What Cars Will Generation Y Buy?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

If you read about Echo Boomers [updated link] and their behavior, you might have noticed that they don't tend to buy cars or like their own transportation compared to other American generations (No Vehicles Please. We're Echo Boomers.). Some of this may be related to the environment, the lack of financial resources, or the rise of oil prices making transportation more expensive. But if they do buy cars, what cars do they like?

According to a study, the top 5 brand winners of Generation Y are as follows: (1) Scion, (2) Mitsubishi, (3) Mazda, (4) Nissan and (5) Volkswagen. The bottom five losers of Generation Y? Infiniti, BMW, Chevrolet, Acura and Suzuki.

The Millennial generation is considering price in its purchase, so we shouldn't expect car makers, like Audi, to win over a large portion of the Millennial generation. However, if gas prices continue to remain high or climb higher, Echo Boomers may start factoring in gas mileage over price. That being said, you won't be able to price a car higher just off the basis of gas mileage.

Still, some Echo Boomers will opt out of transportation altogether. After all, they'll save money and won't have to worry about higher gas prices in the future. Car companies have failed with some of Generation Y mainly because they lack the sagacity to produce quality vehicles at a decent price, and have helped contribute to the American dependence on oil.

In a similar manner with housing, when auto executives complain that Echo Boomers aren't buying their vehicles, I answer, "You're building cars they don't want." Look at what's working along with the patterns and mirror these patterns with your own branding.

What Does Generation Y Say About Marriage?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Working at a financial institution, I would never initiate this question as it's impertinent to money. However, one study [Update: dead link removed] asked questions to Echo Boomers about marriage. Since I've written about low marriage rates and how this will affect the future economy (change the dynamics a bit, but nothing terrible), as a counter point to my prediction that marriage rates will remain low for Echo Boomers, this study presents a different perspective. Some excellent gems:

The five major groups and some demographic details about each group:

• 23% of Echo Boomers think that marriage is a partnership. This group tended to be educated and posses a high-income.

• 22% of Echo Boomers think that they are not ready for marriage. 70% of these Echo Boomers were males.

• 22% of Echo Boomers think that marriage is central to their life's plans. This group was made up of mostly highly-educated, white Echo Boomers.

• 19% of Echo Boomers think that marriage is a love story. Two-thirds of this group was made up female Echo Boomers.

• 14% of Echo Boomers think that they never want to partake in marriage. This group was made up of mostly low income Echo Boomers.

Other interesting information from the study:

• Female Echo Boomers didn't mind discussing marriage, while male Echo Boomers tended to be content with being "left out."

• Some male Echo Boomers considered marriage an "outdated" concept.

• 82% of Echo Boomers expect to be married for life.

• 75% of Echo Boomers stated that they would rather be alone for the rest of their life than marry the wrong person.

This study contradicts my prediction that marriage rates will be historically low for Echo Boomers by pointing out that only 14% of Echo Boomers never want to marry. The rest of the Echo Boomers it seems just aren't ready for it, or haven't found their partner/lover/central person. So anyone in the marriage/divorce industry, don't panic yet as it's possible that this study ends up being correct and not my prediction!

Reminder

As a general reminder, I often consider other views that disagree or contradict my own. In my view, I cannot form a view if I don't consider what other people, research or studies communicate about a topic.

As an example of this that I've shared with thought leaders, in my view this other study contradicts itself because it notes this response from Echo Boomers:

75% of Echo Boomers stated that they would rather be alone for the rest of their life than marry the wrong person.

Yet when speaking with older generations who married, close to half think that they married the wrong person at any given point. The response to this question can also change relative to the time - ask a couple independently if they married the person right after an amazing vacaction or right after a major financial dispute. The answer may change.

What I do see with this study is that Echo Boomers have many false beliefs about marriage and these false beliefs will prevent a larger portion than people expect from getting married. You can read related posts for my predictions on the Millennial marriage rate.

Other Generation Y and Marriage Posts:

Will Low Marriage Rates Sap the Housing Demand?

Will Marriage Become A Minority?

What Services Does Generation Y Like/Dislike?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Millennial Trends From A Study (2011)

Some fascinating selections [Update: dead link removed] about Echo Boomer's taste in products and services (especially with technology):

• 9 out of 10 Echo Boomers above 18 use the internet.

• 3 out of 4 Echo Boomers use social networking, like MySpace, Facebook, et cetera.

• 3 out of 5 have wireless access to the internet.

• Over 4 out of 5 keep their cell phones with them at all time.

• 40% have no landline.

• 2 out of 5 Echo Boomers have at least one tattoo.

• 25% of Echo Boomers have a non-lobe piercing.

• Echo Boomers value services and products that do not harm the environment.

• Echo Boomers value real estate that is close to their work and their social outlets.

• Echo Boomers are less willing to own cars than previous generations.

• Echo Boomers value stable investments such as cash, bonds and money markets.

