselves in the boomers’ place, these young ’Burghers have trouble projecting more than their whole lifetime ahead, but still have some clear ideas about what they will have achieved.

“At age 50, at that stage in life, I want to be doing something I care about, making an impact on the world and hopefully other individuals,” says Mr. Snyder. “At that point, you’d hope you can serve as a role model for your children and friends of your children.” He has ambitions of owning a home, a car, all the more traditional things, but claims the “intangibles” are what matters most to him.

“What’s important is that I’m happy with the majority of the decisions I’ve made … that I led a good life and had an impact.”

Though Ms. Danko, the aspiring actress, doesn’t have any clear thoughts about kids or marriage, she knows she wants to have had her “shot,” her chance to make it big as an entertainer. And, with that unbridled Millennial optimism, she has absolutely no doubt her dream will come true.

“By the time I’m 50, it will have happened. I know it. I know it. And if it hasn’t, I’ll aim for 80 … I’ve just got to try.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now the Apostate Church in America is being duped into believing that they have to largely market themselves to this very Millenial generation in order to "grow" their churches - they are/have set themselves up for a big trap b/c They're forcing themselves to compromise as they know full well that to bring them in, they have to cater to them and their pop culture mentality(ie-changing their worship music to CCM, "Christian" Rock, etc. Using even worse bible perversions like The Message and T-NIV, etc). And not to mention too the elderly will be forced out subsequently.

FYI, I've seen 20-something year olds preach from the pulpits - I don't think they intentionally try to deceive, but they are in GROSS error in their doctrine(especially salvation). Not surprising b/c they didn't grow up with the KJB.

2Timothy 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2014/09/16/how-boomers-can-play-nice-with-millennials-at-work/?partner=yahootix
9/16/14
How Boomers Can Play Nice With Millennials At Work

Although labeled as entitled, self-absorbed and sheltered, Millennials are more than 80 million strong, outnumbering the boomers. Here, two boomers — who parent and work with Millennials — offer their take on the generation gap and how boomers can help bridge it:

The anecdotes have become stereotypes: Millennials — those graduating from college from roughly 2003 to 2018 — arriving at job interviews in flip-flops, inquiring immediately about telecommuting policies and expecting quick and painless ascensions up the corporate ladder. Some even more egregious personal observations (with names changed to protect the not-so-innocent):

    Janet, an Ivy League graduate and fledgling TV reporter, is connected by her father with a professional peer who worked in TV news earlier in her career. Now toiling in a small town with an eye toward moving on to a more exciting market, Janet is in search of career advice. But over two meetings in a coffee shop, Janet never once rises to greet the communications pro who is making time to mentor her, nor does she even offer to buy her a beverage.
    Chris, the sole Millennial at a workplace training session with a major East Coast healthcare system, plops down in her assigned seat, feet on the chair, knees in the air and heels tucked under her rear end. Even in leggings, it’s not a pretty sight — and far from a professional one.
    Frantic parents arrive at the local emergency room where their daughter has been admitted and the twentysomething at the ER reception doesn’t look up from her computer. When the parents inquire about their daughter, the receptionist boredly intones, “Through the doors and take a right” without making eye contact.

**I remember my mom scolding me a good one when she saw me acting like this in THE 3RD GRADE!

How the Generations Differ

These and other anecdotes are plentiful enough to have emerged as trends.

Amid numerous studies, this year’s National Professionalism Survey by York College of Pennsylvania’s Center for Professional Excellence reported that one-third of professors and HR professionals cited declining professional behavior by students. (This included failings to project a professional image, dress appropriately for work and use social media appropriately.)

There’s no disputing that the Millennial generation is regarded as different — and generally not in a good way, at least according to the last U.S. generational tidal wave, the boomers.

As MTV’s 2012 “No-Collar Workers” survey found when it asked boomers and Millennials how companies can inspire great work, a standard boomer response was, “‘Give me my objectives and get out of the way,’” while a typical Millennial sought “‘flexibility, respect … and snacks.’”

All of this points to inevitable tensions. The good news is that in addition to being the largest age grouping in American history, Millennials also compose one of the country’s most-studied generations. Insights gleaned by quizzing and surveying them can help boomers peaceably and productively co-exist with them.

5 Intergenerational Tips for Boomers at Work

Here are our five suggestions:

1. Be prepared to provide constant coaching and feedback. Millennials have spent a lifetime getting regular, near-instantaneous feedback. Whether it’s a lightning-quick response to a text message or school tests that are computer-graded and posted to an Internet gradebook within an hour or two, this is how this generation has been conditioned to live, work and play.

The good news is that while feedback needs to be continual, it doesn’t have to be involved or formal: the aforementioned text, email or two-minute conversation can do the trick.

2. Appreciate that Millennials see work as a means to an end — but not the end. Millennials largely are children of boomers and witnessed, up close and personal, the devastation of layoffs, underemployment and eroding pay and benefits for their parents. They can be motivated to work hard, but are more likely to reject the 60-hour weeks their parents put in.

A two-year study completed last year by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that its Millennial workforce sought benefits in line with that philosophy — such as reduced pay for fewer work hours.

Millennials’ childhood social lives also influence their workplace expectations. Having grown up with calendars chock-full of playdates, sport teams and extracurricular activities, almost nine in 10 Millennials want workplaces to be social and fun, MTV found.

3. Be a Millennial mentor. Three-quarters of Millennials want a mentor (although ideally more in the likeness of a personal Yoda than an authority figure), according to MTV’s survey. And boomers’ experience and powers of persuasion can come in handy in counseling Millennials that, for example, flip-flops and cut-offs are generally not acceptable work attire and that continuously posting images to Instagram while at work is a no-no.

4. Illustrate the power of spending more time with people than with electronic devices. Millennials are technologically savvy — and proud of it. But numerous studies have found them wanting in the “soft skills” necessary for long-term career success: integrity, professionalism and the ability to interact effectively with superiors, colleagues, clients and customers. None of those skills can be learned with eyes glued to a smart phone.

Millennials need to realize that, at least for the near-term, people — not technology — do the hiring and promoting. When Millennials are tempted to email or text a complex question or response, boomers can do them a favor by highlighting the value of picking up the phone or, better yet, walking over and actually talking face-to-face.

5. Recognize that each generation has complained that the one succeeding it is irresponsible, selfish, entitled, lazy, etc. Had social media existed during the prime of the boomers, “can you imagine how many frickin’ Instagrams of people playing in the mud during Woodstock we would’ve seen?” Scott Hess, senior vice president of insights for media agency Sparks SMG, asked Time in a 2013 cover article titled, “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation.” (Time, interestingly, neglected to note that once upon a time, boomers were also labeled “The Me Generation.”)

A number of respected academicians and social scientists have pointed to Millennials’ earnestness, can-do attitude and optimism as ways they’re similar to their grandparents and great-grandparents, known as, ahem, “The Greatest Generation.”

As Hess asked in his TEDxSF Talk, Millennials: Who They Are & Why We Hate Them, “We have embraced the idea of evolution in all other areas of life. Can’t we agree to do it in the generation that follows us?”

[Psalm 51:17]

1Timothy 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christie-garton/how-millennials-are-redef_b_5831446.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
How Millennials Are Redefining What It Means to Give
9/16/14

How do you effectively compare generations who have grown up in different worlds?

This question was raised by Derrick Feldmann, lead researcher of The 2014 Millennial Impact Report. The Baby Boomers' worldview was defined by events like Watergate and the Vietnam War. On the other hand, Millennials, more than 80 million strong, have grown up in a world defined by digital innovation, 9/11, economic uncertainty and globalization. Naturally, this has led to a generational difference in lifestyles, goals and, especially, giving. Whereas Millennials, described as the "Me Me Me Generation," have been called everything from lazy to selfish, it turns out there may simply be a difference in how they approach charitable giving, not in how they value giving itself. When it comes to Millennials and philanthropy, money may not matter most.

Not surprisingly, Generation X and Baby Boomers are giving more dollars annually to charities and non-profit organizations than Millennials, a reflection of their extended time in the workforce and the number of underemployed Millennials today. But this doesn't mean Millennials aren't doing their fair share -- they're simply redefining the way they give, preferring to be more hands on by donating their time and talent to causes they support. Through social media and word of mouth promotion via text messaging, Millennials are giving back to their favorite causes and supporting something larger than themselves in their own unique way.

For example, take 16-year-old Gracie Schram, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter based in Leawood, Kansas. At the age of 10, Schram recorded and self-released a six-song CD to benefit underprivileged children in Haiti and Africa after seeing photos on the news that documented the plight of orphans in Africa.

