Everyone talks about millennials for a good reason: it’s one of the largest generations in History, and their living habits are very different from those of previous generations. But what makes Generation Y so special? Mainly those four things:

1. They grew up in a digital era

Generation Y was mostly born at the very beginning of the digital age, so they grew with it: they’re the first digital native generation. Because of that, they can be inclined to impatience, but more innovative and solution-oriented as well.

This easy access to technology and the rise of social networks have also erased the borders and made a generation of tech-savvy globetrotters and digital nomads that suffer way less from expatriation.

2. They care less about ownership, but care a lot about access

It’s not a secret anymore, millennials are reluctant to buy and own things. It ranges from houses and cars (only 15% of millennials think it’s a priority to own a car!) to more basic things like music. The rise of the sharing economy says it all: why own when you can have on-demand access to anything? You get all the advantages and the flexibility you need, without the hassle of ownership. You need to go somewhere? You have Zipcar, Uber, BlablaCar, Villo, DriveNow… You want to listen to the latest hits during your trip? Just open Spotify or Deezer. You want to stay somewhere? You have Airbnb and Couchsurfing. Want to stay a bit longer there? There are co-living services like Welive or Cohabs. The options are literally limitless.

This trend is very important because it’s symptomatic of two other major changes in the millenials’ mentalities: first, they are way more sustainability-oriented than their elders. And second, they want to keep their flexibility, and the accumulation of material goods is perceived as an obstacle.

3. Consumption and sustainability

As hinted above, Generation Y is aware of climate change as well as the economic reality of the 21st century. That’s why they turn more and more to:

•The sharing economy: that can be defined as a system in which multiple people share goods or other resources

•The circular economy: that can be defined as a system that seeks to keep existing resources within a closed loop, so that nothing goes to waste

Both models are part of the solution to tackle climate and economic challenges, but are also social enablers with real communities around them. And that’s also why millennials are embracing them.

4. The world is out for grabs

Generation Y is the Erasmus generation. The Erasmus program started 3 decades ago, meaning that the first “Erasmus babies” are now all grown up… And part of Gen Y, giving them an international vision and an intrinsic curiosity for the world.

It’s also the first generation to realize that “settling down”, as society usually expects, is not the only option. They see older generations that lived the golden age of consumerism and are now struggling to get the pension they worked their whole life for. And they just want to run the other way.

On top of that, the world has never been so flat! With cheap airlines, the huge variety of transportation options, the possibility to find “a home away from home” in any city of the globe thanks to Airbnb and co-living places, smartphones, translation apps, Google maps… It just has never been so easy to not settle down.