Generation Y (loosely defined as born between 1979 –1993) is poised to change society. It is the biggest American generation ever - even bigger than their parents, the Baby Boomers. By the year 2010, Gen Y will represent 32% of the country’s population. The generation is too huge to be dismissed. Their attitudes toward work, home life and leisure will become our attitudes. Their artists, politicians, and filmmakers will all shape and transform our society in ways we can’t even begin to anticipate.

Raised by doting Boomer parents in a society that is in awe of youth, they have been coined the “Me Generation.” More than any generation before them, their career decisions, buying choices, and attitudes about politics and the media are all connected to the question, “How does it affect me?” Underneath the surface of this question, is another important Gen Y motivator: “What does it say about me?” More than any other generation, Gen Y buys to express their own individualized identity. Therefore, companies that want to stay competitive as this enormous group takes over must understand the Gen Y identity: what they value, what they resent, what they secretly desire.