Center for Congregations Seminar The Kids Are Alright: Understanding Millennials
Who are you? What makes you so smart?
Science Mike
Why are you here? What do you hope we talk about?
Who are the Millennials?
1980 They were born between and 2000
They are 25% of the US population.
1 in 4 are parents. Millennials believe in equal parenting responsibility.
They ll spend more on products they believe will support a cause they care about.
56% say they want to try new technology as soon as it is available (compared to 12% of Baby Boomers).
69% say the value adventure.
They value experiences over things. 79% OF MILLENNIALS WOULD LIKE TO VISIT ALL 50 STATES AND 75% WOULD LIKE TO TRAVEL ABROAD
Stop calling us millennials. MILLENNIALS
By the numbers BABY BOOMERS MILLENNIALS 2% 11% 5% 7% 4% 13% 10% 51% 72% 24% White Hispanic Black Asian Other
They think of diversity in different terms.
And inclusion as well
They have very different views on social issues.
68% have never married.
About half of births to millennial mothers were non-marital.
56% favor legal abortion.
69% support legalizing marijuana.
68% favor same-sex marriage.
They act in moral ways Less likely to divorce. Fewer sex partners. They wait longer to have sex for the first time. Lower abortion rate. Lower usage of drugs and alcohol.
They don t trust institutions.
7 in 10 think both political parties are the same.
Half don t identify with any political party.
Millennials are killing Department Stores Applebee s Banks Beer Real Estate Gyms The Auto Industry Hooters Golf Oil Diamonds McDonald s Golf
They re losing their religion.
A Generational Shift in Religious Identity 100 3 3 3 3 90 18 12 80 70 60 50 40 38 4 7 9 26 3 6 10 5 8 2 6 6 2 9 2 15 1 5 4 7 2 16 White evangelical Protestant White mainline Protestant White Catholic Mormon Black Protestant Hispanic Protestant Hispanic Catholic Other Christian Jewish Other world religions Other religion Unaffiliated Don't know/refused 30 6 7 2 9 15 19 20 2 6 11 10 0 8 26 21 14 8 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Source: PRRI 2016 American Values Atlas. PRRI
Age by Religious Affiliation 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Muslim 42 42 12 4 Hindu 36 51 10 3 Buddhist 35 38 19 8 Unaffiliated 34 37 19 10 Hispanic Protestant 32 44 17 8 Hispanic Catholic 25 44 21 10 Orthodox Christian 23 37 26 15 Mormon 23 36 23 18 Black Protestant 19 34 29 18 Jehovah's Witness 19 34 28 19 Jewish 18 30 25 27 Unitarian/Universalist 14 29 28 27 White mainline Protestant 14 28 30 29 White evangelical Protestant 11 28 32 30 White Catholic 11 27 34 28 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Source: PRRI 2016 American Values Atlas. PRRI
MILLENNIALS IN DIGITAL ISOLATION i is the loneliest number
Long term behavioral trends are breaking In 2015, 56% of high school seniors went on one or more dates (vs 85% in Boomers and Gen X). Teen birth rate is at an all time low, high school sexual activity down 40%. Millenials and post-millennials wait longer to get driver s licenses. This is driven by economic anxiety.
The New Social
Time spent with friends and family has dropped 40% since 2000 for millennials and post-millennials.
All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness. Eighth-graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media. JEAN M TWENGE, THE ATLANTIC
Depression is at an all-time high. Young people are the most depressed youth on record. Heavy social media use increases depression risks 27%. Sports and religious service attendance mitigate these effects. People who find a church they feel a part of report a massive shift in personal happiness.
Heavy smartphone and tablet users are 35% more likely to have suicidal ideation.
The Instagram Party
The data are clear: millennials and postmillennials are in a digitally-induced crises.
Also clear: Church attendance is a proven solution.
So, why won t they come back?
Rise of the New Copernicans
Nicolaus Copernicus Died in 1543, the same day his book was published. Astronomy was a hobby, not a discipline. He had an idea, not a mathematical model. His work remained an idea until Isaac Newton.
Heliocentrism turned the world upside down.
A change in reference frames can revolutionize human society.
What if Millennials are the carriers and not the cause?
The New Copernicans Reject tribalism, or us vs them thinking. Reject binary dichotomy. Left vs Right Sacred vs Secular Reject categorization. This why they hate the term millenial. I will not be defined by a label.
Dichotomies are the work of the left hemisphere of the human brain.
New Copernicans represent the reemergence of holistic thinking after the enlightenment.
New Copernicans reject any attempt to restrain their thinking or identity via category.
An invitation back into the Closed Transcendent won t work.
The future of faith is a shared journey into the Open Transcendent.
Science Mike
How?
Simon Sinek The Golden Circle
Here s what we do. Here s how we do it.
WHY HOW WHAT
Why-based alignment makes marketing easy.
Why isn t universal. You can t why the whole world.
Herding Cats
1. Make a safe space.
2. Communicate and act based on purpose, not program.
3. Get off campus.
4. Host, don t lead. Participate in a co-journey.
Spiral Dynamics
Spiral Dynamics
BEIGE - Archaic Survive. Get food, shelter, safety, and sex.
PURPLE - Magical/Mythical Serve the tribe. Placate the spirits. Honor family and ancestors.
RED - Power/Ego Dominate. Win. Display sexual prowess and virility.
Yeah you can tell everybody.
You re gonna hear me roar.
BLUE - Traditional Create order by following the sacred text. Obedience creates future rewards. Meaning, purpose, and certainty from One Story. Follow Hierarchy.
God save the Queen.
Oh say can you see
ORANGE - Modern/Rational Competition via merit. Support ideas with data and evidence.
We hold these truths to be self evident.
GREEN - World Protect the Earth. Honor all stories. Abandon hierarchy.
We are the world.
Selling Cars to the Spiral
There s more (Maybe)
YELLOW - Integral Nothing is certain. Intuitive knowledge of vmemes. Exploit the system to survive.
TURQUOISE - Holistic Everything is part of one whole. Connect. Make intentional steps to protect all life.
Exercise: Collage
Who is your audience today? Age? Gender? Race? Economic Background? Education? What do they want? What are they afraid of?
Exercise: Package Designer