"At the time, I was only ten and I saw pictures of kids who were only eight or nine with a baby on their hip. I thought, 'How hard would it be if I had to take care of my brother and my sister without my parents, without a house, without clean water, and living in these awful conditions?'" says Schram. "I felt like I needed to do something to help and it was my responsibility to take action."

And she did. Her Showers from God CD went on to raise more than $30,000 for The Global Orphan Project by the time she was 12, kicking off Schram's life-long commitment to making a difference through her music. Schram, and other young women like her, are currently part of a grant recipient program from my company, UChic, that provides scholarships to help girls access experiences that shape dreams, careers and lives. It's our hope that more young women will get the opportunity to make the same kind of impact that Schram has made in changing our world for the better.

According to the 2013 Millennial Impact Report, Millennials are most likely to get hands-on with causes they care about when organizations offer a range of volunteer opportunities, from one-time commitments to long-term, pro-bono skills-based opportunities. However, don't expect them to give their time and talents blindly. They have high expectations in terms of transparency and impact. They want, and need, to know how much their efforts are making a difference. For nonprofits and businesses looking to attract Millennial support, the key is to build a system that encourages them to participate and co-create while clearly showcasing the impact of their contributions.

The state of philanthropic giving in the U.S. is changing. Philanthropy and business are integrating, and in 2020, Millennials will represent nearly half of the workforce. The full impact of Millennials' new wave of charitable giving may take years to fully realize, but this group of connectors and innovators should not be underestimated or ignored. If Gracie Schram is any indication, it won't be a matter of if Millennials will give, but how. And, knowing the passion that these young people have for causes they support, we should all brace ourselves for the impact.

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Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Mat 6:4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

[Psalm 51:17]

Ask Stacy: The Millennials Are Ruining This Country. What Can We Do?
10/1/14
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ask-stacy-millennials-ruining-country-150016770.html

We’ve got a lot to worry about. Terrorism. A gridlocked government. Global warming. Ebola.

Oh, and then there’s young people.

Here’s this week’s reader question, which is really more of a request:

I think someone needs to explore the subject of the workforce crisis posed by the millennial generation. These kids are so unmotivated, undisciplined, illiterate and distracted, it poses a danger to the financial security of this country and workforce security as more of these kids move into adult jobs. Some parents have trained these kids to mistreat their elders and bad-mouth their co-workers/customers. It is almost like working with an alcoholic, they are so distracted from their work due to their problems. These kids, even nearing their 30s, are still supported by parents and absolutely act like they have nothing to lose as their parents are enablers, supporting their every firing, unplanned pregnancy, overspending emergency and drunken driving arrest without question. — C

Before we get to my take on this subject, here’s a video about why the millennials, and many of the rest of us, may have a tougher retirement than previous generations.

Watch the video of ‘Ask Stacy: The Millennials Are Ruining This Country. What Can We Do?’ on MoneyTalksNews.com.

Now, here’s my opinion about the millennial “crisis”.

Who are the millennials, and why are they so bad?

First, let’s define who we’re talking about. While there’s no precise definition, millennials are widely considered to be those now ranging in age from 18 to 33.

C begins his comment by saying, “I think someone needs to explore the subject of the workforce crisis posed by the millennial generation.” Well, C, here’s some good news. It’s been done. A lot. As one example, here’s a snippet from a 2007 article from CBS News.

They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds.

Here’s another, from a 2012 article in The Washington Post:

These are the kids, after all, who text their dads from meetings. They think “business casual” includes skinny jeans. And they expect the company president to listen to their “brilliant idea.” When will they adapt?

While comments like these make great fodder for TV and cocktail conversation, start by considering the source: old people.

I suspect those doing most of the complaining are from my generation, the baby boomers. If so, it’s particularly amusing, considering that when we were young, many of us were growing our hair, smoking dope, starting communes, rioting, streaking, engaging in sport sex, and marching on Washington for reasons ranging from war to women’s rights.

If memory serves, my parent’s generation didn’t think any of this was a great idea. They were as convinced as C seems now that we were all the same and as a group would amount to nothing, except perhaps a drain on society.

And this is the way I suspect it’s always been. My parent’s parents probably thought Watch the video of ‘Ask Stacy: The Millennials Are Ruining This Country. What Can We Do?’ on MoneyTalksNews.com.

The point is, before we start complaining, let’s remember that older generations have always freaked out about the next few. And yet, here we are.
They really are different

People differ. Differences often translate into mistrust, which all too often morphs into disapproval. This is human nature and has always been true, whether it’s woman vs. man, black vs. white, Muslim vs. Christian or boomer vs. millennial.

And millennials are different. A few months ago, Pew Research published an article comparing the attitudes of today’s young adults with those of boomers. Some interesting findings:

    A third of millennials between the ages 26 to 33 have at least a four-year degree. That’s the most educated this age group has been in the history of the United States.
    Only 26 percent of millennials are married . At the same age, nearly half the boomers were.
    55 percent have posted a “selfie” on a social media site . That’s about the same percentage of boomers who know what the term means.
    Just 19 percent of millennials agree with the statement, “Most people can be trusted.” Forty percent of boomers do.

My personal experience with a millennial

We’re a small company, employing only a handful of people, including one millennial. Is he different from me? You bet. For example, when he first began working here at the ripe age of 21, despite my constant badgering, he seemed incapable of starting work any earlier than noon. Granted, he often programmed until 5 a.m. But I kept insisting he go to bed earlier and work traditional hours. I can’t remember how many times I threatened to fire him.

When we disagreed, he spoke to me in tones that would never have entered my mind when I was in his position, apparently blissfully unaware that I was both his elder and his boss.

That was about 10 years ago. Today, only I have worked here longer and make more money than him.

There are three simple reasons our relationship worked out, despite our different perspectives. The first is compromise. For example, we agreed that he could keep his own hours, but should I need him at 8 a.m., I could always call and wake him up, no questions asked. As far as communication, as with most people who either like each other, need each other, or both, we worked at it.

While we still occasionally disagree, we get along. Very well, in fact.

The second reason is why I was willing to compromise. It’s this: The more valuable you are, the more flexible I am. My millennial is super talented. I couldn’t run this site without him, so I looked for a way to make it work.

Every generation has nincompoops who can’t get it right. Every generation also has people who are talented, dedicated and ambitious.

The third reason: Despite the fact that older generations are hopefully wiser, younger generations aren’t always wrong. My generation was right to question the status quo, and so is today’s. Just because I work 8 to 5 in an office doesn’t mean you can’t work from dusk till dawn at home. Or have tattoos, long hair or no hair. Just get the freaking job done.

So fret as much as you like, fellow older folks, but I’ll reserve my worry for more pressing matters. In the end, all generations will find a way.

After all, other than starvation, isn’t that our only option?

[Psalm 51:17]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-elise-stefanik-candidate-youngest-woman-congress/story?id=25963324
Meet Elise Stefanik, the Candidate Who Could Become the Youngest Woman in Congress
10/4/14

She's been called the new "poster candidate" of the Republican Party, and this weekend New York congressional candidate Elise Stefanik was selected by House Speaker John Boehner to deliver the GOP's weekly address.

"One month from today, all Americans face a clear choice: stick with the status quo of more government, more spending, and higher taxes or choose a new direction of new ideas to unleash job creation and economic growth," she said.

A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Stefanik was "a puppet for John Boehner and the far right wing."

Stefanik is not only seeking to represent New York's 21st Congressional District, but also help the Republican Party reach a demographic that tends to vote Democratic: young women. If she wins in November, Stefanik, 30, would be the youngest woman in Congress.

Republicans are particularly eager to win back the district, which they held for a century until they lost it five years ago. Stefanik's Democratic opponent, Aaron Woolf, is a multimillionaire documentary filmmaker who spent most of his adult life outside of the district and has been able to pour some of his own money into the campaign.

For those curious about the young U.S. House hopeful, here are 10 facts about her:

1. She's a Small Businesswoman

Elise Stefanik previously worked for Premium Plywood Products, Inc., her family's company founded in upstate New York more than 20 years ago. There she focused on North Country sales, marketing and management.

2. She Has a Degree From Harvard

Stefanik graduated with honors from Harvard University in 2006. She was also one of three women honored with the Women's Leadership Award. As the first of her immediate family to graduate from college, Stefanik spent her time at the university serving on the student Advisory Committee of Harvard's Institute of Politics and contributed to The Harvard Crimson as an editorial editor, writing pieces on everything from matters of love to criticism of student protesters (the headline: "Political Vomit").

