There is always confusion when finding the origins of the millennial generation. Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of the book ‘The History of America’s future, 1589 to 2096‘, reportedly came up with the term. The book defines millennials as individuals born between 1980 and 2004.
Formerly known as ‘Generation Y,’ Millennials represent an important sector of the U.S, as most of them are currently young adults. Some of the characteristics of this group are progressive ideals, and tolerance towards race, religions, and sexual orientation.
However, the primary trait of Millennials is their digital native skills. They are the first generation raised with personal computers and social networks. In consequence, social media is crucial to them.
These factors have led them to pursuit more internet-oriented careers and jobs, instead of going for corporate positions.
So, what do Millennials do for a living?
A study from Bently University shows over 76% of young adults prefer to work during flexible hours to boost creativity. And 37% are seeking to start personal businesses.
Getting profit from social media has become common among millennial entrepreneurs. Community Managers help brands to market products via Twitter and Facebook. To achieve that, they usually go for the viral market, launching videos or images to impact customers.
Visual platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, and Instagram, are currently the top networks to sell both personal and corporate brands, according to an article by Forbes contributor, Larry Alton.
The “Y” generation transformed sheer popularity into a source of income
Companies are making deals for significant sums of money with Instagrammers and YouTubers. These sponsorships have helped some millennials to quit regular jobs and dedicate themselves to sell products through their accounts or channels.
During an interview for Elle.com, Shirley Braha, owner of Marnie the Dog (@marniethedog on Instagram), said she could sustain the lifestyle she had when she had a full-time job. She added she wasn’t stressed about things like paying the rent anymore.
In other instances, the income made from a video channel or Vine account can help a millennial fund other projects.
Angel David Revilla -known as Dross Rotzank-, a Venezuelan YouTuber residing in Argentina, was able to publish two books thanks to his 9 million subscribers.
Another popular way for millennials to make a buck on social media is crowdfunding. Musician, Amanda Palmer, used Kickstarter to fund an Album in 2012. She received an impressive sum of over $1.2 million, mostly from individual contributors.
Source: Forbes
