TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Have you noticed how the younger folks are always looking down at their smart phones? They make up Generation Y.  That generation is generally defined as those born between 1980 and 1999. They have lost interest in many of the services and products their parents found important according to a recent article by 24/7 Wall St.

1. Cars
Teens love cars right? Well, a recent study by Gartner research revealed that, if forced to choose, 46% of all 18-to-24-year-old drivers in the United States would choose access to the Internet over access to a car! As recently as 1998, 64.4% of potential drivers ages 19 and younger had drivers licenses, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Just ten short years later, in 2008, that amount had dropped to 46.3%. People are also waiting longer to get their licenses.

2. Email
From December 2009 to December 2010, time spent using email by the 12- to 17-years-old age group dropped a tremendous 59%. While the youth drop it, their parents and grandparents are finally picking it up. In comparison, time spent using email by people 55 to 64-years-old has increased 22%, and it has increased 28% among those 65 years and older. Texting and Instant Messaging is the new order of the day.

3. Newspapers
While readership rates for print newspapers are falling across the board, the country’s younger generation has abandoned the medium the most. As of 2010, only 7% of 18- to 24-year-olds reported having read a print newspaper the day before, according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. This is the first time that figure has reached single digits. This age group also has among the highest rates of people reportedly receiving news through social networking sites or Twitter.

4. Landline phones
Landline phones are losing popularity among Generation Y, who are becoming increasingly content with only having wireless phones. According to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics, 51.3% of Americans aged 25 to 29 lived in households with only wireless phones in the first six months of 2010. This is the first time the number of adults in wireless-only households has been greater than the number of adults in landline households for any age group.

5. Cigarettes
Smoking rates among young people have historically exceeded those of the general population. Now that group is dropping the habit quicker than anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the share of people 18 to 24 years of age who were current cigarette smokers decreased by 17.6% from 2005 to 2010 — the largest decrease among any age group.

6. Desktop computers
Millennials are the only generational group to be more likely to own a laptop computer than a desktop. According to data from Pew Research Center, 70% own a laptop, while 57% own a desktop. By contrast, 64% of those aged 57-65 own a desktop, while only 43% own a laptop.

7. Television
Adults aged 18 to 24 watch less traditional television than any other age group in the country, according to Nielsen’s most recent Cross Platform Report. That group, on average, watches just under 24 hours per week. The national average is approximately 32.5 hours. One of the leading reasons for this difference is Generation Y’s relationship with the Internet. According to a report published in April 2010 by electronics review/research company Retrevo, 23% of those under 25 watch “most” of their television online now.

8. CDs
Music has changed quickly with the advent of iPods and digital songs. Back in 2002, compact discs (CDs) had a more than 95% market share of music sales. In 2010, they had less than half. Various reports suggest this decline is the result of all age groups moving away from CD sales toward digital sales.

So, this generation will not be anxious to drive, won’t smoke, won’t have a desktop computer or a landline phone, will text you in response to your email, and will not be listening to a CD, reading a newspaper or watching a TV when they finally sign off Facebook and you get them to answer their cell phone.