3. Though She's Young, She's No Stranger to D.C.

Even at 30 years old, Stefanik is no newcomer to politics. She was an aide in the final years of the Bush administration and helped work on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Stefanik cites the 2012 race as her inspiration for making the transition from operative to politician.

4. She's a Seasoned Debater

As the former Director of Vice Presidential Debate Prep to Paul Ryan, Stefanik is likely to come prepared to the three debates scheduled before Election Day.

5. She's a Proud Instagrammer

Stefanik not only understands the importance of social media, but knows how to use it. With vibrant Twitter and Instagram accounts, Stefanik shares the details of her campaign with her supporters. Stefanik tweeted early on that she was the first candidate to Instagram her Congressional filing.

6. She's Not Afraid to Get Her Hands Dirty

She posts Instagrams asking for recommendations on hikes in the Adirondacks -- "in between parades of course" she comments. And she participated in a milking contest at the Essex County Fair.
 
7. Stefanik Is an Avid Reader

She posts images of books she reads along the campaign trail.

8. She, Too, Is a Fan of the Fall Pumpkin Craze

9. Though She Says She's Single, She Has a Sweetheart

She says it's her dog, Nala.

10. Stefanik Has a Double-Digit Lead

A poll, released Oct. 2 by WWNY-7 News and the Siena Research Institute, found that Stefanik leads Woolf by a 46 percent to 33 percent margin. Two-thirds of Republicans -- 68 percent -- said they support Stefanik. Of Democratic voters, 56 percent say they side with Woolf. Despite her current lead, the race remains a virtual tie among independent voters, 39 percent of which say they will stand with the GOP candidate and 38 percent sticking by her Democratic opponent.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-eagan/samesex-marriage-support-_b_6055526.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
Same-Sex Marriage Support Nearly Universal Among Entering College Students
10/27/14

The national landscape for marriage equality has changed considerably in the past month. On Oct. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals on five different cases challenging lower courts' rulings that found same-sex marriage bans to be unconstitutional. The decision paved the way for same-sex marriage in five states immediately (Oklahoma, Virginia, Utah, Wisconsin, and Indiana). Just a few days later, Idaho and Nevada joined the growing number of states allowing same-sex marriage. On Oct. 17, same-sex marriage bans in Alaska and Arizona fell with Wyoming following suit just days later.

Ted Olson, one of the lawyers in the landmark "Proposition 8" Supreme Court decision (Hollingsworth v. Perry), declared today that the "point of no return" on gay marriage has now passed. Indeed, it seems clear that the U.S. Supreme Court decision is signaling to the lower courts that it will not take up the issue of same-sex marriage any time soon, particularly if the lower courts continue striking down state marriage bans for same-sex couples.

As these state bans continue to fall, the federal government has announced that it would immediately begin recognizing same-sex marriages in all of 33 states. This decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2013 (United States v. Windsor), which held that denying benefits to married same-sex couples was unconstitutional.

It is hard to believe that Congress enacted DOMA less than two decades ago. Right after that law went into effect, the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey at UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute began asking incoming freshmen their views on same-sex marriage. Since CIRP first started asking the question in 1997, a majority of incoming college students have agreed that same-sex couples have a legal right to marry; however, it is remarkable how strongly incoming students now endorse this position. The CIRP Freshman Survey last asked this question in 2012, and three-quarters of first-time, full-time students (75.1 percent) agreed that same-sex couples have a legal right to marry, and the data suggest that nearly all (91.1 percent) of students who identify as "liberal" or "far left" hold this view.

Support of same-sex marriage among "conservative" and "far right" students has increased more than 20 percentage points since the question first appeared on the CIRP Freshman Survey. A near majority (46.4 percent) of students who identify their political ideology as "conservative" or "far right" now agree that same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry.

The largest gains in support of same-sex marriage have been among incoming students who identify their political ideology as "middle-of-the-road." In 1997, a bare majority (51.5 percent) believed same-sex couples should be permitted to marry. By 2008, more than two-thirds (67.7 percent) felt similarly, and that figure jumped another 10 percentages points by 2012 with 78.9 percent of "middle-of-the-road" students supporting same-sex marriage.

Today's college students do not just support same-sex marriage; they also support allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt. In 2013, 83.3 percent of all first-time, full-time college students agreed that gays and lesbians should have the legal right to adopt children.

Most individuals are more than mere single-issue voters, but given these numbers, it is interesting that some politicians continue to focus so heavily on social issues like same-sex marriage. The recent spate of court decisions in favor of same-sex marriage in the past two years, and particularly in the past four weeks, has caught up with public opinion. The political views of today's college students increasingly suggest growing divide with the "culture wars" being waged by social conservatives. Candidates running for political office who continue to emphasize social questions while doing everything in their power to impede progress on an issue such as gay marriage risk alienating this large bloc of potential voters.

The question regarding support of same-sex marriage appeared again on the 2014 CIRP Freshman Survey, and we expect to see even greater support for the issue. The 2015 Freshman Survey likely will be the last time the item appears, as the data make clear that support for same-sex marriage is nearly universal among entering college students.

[Psalm 51:17]

This is a much more edifying thread title(instead of "Millenials aren't who you think they are...").

Just to clarify - we're NOT speaking for all Millenials. Like I was saying - I'm part of other internet fellowship groups that have faithful, KJB Millenials.

We're just looking through the lens of end times prophecies - *for the most part*, the Millenial generation is the group that is pushing alot of things like abortion, sodomy, cohabitation outside of marriage, Big Pharma, big government, technology, etc more than anyone else. And no, I'm not singling them out, as the Baby Boomer parents did their part to plant seeds(ie-they grew up during the initial stages of television, NASB and other spawned bibles perversions, rock music, 501c3 government-runned churches, etc).

And I've also read that the reasons why a growing number of them can't reproduce is b/c their vaccinated to the core, take alot of Big Pharma/birth control drugs, eat alot of processed foods, etc.(which is playing into the George Guidestones' depopulation agenda)

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/10/29/new-poll-suggests-that-millennials-will-be-voting-republican-this-election/
10/29/14
New Poll Suggests That Millennials Will Be Voting Republican This Election

Since 2008, the Millennial generation has been the backbone of the Democratic party. It was young votes that catapulted Barack Obama to the presidency that and year, and kept him in the White House in 2012. But now a new poll out shows that it just might be Millennial voters that will contribute to the predicted Republican sweep on November 4.

According to a national study released by the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, among Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who say they will “definitely be voting” in this election, 51 percent say they will be casting their vote for Republican candidates versus 47 percent who said they supported the Democrats.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the Democrats have lost Millennials completely. But it does suggest that the Millennials who feel empowered to go out and vote in a midterm election, which historically has dismal turnout rates, and feel so because of their support for the GOP.

This poll does say a lot about the way young voters view Barack Obama's presidency. While young people had high hopes for Obama in 2008, many are disenchanted with the way his administration's record has played out. According to the Harvard study, Millennials ranked Obama negatively on pretty much every issue, from the economy to the federal budget deficit, foreign policy, and race relations. Even health care, which 76 percent say is an important issue to them, the president got negative marks on, with 57 percent saying they disapproved of the Affordable Care Act.

The Millennial dissatisfaction with Barack Obama extends beyond healthcare. Despite their engagement in 2008, young people currently appear to be beyond jaded when it comes to the U.S. political system. A huge 80 percent of Millennials polled said they would not consider themselves to be politically engaged, and only 18 percent said they thought political engagement would help solve America's ills. And when asked if a friend wanted them to volunteer on a political campaign, if they would do it, 64 percent said no.

**Well, that explains why (controlled-opposition)Ron Paul was really busy visiting college campuses for during this time.

What's perhaps the most disheartening out of all this, is that not only are Millennials checked out and unhappy with the political process, only 66 percent are actually registered to cast a vote and try to change their situation. For all the pundit chatter about young voters being the most important demographic, in truth Millennials could not care less.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/19896/
TRENDING: MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS SUPPORT POST-BIRTH ABORTION
by MAIREAD MCARDLE - THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE on OCTOBER 29, 2014

A trend seen by prolife activists that frequently engage college students on campuses nationwide is the growing acceptance of post-birth abortion, or killing the infant after he or she is born, campus prolife outreach leaders tell The College Fix.

Anecdotal evidence by leaders of prolife groups such as Created Equal and Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust said in interviews that not only do they see more college students willing to say they support post-birth abortion, but some students even suggest children up to 4 or 5-years-old can also be killed, because they are not yet “self aware.”

