by Lucy Korn
A new study helpfully sorts our generation into six neat boxes, says we quickly identify with them.
First we were a generation of drunk, hoodie wearing delinquents then we were spoilt, entitled millennials; then depressed, spoilt, entitled millennials and now, according to a new study by Colmar Brunton, we are made up of six ‘tribes’ of people: Family Focused, Ladder Climbers, Idealists, Spontaneous and Solitary Savers.
The findings of the study were recently published in an NZ Herald online article titled, ‘Gen Y research debunks youth stereotypes,’ along with some commentary from Colmar Brunton’s youth specialist Spencer Willis who seems to think that six is diverse and that the research, “breaks down the stereotypes used to portray New Zealand’s youth.”
Here is the handy infographic used to tell you exactly which stereotype tribe you fit into:
Are you a) Family Focused or a b) a Ladder Climber? Or…
…do you c) live for money or d) humanity? Or…
Are you a e) live, laugh, spend kind of girl or a f) social reject?
I, and I expect many of my friends, co-workers and for want of a better word, peers would be the same, didn’t have the ‘that is me’ reaction that the article states is “common” when presenting this research to young people. This is because maybe, just maybe, we are individuals who are a mixture of all six of these things if not more and don’t appreciate older generations trying to pigeon hole us in order to better understand what we are all about.
The study of course was aimed at advertisers, marketers, brand managers, business owners and those in charge of government budgets to help them “begin to understand the different motives that drive and concern New Zealand’s young people.” I’m no expert but maybe instead of basing your decisions on ‘research’ like this advertisers, marketers, brand managers and business owners, just HIRE A YOUNG PERSON OR TWO and let them tell you whats hip these days. Who knows, we might surprise you.
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