Understanding Y

PREFACE

On the morning of the 12th of August, I woke up with the words ‘Understanding Y’ imprinted on my mind. It was almost like my subconscious brain had been working at this all night — on the idea to create a book that brought about a better understanding of Generation Y. It seems my sleeping mind had devised a plan that would bring together an eclectic mix of inspirational writing on Gen Y, and a collection of thought leaders and career professionals who have dedicated a large proportion of their adult life trying to better understand Y.

I would later discover that the 12th of August was International Youth Day. The coincidence of the two events has not been lost on me.

I’d like to point out that I acknowledge the mere concept of grouping 900 million individuals together simply due to the fact that they were born during a set period of time is entirely flawed — and, essentially, nothing more than a potentially damaging stereotype. And it's a stereotype that, in my experience, has been largely misunderstood.

Yet despite my usual aversion to any form of stereotyping, I do concede that there are differences in the way that those within the Gen Y age bracket behave and think. As such, these identifiable and consistent traits are useful for discussing and appreciating this new breed of adults.

A further clarification to make: while this book's contributors will constantly refer to ‘Gen Y’, it is clear to me that we are essentially talking about a ‘Western’ or affluent group ...