“We encounter people who think it is morally acceptable to kill babies after birth on a regular basis at almost every campus we visit,” said Mark Harrington, director of Created Equal. “While this viewpoint is still seen as shocking by most people, it is becoming increasingly popular.”

Campuses where the high school, college students, local activists and staff members of Created Equal have encountered this opinion include Purdue, University of Minnesota, and University of Central Florida. And at Ohio State earlier this year, the group captured a debate on video between one of its members and an older woman on campus who defended infanticide.

“This is the whole problem with devaluing human life at any stage—it will naturally grow to include other groups of humans; in this case, born humans as well as preborn humans,” Harrington said. “ talked with one young man at the University of Minnesota who thought it was alright to kill children if they were under the age of 5 years old, as he did not consider them persons until that age.”

Kristina Garza, spokeswoman for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, a prolife organization that often sets up anti-abortion displays on campuses along the West Coast, said her group also frequently encounters college students who accept infanticide.

“For those who are firmly for abortion, because they understand it kills a human being, it’s very easy for them to accept killing a human being after birth,” Garza said. “There is this notion that is common on campus, that it’s OK to kill babies because somehow we don’t become human until we are self aware.”

“A common number that is going around is 4 years old,” she adds.

As for the trend, Garza said there’s an explanation for it. For one, the arguments put forth by Peter Singer and other philosophers who support infanticide are given as reading assignments to college students.

**And not to mention too the entertainment industry pushes a culture of violence. And not to mention too rock music(both "secular" and "contemporary christian").

Singer wrote in 1979 that “human babies are not born self-aware, or capable of grasping that they exist over time. They are not persons … [therefore] the life of a newborn is of less value than the life of a pig, a dog, or a chimpanzee.”

“He has been saying things like this since the 70s, but I think it has been more recently that this type of ideology is being promoted on college campuses,” Garza said. “When he said this stuff, there was a very select few who accepted it. But nowadays, we have become so desensitized, and college students lacking in a moral fiber easily accept this kind of strange ideology.”

But prolife advocacy and engagement on campuses has helped turn students away from pro-choice stances, she adds.

“While the number of students who believe it is OK with killing children after birth is growing, the number of students who accept that life beings at conception is also growing, and that is growing at a larger and faster rate than those who accept infanticide,” Garza said.

“The trends I am seeing is it’s not so much students are better grounded in morals, it’s that we as a prolife movement have done our job in presenting a better argument, and we are pushing people out of the middle,” she said. “We are seeing more students who see the logic and choose to be anti-abortion.”

**But have you been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? Doesn't sound like it.

Yet staunch opposition to the prolife philosphy remains.

Asked about the incident at Ohio State, at which a woman responded to a prolife display by defending infanticide, a pro-abortion activism group at the campus stated its views were similar to those of the woman in the clip.

“As for post-birth abortion, I would imagine that my colleagues would think the ‘post-birth’ part was largely irrelevant, as we believe very strongly in abortion on demand, without apology, and it’s plain and simple that we should look to the woman’s morals and not shove our opinions where they, frankly, don’t belong,” Devin Deitsch, leader of VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood at Ohio State University, said in an email to The College Fix.

“Speaking as the primary leader of VOX, I assure you we are very pro-choice,” Deitsch also noted. “… We are not here to advocate for women to get abortions, we advocate for her ability to make that choice without fear, heckling, or barriers. Essentially, we ask for a woman (and her body) to be respected. Nothing more, nothing less.”

[Psalm 51:17]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/here-s-why-millennials-have-such-a-hard-time-sticking-with-one-job-202439537.html
10/31/14
Here's why millennials have such a hard time sticking with one job

While the unemployment rate in the U.S. recently dipped below 6% for the first time since before the Great Recession, young workers are still about twice as likely as their older counterparts to wind up jobless. In September, the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds stood at 11.4%, an increase of 1% from the month prior. They were the only age group that saw their unemployment rate worsen during this period.

But a new working paper published in the National Bureau of Economic Research argues that youth unemployment isn’t just evidence of a lagging economic recovery — by their very nature, young people are just more likely to bounce from job to job than their older counterparts.

In the report, “What should I be when I grow up? Occupations and unemployment over the life cycle,” researchers analyzed data from the Current Population Survey and the Panel of Income Dynamics, two studies that have been collecting income and unemployment data on American workers’ incomes for decades.

Based on these reports, researchers found young workers (20-24) were nearly three times as likely as workers aged 45 to 54 to leave a job within a year. They attribute this stark difference to two factors: 1) young people are more likely to “job hop” because they still haven’t found the right fit, and 2) older people, having spent their younger years job-hopping themselves, are more likely to have found a job they are committed to for the long haul and less likely to leave.

Job-hopping generation

“Young people don’t necessarily know what occupation is good for them and early in your career is when you’re going to be experimenting,” says Henry Siu, associate professor of economics at the University of British Columbia and co-author of the report. “Older workers are less likely to [leave] any given job and are also much less likely to switch their occupations.”

Siu’s findings echo those of a 2012 report by the Department of Labor, which found that between the ages of 18 and 46, the average American will have more than 11 jobs, half of which they’ll have before they turn 25.

These studies may prove that job-hopping is simply part of the fabric of career building in America, but Siu cautions against using this data to undermine the long-term effects of economic downturns on the job prospects of young people.

Switching from job to job can actually benefit younger workers by helping them grow their income, try different skill sets and find their niche in the marketplace. But when people are unfortunate enough to graduate during poor economic climates, they’re much less likely to find the opportunities they need to experiment. The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds topped 18% in the summer of 2009 and underemployment remains widespread — 40% of college-educated workers are stuck in jobs that don’t require a degree.

Brighter prospects

On the bright side, job prospects for young workers have vastly improved. A recent survey by Michigan State University found that employers are hiring new college graduates at a rapid clip. More than 80% of 5,000 employers surveyed said they hired at least one college graduate during the 2013-14 fiscal year. And 97% will do so in the 2014-15 year.

For recession-era graduates, now may be the time to finally start catching up with the kind of experimentation that’s often required to find the right gig.

“With career development, you have to think long term,” says Vicki Salemi, a former recruiter and author of “Big Career in the Big City." “You don’t want to just have lateral move after lateral move on you resume.”

The good news, Salemi says, is that employers today are beginning to get used to vetting job candidates who have shorter attention spans.

Fewer young people are getting married, having kids and purchasing cars today. Without those financial pressures, young workers are looking for much more than a paycheck in their ideal workplace. In a recent survey of millennials by Clark University, nearly 80% said they’d rather enjoy their job than make a ton of money. And while 86% of millennials said they want to find a job that helps improve the world in some way, one-third said they hadn’t found it yet.

“Job hopping is so common that it’s not unheard of for recruiters to look the other way,” Salemi says. “If your job is a dead end then sometimes you just have to leave.”

[Psalm 51:17]

Millennial Generation Is Taking Over, but Who Are They?
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/millennial-generation-is-taking-over-but-who-are-they-ZKl~q2EASw~qQYURM5B6xA.html?cmpid=yhoo


When watching this video - just look at the BIG PICTURE how this country has shifted. Like I said, I have nothing against Millenials - but again, look at the ENTIRE country's personality and how it's changed to being an "earthly materialism" one(whose seeds were planted during the Baby Boomer years). I mean it's gotten to a point now where the so-called GOP just avoided all of these "social" issues like abortion and sodomy marriage.

[Psalm 51:17]

Again, I'm NOT trying to attack young people here(as I've said, we have very faithful KJB believers here).

With that being said - saw this on Yahoo just now(5 minute video in this link). Whether they have the liberal, conservative, or whatever label on them - look how Millenials have been heavily indoctrinated, and now do nothing more than "follow the flow" to help usher in the NWO.(and to boot - they're being targeted the most heavily now - even more so than the so-called "evangelicals")

1) They are largely focusing on earthly materialism.

2) They're "reshaping" the Republican Party? Not that I endorse either political (Jesuitical)party, but look how young people have reshaped the modern-day (Apostate)church.

3) What they're doing is no different from the whole liberal, feminism movement - the same young females in these leadership positions(one as young as 18) that promote conservatism is no different from the average feminist(b/c they're taking on a man's role, and not being keeper's at home).

Doesn't the book of Revelation talk about a 200 billion man army forming?

