Empowerment Issue January 2018 | Page 22

MADELIFE millennial trends: What Influences Our Buying Behaviors? MADE BY ASHLEI WILLIAMS For all of the negative noise out there about millennials, there are facts rising to the surface about our uniqueness in outlook, diversity of experiences, and power in numbers. W hile I have the floor, let me dispel some of the misconceptions that are confusing other genera- tions about who we are: • First of all, current teenagers are not mil- lennials. We are 80s and 90s babies. • Secondly, we did not agree to crown the color “Millennial Pink.” Main- stream media did that. As far as we’re con- cerned, it’s “Barbie Pink.” • Last, but certainly not least, we do not enjoy free snacks, nap pods and Xboxes at work more than “X,” “Y” or “Z.” We enjoy raises, bo- nuses, and 401ks just as much as the next person. With that said, I bring you to some of the facts that are true about us and why they matter. This time last year, Nielsen released its report, “Multicultural Millennials: The Multiplier Effect.” Our sheer size has researchers and organi- zations like Nielsen taking note, as there are now 75 million of us living in the U.S. according to the report. All of us are now at the working age of 18 years old and we will comprise over half of the workforce within the next decade. Economically speaking, we can made-magazine.com | 22