Difference Between the Y Generation and Older Generations

Do you know the meaning of generation X or Y? Generally, a generation means “people within a delineated population who experience the same significant events within a given period of time” ("Generation," n.d., para. 1). So, every generation is not the same and we can distinguish their behavior and thinking from other generations. For example, there are many differences between the generation Y and older generations in terms of communication, economic activities and jobs.

To begin with, the most notable difference between these two generations is their means of communication. Both generations are willing to be socialized according to human nature. However, the way of communicating is very different from each other. The generation Y makes a lot of social interaction through the Internet, whereas the older generations do it face-to-face or via phone (Cameron, 2008). Although the young generation still meets friends and makes relationships with others face-to-face, they spend more time communicating via internet; sometimes they even feel more comfortable using the internet than meeting people in person. To illustrate, one of my nieces is in junior high school. While she is shy and does not talk me too much if she calls or meets me, she talks a lot and asks me many questions if she talks with Kakao Talk, a well known mobile messenger in Korea, or Facebook.

Moreover, comparing both generations, we notice that their approaches to economic activities are quite different. According to a research on purchasing behaviors, in contrast to old people, young people try to ask for more information from other people and purchase goods by using the Internet. In particular, to search for a TV, young people tend to choose a model by reading customer reviews in blogs but older people prefer to visit department stores and off-line dealer shops and see TVs displayed and listen to salesman’s recommendations. When buying a TV, unlike older generations, the young generation finds the lowest price by visiting price comparison websites and then buys it through online shopping malls (Korean Consumer Affairs Institute, 2012).