Revelation 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.


http://news.yahoo.com/katie-couric-interviews-saira-blair-about-millennials-and-republicans-034111865.html

Thanks to a bloodbath in the midterm elections, Republicans now control both the House and Senate, and they are setting their sights on the White House for 2016. They are undoubtedly energized by young and diverse representatives such as Mia Love, the first African American Republican woman in the House, and Elise Stefanik, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress.

In West Virginia, Saira Blair won a seat in House of Delegates, becoming the nation’s youngest elected state legislator.

Blair and her father, state Sen. Craig Blair, sat down with Yahoo Global News anchor Katie Couric to discuss her inspiration to run, her historic win, and hope for her generation in the political process. “My generation is going to have $17 trillion of debt on our hands. And we deserve at least one vote in the House of Delegates. Because we shouldn't have to wait until we're 30, 40, 50 or 60 to understand the importance of conservative principles,” Blair said.

**Not trying to sound blunt here - but have you ever heard of the Federal Reserve Act, which was created some 100 years ago? Are you aware the USA took off the gold standard completely in 1972? Ultimately - it has nothing to do with Republican/Democrat.

Raffi Williams, deputy director of the Republican National Committee, is tasked with spreading the Republican message to the younger generation. Borrowing the strategy of President Barack Obama’s groundbreaking Internet campaign, he says, “We have a new digital and data program that is … using social media and leveraging it to target voters in new ways.”

And then there are online news sites, such as the Independent Journal Review with over 24 million views monthly, that reach millennials and bring them up to speed in politics and culture on an entertaining way.

But despite the strides the GOP is making toward a more diverse leadership, the age gap in voting preferences that emerged in 2004 has remained evident in the past four election cycles. Voters who are 18 to 29 vote Democrat, and those older than 65 lean Republican.

According to the Pew Research Center, “Millennials stand out for voting heavily Democratic and for liberal views on many political and social issues, ranging from a belief in an activist government to support for same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization.”

So millennial Republicans like Blair have a lot of work to do before the Grand Old Party begins to look young.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember Lot's last day in Sodom - where a big army formed against his house(until angels came by to rescue him).

Like I said, I'm not attacking Millenials here - but for the most part, they are being used to push liberalism agendas like sodomy, marijuana, etc.(and look how much of an influence they've had on the Apostate church nowdays)

1Timothy 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

[Psalm 51:17]

YOUNG PEOPLE IN AMERICA INCREASINGLY ANTAGONISTIC TOWARD THE BIBLE

(Friday Church News Notes, December 26, 2014, Way of Life Literature, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

A new study by Barna shows that a large number of young people in America have a very negative view of the Bible. According to the study "Millennials and the Bible," 27% percent of "Millennials" (ages 18-29) agreed with the statement that the Bible "is a dangerous book of religious dogma used for centuries to oppress people," and 38% label the Bible "mythology." Yet 62% of Millennials admit that they never read the Bible, meaning they have no personal knowledge of it, but are merely spouting opinions they have been taught. Only nine percent said they are curious about what's in the Bible when they see someone reading it.

http://www.wayoflife.org

[Christian40]

YOUNG PEOPLE IN AMERICA INCREASINGLY ANTAGONISTIC TOWARD THE BIBLE

(Friday Church News Notes, December 26, 2014, Way of Life Literature, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

A new study by Barna shows that a large number of young people in America have a very negative view of the Bible. According to the study "Millennials and the Bible," 27% percent of "Millennials" (ages 18-29) agreed with the statement that the Bible "is a dangerous book of religious dogma used for centuries to oppress people," and 38% label the Bible "mythology." Yet 62% of Millennials admit that they never read the Bible, meaning they have no personal knowledge of it, but are merely spouting opinions they have been taught. Only nine percent said they are curious about what's in the Bible when they see someone reading it.

http://www.wayoflife.org

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://yahoo.match.com/y/article.aspx?articleid=13250&TrackingID=526103&BannerID=1429044
Dating habits of millennials, Gen Xers and boomers

Have you ever dated someone born in a different generation than your own? Was it challenging? Illuminating? Fun, even? We recently wondered if baby boomers, Gen Xers and millennials have different expectations and habits when it comes to romance, so we did a little digging to find out. It turns out that there are some big differences between the generational cohorts, and they have nothing to do with the magazines they subscribe to or discounts available to them on dates. Check out each of them below, starting with the youngest group of daters...

Generation: Millennials (born 1981-1998, though global definitions may vary)

Less structured dating, but with more frequent communication

“Most millennials (who are now in their twenties) are a much more laid-back and casual group when it comes to dating and love,” explains Justin Szabo, salesperson for Dara’s Diamonds in Los Angeles, CA. “Previous generations were more structured; couples set up specific times for dates and outings, and usually, no one else tagged along. Today, couples keep in constant contact through text messages and Facebook. They communicate with each other throughout the workday, while commuting home, or when they’re spending time with other friends and family.” This constant need for communication can really alter the texture of new relationships. “The advent and proliferation of social networking sites and other social tools — Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. — makes my life and my partner’s life far more transparent to the other person,” observes Adam Nelson, 23, a graduate student in Minneapolis, MI.

Yet, as much transparency as millennials already have with their partners, there’s also been a subtle effort within the group to “curate” their interpersonal communications — something that can get a bit tiring after a while. “There is so much less face-to-face or voice-to-voice contact happening now,” explains Allison Dostal, 25, a graduate student living in Minnesota. “We say things in a text message or email that we could never say in person. We compose clever responses in hopes of shining a better light on ourselves, and in the end, it isn’t purely honest. Honest moments are harder to find — at least in the early stages of dating, anyway.”

High expectations about love — served with a side of anxiety

So, what makes millenials such successful daters? “Because they’re the ‘I get what I want’ generation, they’re much better at the chase than any other generation is,” notes Yue Xu, dating sociologist and owner of the Singlefied blog. You see, younger daters see open doors where others may not. However, displaying surface confidence can often mask underlying social stress within. “People in their twenties live in a state of higher anxiety about dating and their love lives in comparison to older individuals,” says Dostal. “We are less stable in so many ways — financially, emotionally, and in our lifestyles. This can translate into feeling a bit of uncertainty in the dating world as well.”

The good news is that millennials are finding new ways to define both themselves and their romances. Having so many choices can lead to feeling more confusion, but it can also create more authentic experiences with others when they date. “Millennials are much more accepting of non-traditional relationships and open to change,” adds Szabo. “They don’t want to have ‘manufactured’ interactions between the sexes, where each person puts on his or her best face for a date in hopes of winning the other person over. Instead, for better or worse, they bare all — and want acceptance and love for who they are.”

Generation: Gen Xers (born between the mid-1960s and early 1980s)

Living with so many options makes choosing the right partner difficult

“Generation X daters take the online off-line,” says Yue Xu. “This group grew up appreciating the Internet and technology, because it wasn’t handed to them from the very start. So, they’re the first ones to jump on trying out new online dating sites and dating apps. The biggest blunder for this generation is having too many options available without a concrete filter to help them narrow down their choices. They get what I call the ‘Buffet Effect’ when it comes to online dating; i.e., they want to try it all and always think there’s a better option out there.” Though some may find it challenging to balance these high expectations with reality, most Gen Xers have already learned some valuable love lessons at this point in their lives, which can also serve them well in the dating field. There’s nothing like having gone around the block a few times already to make relationships easier to navigate, right?

Less rushing into relationships, but greater appreciation for what they already have
“Gen Xers have either already been married before or they’ve been dating for so long that they know it’s a process, so there isn’t a rush or pressure to move things forward,” says Angela Dupont, 32, an event planner in Fort Worth, TX. “There’s no need to discuss our ‘status.’ A lot of Gen Xers have already gone around that merry-go-round before, and they are more appreciative of what they have found [in their relationships].” And Gen Xers can serve as valuable guides into this new romantic reality when they choose to date younger people. “I will say that dating someone older has made me become more focused on my future and which path I want to take in life,” says Kristin Andrzejewski, 23. “I am college-educated myself and can’t help but want to be able to provide for my girlfriend and her kids.”

Generation: Baby boomers (born 1946-1964)

Certainty in wants and needs makes forging a new relationship challenging
“We know some things about life, and hopefully, we know ourselves and feel comfortable inside our own skin,” says Ellen Pober Rittberg, author of 35 Things Your Teen Won’t Tell You, So I Will. And Aimee Elizabeth, best-selling author of Relationships & Dating Sucks! Internet Dating Horror Stories, agrees: “We are old enough to know exactly what we want in a relationship — and more importantly, what we don’t want in a relationship, so we tend to be more rigid and inflexible.” This can make meshing two individuals into a solid couple somewhat challenging for this generation. “By our fifties, we have developed habits that are hard to break and even harder to live with,” says Nanci Williams, boomer dating expert and author of the memoir Fishtails. This is especially true when the topic of money comes up. “Boomers do take someone’s financial means into account,” says Washington, D.C.-based dating and relationship coach Amy Schoen, author of Get It Right This Time: How to Find Your Ideal Romantic Relationship. “For example, a sixty-something widow expects his partner to be financially responsible, to have her own income, and to contribute fully to the household. Also, for my boomer clients, having children is not usually part of the dating equation. It’s more about ‘Will this new person get along with my kids (and grandkids)?’”

When it comes to dating, no time-wasting is allowed
“I cut right to the chase,” says ghostwriter Becky Blanton, 57, regarding her method of expressing interest in someone new. “I’m direct only because it makes things so much easier than fantasizing for weeks about people at church, work, around town or wherever, only to learn later on that they’re married — or gay. If I’m interested, I let them know.” There’s a sense among boomers that there’s no reason to waste time — even if most of them aren’t in a big hurry to settle down. “After years of marriage, divorce, et cetera, many are thrilled to be single and out of their previous relationships that didn’t work,” says Colorado native Mary Jo Fay, relationship expert, dating coach and author of he Seven Secrets of Love: Unlocking the Mysteries Behind Truly Great Relationships. “They are having sex much more quickly than they did when they were 18. They are living together more, but not necessarily getting married.”

Regardless of whatever generalities people might make about any of these age groups, when it comes to love, pretty much everyone is still looking for the exactly same thing. “Deep down, I think boomers and everyone else are still just teenagers at heart,” asserts Elizabeth. “We want love, romance, time, attention and affection. That never changes!”

[Psalm 51:17]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-increasingly-link-money-with-fulfillment-154549419.html
1/15/15
Millennials increasingly link money with fulfillment

Focused on purpose and meaning, millennials nonetheless wind up more satisfied when their finances are in order, a new study suggests.

Millennials define success more broadly than older generations, seeing it as less about wealth and more about a healthy and fulfilling life. But even as this generation tries to change the world through jobs and investments with purpose, among other things, it may be finding that financial success and personal satisfaction often go hand in hand.

Millennials who describe themselves as successful—whatever that may mean to them as individuals—report more healthy finances across the board than those who do not, new research shows. For example, 31% of millennials who say they are satisfied with their current lifestyle report annual income over $75,000, while just 24% of all millennials earn that much.

Might their healthier income be part of the reason? That seems likely, based on a broad range of findings in a new survey from MoneyTips.com, an online personal finance community geared at 18-to-34 year olds. Young adults describing themselves as satisfied with their current lifestyle, or successful, not only had more income but less debt, more savings, and more confidence in their ability to retire comfortably.

None of this would feel surprising if not for the widely espoused view that millennials favor quality of life issues including job flexibility, social impact, and personal experiences over career and earning power. Maybe they are growing up and realizing that money may help—or at least not hinder—such pursuits. Or maybe their worldview is evolving at a subconscious level as the real world bears down on them.

Either way, a generation that grew up with participation trophies and helicopter parents—and unbridled optimism—seems to be waking to the connection between a satisfying life and healthy finances. Nothing in this survey suggests millennials have lost their zeal for meaning. But financial security has a creeping sense of place.

Asked what financial concerns keep them up at night, 46% of millennials who call themselves successful cite being able to earn enough to secure their future. That compares with 55.6% of all millennials. Likewise, just 23.7% of self-described successful millennials worry about their ability to pay day-to-day expenses, and 33.6% worry about their ability to live within their means. That compares with 41.2% and 42.2%, respectively, for all millennials. A higher percentage who feel satisfied also say they are on track to meet their financial goals, have calculated how much they will need in retirement, and stick to a monthly budget.

About 40% of self-described successful millennials owe at least $15,000 while 45% of all millennials owe that much. When it comes to money in the bank, 58% of successful millennials have at least $10,000, while just 46% of all millennials have that much. Certainly, savings and income aren’t everything. But this next generation has come a long way from thinking finances matter little at all.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-youth-assembly-at-the-united-nations/youth-engagement-for-bett_b_6601190.html
Youth Engagement for Better Tomorrows
Posted: 02/03/2015 4:16 pm EST Updated: 02/03/2015 4:59 pm EST

Almost half of the world's population is comprised of people under the age of 25. Young people are a powerful force for generating momentum behind global engagement, global development, and the fulfillment of the Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals. Young people bring a unique perspective that reflects their journey and lifetime that is different from previous generations. They can bring energy and innovation to effectively address issues and opportunities. While the perspectives of individuals of all ages are important, the perspective of youth is extremely valuable because they have a view of things for the long term and care about the quality of life in the far future as they and their children will be more likely to experience the result of major global actions and initiatives taken today.

The Youth Assembly at the United Nations is a unique platform created to foster this kind of dialogue and generate partnerships between youth, UN officials, the private sector, and civil society. It is wonderful that there are platforms for youth, such as the Youth Assembly at the UN, to discuss issues that are critical to the future of our world where youth can learn, network, share ideas and experiences, and engage in. Forums like these are critical for paving the way for young people to play a role in shaping the UN's Post-2015 Development Agenda through the use of arts, culture, sports and travel, as enablers for uniting youth in a common and accountable platform for action.

For three days at the Youth Assembly at the UN, I participated in workshops that addressed issues and topics such as the Post-2015 Development Agenda, building communities through sports, travel, grassroots youth advocacy, and many other topics related to youth global involvement.

One issue that really stuck out to me was the importance of youth engagement in development and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations are a continuation of the current MDGs established in 2000 to address, among other things, poverty, education, disease, and global partnerships for development. Five priorities have been established for the Post-2015 Millennium Development goals, including:

1) Leave No One Behind
2) Put Sustainable Development at the Core
3) Transform Economies for Jobs and Inclusive Growth
4) Build Peace and Effective, Open, and Accountable Institutions for All
and 5) Forge a New Global Partnership (United Nations, 2013).

It is important that these diverse perspectives, including the views of youth, are represented in the development of the Post-2015 Agenda. The unique experiences, interests and contributions of the global youth community can supply innovative ideas and solutions for addressing the Post-2015 Agenda. Youth also can serve as ambassadors for educating their peers, help to generate involvement among them, and contribute significantly to identifying solutions and achieving the MDGs.

Participating at the Youth Assembly also provided me the opportunity to meet young people from around the world. These individuals are working to ensure they understand the critical issues facing our generation now and in the future and that they are making decisions and taking action to influence the direction of our society globally.

I've met delegates and presenters such as, Jessica Matthews who at the age of 19 invented the Sockett, a power-generating soccer ball that kids can play with and then use it as a source of electricity that helps villages without reliable electricity.

I've also had the pleasure to meet Ashley and Paige Alenick who founded Donate a Toothbrush, an organization that collects toothbrushes for the needy so that more people around the world are healthier due to better dental hygiene.

I've learned about the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), which works to raise the profile of education and strengthen global efforts to improve education for all with priorities of putting every child in school, improving the quality of learning, and fostering global citizenship.

Inspired by the Youth Assembly at the UN and my involvement with the Girl Scouts of America, I decided to create a blog called Global Youth Exchange for youth around the world to connect on global issues that matter most to us and to provide a resource for youth to develop global skills and engage on an international level. As the official blogger for last year's Summer Youth Assembly at the United Nations, a lot of the material on this blog captures my experience at the Youth Assembly.

I hope to be able to keep these conversations going through the Global Youth Exchange forum, by providing information on global issues and resources that may help young people get involved in global initiatives and programs. I welcome feedback (messages on my blog) from you regarding what issues you think are most important, and hopefully through this blog, I will be able to provide information and resources that can help youth around the world.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.philstar.com/world/2015/02/03/1419841/un-chief-calls-youth-play-active-global-agenda
2/3/15
UN chief calls on youth to play active in global agenda

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday called on world's youth to play an active role in promoting global agenda "at a crucial time for people and our planet."

Noting that 2015 is a chance to change the course of history, to end poverty and to act to avoid worst effects of climate change, Ban noted that youth can be "agents of change" when he addressed a Youth Forum held at UN headquarters.

**FYI - Rick Warren called himself just that, a "change agent"(in the church).

The year 2015 marks the end of implementation of UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will witness the adoption of a post- 2015 development agenda as well as a new universal climate agreement.

"Our Planet is yours to inherit. That is why we must combat climate change. We need your ideas to help reduce emissions and become more climate-resilient," Ban told the forum.

Mentioning many young people today are caught up in deadly conflicts, Ban also encouraged youth to fight injustice and inequality with solidarity

"Young people can speak out as never before. You can denounce injustice and reach hands across cultures and communities," he said. "We may not agree on every issue - but we can all agree that violence only leads to more suffering."
 
In addition, Ban also called on the world to create more wealth and also more jobs for youth to prosper, and to support young entrepreneurs so they can create jobs for others.

"Dignity is a world where young people can get good jobs,"  He said, referring that 73 million young people are looking for work around the world.

"We need the power of young people all over the world - in rich and poor countries," he added.

The Youth Forum is one of the UN's initiatives to invite young people to get involved on issues that matter to them, from job security to education, as well as other matters included in the global agenda, such as the sustainable development goals.

In this regard, Ahmad Alhendawi, Ban's special envoy on youth, said that a "sense of ownership" is critical to the success of the future sustainable development agenda and 1.8 billion young people worldwide are ready to "carry their share" of the post-2015 development.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/
8/27/2010

Author: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians

(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:

Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.

She says this "imposter'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches.

"If this is the God they're seeing in church, they are right to leave us in the dust," Dean says. "Churches don't give them enough to be passionate about."

What traits passionate teens share

Dean drew her conclusions from what she calls one of the most depressing summers of her life. She interviewed teens about their faith after helping conduct research for a controversial study called the National Study of Youth and Religion.

The study, which included in-depth interviews with at least 3,300 American teenagers between 13 and 17, found that most American teens who called themselves Christian were indifferent and inarticulate about their faith.

The study included Christians of all stripes -- from Catholics to Protestants of both conservative and liberal denominations. Though three out of four American teenagers claim to be Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, only half deem it important, and most can't talk coherently about their beliefs, the study found.

Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good -- what the study's researchers called "moralistic therapeutic deism."
Some critics told Dean that most teenagers can't talk coherently about any deep subject, but Dean says abundant research shows that's not true.
"They have a lot to say," Dean says. "They can talk about money, sex and their family relationships with nuance. Most people who work with teenagers know that they are not naturally inarticulate."

In "Almost Christian," Dean talks to the teens who are articulate about their faith. Most come from Mormon and evangelical churches, which tend to do a better job of instilling religious passion in teens, she says.

No matter their background, Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future.

"There are countless studies that show that religious teenagers do better in school, have better relationships with their parents and engage in less high-risk behavior," she says. "They do a lot of things that parents pray for."

Dean, a United Methodist Church minister who says parents are the most important influence on their children's faith, places the ultimate blame for teens' religious apathy on adults.

Some adults don't expect much from youth pastors. They simply want them to keep their children off drugs and away from premarital sex.

Others practice a "gospel of niceness," where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says.

"If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation," wrote Dean, a professor of youth and church culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.

More teens may be drifting away from conventional Christianity. But their desire to help others has not diminished, another author says.

Barbara A. Lewis, author of "The Teen Guide to Global Action," says Dean is right -- more teens are embracing a nebulous belief in God.

Yet there's been an "explosion" in youth service since 1995 that Lewis attributes to more schools emphasizing community service.

Teens that are less religious aren't automatically less compassionate, she says.

"I see an increase in youth passion to make the world a better place," she says. "I see young people reaching out to solve problems. They're not waiting for adults."

What religious teens say about their peers

Elizabeth Corrie meets some of these idealistic teens every summer. She has taken on the book's central challenge: instilling religious passion in teens.

Corrie, who once taught high school religion, now directs a program called YTI -- the Youth Theological Initiative at Emory University in Georgia.

YTI operates like a theological boot camp for teens. At least 36 rising high school juniors and seniors from across the country gather for three weeks of Christian training. They worship together, take pilgrimages to varying religious communities and participate in community projects.

Corrie says she sees no shortage of teenagers who want to be inspired and make the world better. But the Christianity some are taught doesn't inspire them "to change anything that's broken in the world."

Teens want to be challenged; they want their tough questions taken on, she says.

"We think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake," Corrie says.

David Wheaton, an Atlanta high school senior, says many of his peers aren't excited about Christianity because they don't see the payoff.

"If they can't see benefits immediately, they stay away from it," Wheaton says. "They don't want to make sacrifices."

How 'radical' parents instill religious passion in their children
Churches, not just parents, share some of the blame for teens' religious apathy as well, says Corrie, the Emory professor.

She says pastors often preach a safe message that can bring in the largest number of congregants. The result: more people and yawning in the pews.

"If your church can't survive without a certain number of members pledging, you might not want to preach a message that might make people mad," Corrie says. "We can all agree that we should all be good and that God rewards those who are nice."

Corrie, echoing the author of "Almost Christian," says the gospel of niceness can't teach teens how to confront tragedy.

"It can't bear the weight of deeper questions: Why are my parents getting a divorce? Why did my best friend commit suicide? Why, in this economy, can't I get the good job I was promised if I was a good kid?"

What can a parent do then?
Get "radical," Dean says.

She says parents who perform one act of radical faith in front of their children convey more than a multitude of sermons and mission trips.

A parent's radical act of faith could involve something as simple as spending a summer in Bolivia working on an agricultural renewal project or turning down a more lucrative job offer to stay at a struggling church, Dean says.

But it's not enough to be radical -- parents must explain "this is how Christians live," she says.

"If you don't say you're doing it because of your faith, kids are going to say my parents are really nice people," Dean says. "It doesn't register that faith is supposed to make you live differently unless parents help their kids connect the dots."

'They called when all the cards stopped'
Anne Havard, an Atlanta teenager, might be considered radical. She's a teen whose faith appears to be on fire.

Havard, who participated in the Emory program, bubbles over with energy when she talks about possibly teaching theology in the future and quotes heavy-duty scholars such as theologian Karl Barth.

She's so fired up about her faith that after one question, Havard goes on a five-minute tear before stopping and chuckling: "Sorry, I just talked a long time."

Havard says her faith has been nurtured by what Dean, the "Almost Christian" author, would call a significant faith community.

In 2006, Havard lost her father to a rare form of cancer. Then she lost one of her best friends -- a young woman in the prime of life -- to cancer as well. Her church and her pastor stepped in, she says.

"They called when all the cards stopped," she says.

When asked how her faith held up after losing her father and friend, Havard didn't fumble for words like some of the teens in "Almost Christian."
She says God spoke the most to her when she felt alone -- as Jesus must have felt on the cross.

"When Jesus was on the cross crying out, 'My God, why have you forsaken me?' Jesus was part of God,'' she says. "Then God knows what it means to doubt.

"It's OK to be in a storm, to be in a doubt," she says, "because God was there, too."

[Psalm 51:17]

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/millennials-lie-at-work-in-order-to-travel-more-110257413587.html
Millennials Lie at Work in Order to Travel More
2/6/15

Here at Yahoo Travel we believe that you regret 100 percent of the trips you didn’t take. And we’re not the only ones.

According to a recent Priceline study, 49 percent of Americans who didn’t take a last-minute vacation in 2014 say that they regret it. One group doing something about it is millennials. The study revealed that 73 percent of the younger generation plans to take a last-minute vacation in 2015. Only 58 percent of Americans surveyed say they agree that a last-minute 2015 getaway is in the cards.

In case you weren’t aware, Millennials have a hard time sitting still, and as the nation battles frigid temps, their desire to get out of town has never been higher. Here are some other interesting facts about millennials from the study.

40 % plan to kick off their 2015 travel over the long Valentines Day weekend. In other words, they don’t plan on waiting until summer to take a trip.
69 % are willing to tell a little white lie in order get out of work so that they can go on vacation. This is in sharp contrast with Americans in other age groups, where less than half (45 percent) would fib to take a trip.
It’s no surprise that millennials tend to be more impulsive, but the study finds that they may be more likely to book a last-minute vacation due to their general tech-savviness.

So, the next time you see a millennial tinkering around on their smartphone, don’t assume they’re taking a selfie. They just might be planning a trip and then lying to you about it.  And the question is, why aren’t you?

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2015/02/50-percent-of-millennials-believe-gender-exists-as-a-spectrum
50 percent of millennials believe gender exists as a spectrum
2/16/15

This year, Fusion’s annual "Massive Millennial Poll" found that 50 percent of millennials believe that gender exists on a spectrum.

Fusion, a multiplatform media company owned jointly by Univision Communications and Disney/ABC Television, surveys a representative sample of 1,000 millennials, defined as people who are between 18 and 34 years of age, every year to find out what opinions and attitudes are popular among this age group, according to its website.

The survey was conducted by Bendixen and Amandi International, an independent research firm. Bendixen and Amandi International specializes in researching Hispanic attitudes and opinions, but also works with other socioeconomic groups.

Zaneta Rago, the Director of Rutgers’ Social Justice Center, said that she was surprised there were not more millennials who believed that gender exists on a spectrum.

“It's wonderful that approximately half of the respondents understood gender as a spectrum, but that means we're only half way there," she said.

Daniella Anconetami, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student, said that she believes in the gender spectrum.

She said that she discovered that gender “wasn’t black and white” in high school, and said that her opinions about gender identity changed after meeting someone who was transgender in high school.

Jennifer Oh, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior, said that she believes gender exists on a vast spectrum.

She said that parents of the millennial generation usually taught their kids that male and female were the only two categories for gender, but doing research and meeting transgender people can change millennials' minds.

Rago also emphasized the importance of education in spreading awareness about non-binary forms of gender identity.

"The data [in the poll] showed that the numbers shifted between regions and level of education," she said. "There is quite a bit of work being done across campuses in regards to inclusion and awareness, and I think the numbers accurately reflect the work."

She said people should still keep in mind that not everyone will have the economic access to a college education, so making sure campuses are reaching their surrounding populations and partnering with community-based organizations will be key to spreading awareness.

Rago also said that she thinks millennials are “courageous” because they are “defining their experiences for themselves” instead of following more rigid binaries of gender.

“To live outside of society's expectations means you are working towards your own authenticity, and it's not always an easy thing to do," she said.

Still, Rago said she was concerned about the lives of people who had non-traditional gender identities.

While there has been a recent rise in visibility for the Trans* community, there are many folks who identify as Gender Nonconforming, or outside of the "man" and "woman" binary, that also have difficulty navigating a binary-centric society, she said.

In 2013, The National Report on Hate Violence Against LGBTQ and HIV Affected Communities found that transgender people were among the groups most at risk of experiencing severe violence.

Among transgendered people, transgender people of color face higher risks of violence than their white counterparts. The report also found that few hate crime survivors reported violence to the police, and when crimes were reported, police departments were meeting claims with increased hostility.

Anconetami said that she thought Rutgers was doing enough to help people with nontraditional gender identities.

Oh, on the other hand, thought that Rutgers could do more to help transgender people.

She said that she wishes Rutgers did more for the transgender community, because she does not see any events that show support for transgender people or support awareness.

Rago said that she encourages students to visit the Social Justice Center if they are interested in LGBTQ issues.

She said that the Social Justice Center runs a monthly training program, SafeR Space, for people who want to be better allies for the LGBTQ community.

The program meets every last Friday of the month on Livingston campus’s Tillett Hall, she said.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-millennials-cant-single-nice-153750759.html
Most Millennials Can't Do a Single Nice Thing for Someone Else
2/26/15

Millennials are fussy about their real estate brokers, terrible at playing the stock market, and squatters who need to get out of their parents' basements. New government data give us another dubious factoid about the group: They have the lowest volunteering rate of all age groups, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The BLS, which surveyed (PDF) 60,000 U.S. households, found just 18.7 percent of adults aged 20 to 24 had volunteered sometime between September 2013 and September 2014, the smallest share of any age group. The group aged 25 to 34 was only a little better; 22 percent of these young adults volunteered during that period. Even sulky adolescents were more charitable: 26.1 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds volunteered.

It's not as though the BLS set an impossibly high bar for volunteering. They simply asked people if they'd done anything in the past year that they weren't paid for, even just "once in a while." That's right: 81.3 percent of Americans in their early 20s hadn't done a single thing to help someone out, any time recently.

It does seem that people don't remain too selfish—or preoccupied—to volunteer as they age. More adults volunteer as they approach their mid-30s and 40s. Volunteering rates taper off after age 44, but never sink back to 21-year-old levels.

Maybe aging is the antidote to being self-absorbed.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/shamahyder/2015/02/25/millennials-and-money-how-banks-are-missing-the-mark/
2/25/15
Millennials And Money: How Banks Are Missing The Mark

I’ve been speaking and writing about Millennials for a while, and with good reason. In five years, Millennials, also known as Gen Y or those born in the 80’s and 90’s, will make up the majority of the workforce. Almost every smart organization is looking into best practices on how to hire, manage, and sell to the fastest growing demographic in the world.

As consumers, Millennials’ relationships with brands and how they choose to do business has been truly enigmatic to most. In no area is this better highlighted than in the banking space. For this hyper-connected and tech-savvy crowd, finance is more synonymous with crowdfunding, virtual currencies, and online payment platforms than it is with the brick building with a drive-thru ATM on the corner. This may be one of the reasons that JPMorgan Chase just announced that they would be closing 300 branches this year.

This generation has unique needs, and so far, most banks seems to be missing the mark. According to a study by Viacom Media, banking, as an industry, runs the highest risk for disruption. 53% of the Millennials they surveyed said they didn’t think their bank offered anything different than a competing bank. 71% said they would rather visit the dentist than hear what banks have to say.  73% would rather handle their financial services needs with Google, Amazon, Apple, PayPal or Square than from their own nationwide bank. Ouch.

So, what can banks do to better attract and retain Millennial customers? Here are a few ideas.

Realize that this is a skeptical generation – and act accordingly.

Millennials are skeptical of traditional institutions. According to a recent research paper from BBVA, almost half of all Millennials say they are politically independent, and a third report no religious affiliation at all. These are the highest rates of political and religious disassociation in the last twenty-five years.

And this disassociation extends to banks as well. The four biggest bank brands are among the “least loved” by Millennials. To some extent, this has to do with the financial crisis which started in 2007. Many in this generation have struggled to find jobs, to pay off crippling student debt, and have been disillusioned by the American dream. Adding another layer of frustration is the fact that this is the most educated generation in history.

It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to say that this generation doesn’t always see financial services nor their own money management habits in the most positive light.

So, how should banks respond?

Make ETC (Education, Transparency & Choices) your mantra.

Education: Brochures on financial planning advice just won’t cut it with this generation. Banks need a comprehensive and interactive approach to educating Millennials. Think funny yet insightful YouTube videos, webinars (delivered by a fellow Millennial!) on how to build your credit, and infographics on how to finance higher education.

Transparency: Make your offerings and practices as transparent as possible. This generation isn’t opposed to paying for value, but they will chafe at unexplained fees and “just because” policies. Banks should also highlight all corporate social responsibility initiatives, as supporting social causes and being part of a greater movement is something this generation actively seeks out. They want to align themselves with brands which they feel are making a greater difference in society.

Choices: The tech-savviest of consumers, this is a generation raised on choices. They have never been tethered to a single form of delivery: cable (Netflix), taxis (Uber), books (Kindle), radio (Pandora, Spotify). Banks would be wise to take a page from other industries and disrupt from within. Give Millennials choices in regards to how they bank, with which banker, and allow them to use the platform of their choice. More often than not, that platform will be mobile.

Build around mobile.

When it comes to banking, more than 70% of Millennials have used mobile services within the last 12 months, and about 94% of Millennials are active users of online banking. Compound this with the fact that over 80% of Millennials have smartphones, and you can clearly see a smart trend emerge.

Mobile banking and applications which allow Millennials to manage their portfolios are a certainty. The only question is whether the current banking system will be the driver or whether it will be start-ups outside the sector which harness this growth.

Recognize the inherent diversity within the generation.

Not only are Millennials the most racially diverse generation in history, as nearly 43% of them are nonwhite, they are also the most non-homogenous generation in regards to lifestyle. While an older Millennial may be married and looking to purchase his first home, a younger Millennial might still be in college. While one might be looking to start saving early for retirement, another might be looking for funding for their start-up.

While there are certain values and qualities which appeal to the group as a whole, banks have to respect and cater to the inherent diversity within the generation as well.

Leverage other Millennials.

According to a Nielsen report, Millennials are inspired by people they can relate to – especially other Millennials. A fellow successful Millennial is a lot more likely to inspire them than someone from an older generation. I have long advised that teaming up with influencers can be a great strategy. Smart banks should be looking at engaging Millennials as spokespersons. L’Oreal did exactly this with YouTube make-up star Michelle Phan. This is a strategy which works regardless of the industry you’re in. The key is to find the right fit. In 2015, I personally plan on exploring strategic partnerships with right brands. I’ll continue to share my experiences and lessons here.

In summary, banks are missing the mark at the moment, but there is still time to turn it around and turn this generation into their most profitable customers yet.