Notice the Themes

Digital. Your business digital presence matters to Echo Boomers. I know this seems obvious, but I still meet business leaders with no digital presence. This may make sense for selling to Baby Boomers and Xers, but outside of geographical businesses (ie: local coffee or plumbing), your digital presence will carry power with Echo Boomers. If you live in a highly social area where Echo Boomers congregate (geographical), you can maintain a physical presence without an online presence.

Social. Whether it's living near friends, commuting with friends, or copying their friends, Echo Boomers value their friends because their perception of value is determined by others. Thus, if an Echo Boomer shares a story and that story doesn't get any Facebook likes (as an example), they feel bad about that story. Echo Boomers need others to validate their life and decisions, so this means that they need to live by others, and constantly get feedback from others, and identify what others are doing.

The recession is fresh in their mind. Their focus on stability originates from what they saw during the financial crisis. This event is still fresh in their mind and it drives a lot of their financial behavior from investing in perceived stability to keeping expenses low if they can. In talking with other thought leaders about Echo Boomers, I've heard a few suggest that Echo Boomers have not recovered from the 2008-2009 crisis. My numbers tend to align with this observation and if this continues, I expect that this will have implications for this generation as a whole.

"No Vehicles Please. We're Echo Boomers."

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Do Echo Boomers Value Owning Their Own Car?

As Echo Boomers mature, some generational differences involving car ownership are beginning to emerge. While the article seems to imply that Echo Boomers avoid car ownership because of the environment, most of the avoidance comes from the costs of a car (important: what cars will Generation Y buy?). Another missed observation is Echo Boomers choice in where they live.

Keep in mind that only 10% of Echo Boomers hold more than $1,500 in their name, and anyone with a car can tell you stories about a time when their car needed repair. These repairs add up over time, and they reflect only the tip of the iceberg. A car owner also needs gasoline, regular oil changes, and decent insurance. With some of these prices rising, some Echo Boomers may find that using public transportation or living close to work provides them with more money.

Some other noteworthy trends:

1. Many Echo Boomers admit that if they could, they would drive less than they currently do [Update: dead link removed]. Notice the main reason: the high cost of owning a car, not the environment. The additional information about texting and posting to Facebook provides some humor that many car companies won't appreciate.

2. From the same article [Update: dead link removed], unlike former U.S. generations, Echo Boomers would like more transportation options. Based on the Echo Boomers I've spoken with, it seems that the Southern Millennials experience this problem with transportation options more than the Northern Millennials. Other transportation options such as public transportation, electric/fuel cell cars, natural gas vehicles, and even carpooling options may also be popular among Echo Boomers in the long run.

3. When it comes to environmental concerns [Update: dead link removed], Echo Boomers drive less due to environmental reasons than other U.S. generations. As they have more options with vehicles, this may play into their considerations if they buy a car - a fuel cell or electric vehicle will be preferred over a gas guzzler, plus $4 per gallon is still fresh in their mind.

4. The most popular choices and brands of cars right now with Echo Boomers center around price. Right now, price is the biggest factor in their choice and this will continue as long as they have light wallets.

One caution I frequently have said in discussions following this article and highlight: what Echo Boomers do now reflects their youth and growth. Neither them nor their younger peers (iGenZ) may act and do the same in the future. Echo Boomers may value ownership in the future. I expect iGenZ will value it more because the younger generation often reacts to an older generation.

Since writing this article, I've had people confused as to Echo Boomers wanting to buy a car later in their 30s. People mature. That's why.

Do Echo Boomers Lack Religion?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Echo Boomers appear less religious than former generations, according to a study [Update: dead link removed] on religion and Echo Boomers. There are a couple of built-in assumptions in this study, such as a lack in religious views would be reflected in (1) no religious affiliation, (2) less church attendance, and (3) religion is not as important in life when compared to former U.S. generations.

Obviously, those three assumptions may not reflect religious views in an accurate manner, but it would seem, for now, that Echo Boomers are not as religious as former U.S. generations. Some data points:

• 25% of Echo Boomers are unaffiliated with any specific religion.

• 33% of 18-29 year olds attend a religious service at least weekly.

• 48% of 18-29 year olds pray daily.

• 45% of 18-29 year olds see religion as important.

• 64% of 18-29 year olds are absolutely certain there is a higher power.

• 55% of 18-29 year olds accept evolution as an "explanation for human life" (this is Pew's definition, not mine). This final view does not indicate a lack of religion among Echo Boomers as evolution and religion are not mutually exclusive.

Keep in mind, that when I refer to Echo Boomers, I am referring to those between 18-31, so this study from Pew does not cover all the Echo Boomers I am referencing in my study. It does show some patterns we should expect overall from Echo Boomers.

Historic Themes

The pattern of a religious society shifting to a non-religious society has happened throughout human history. When speaking with thought leaders, I note that I use trends like this to compare with what we've seen in history. For example, feudal Russia was extremely religious. However, when it collapsed and became the Soviet Union, it became very non-religious. In fact, Soviet citizens would have said early in the history of the Soviet Union that religion in Russia's past helped legitimize the feudal authority. Let's ignore the obvious irony of religion not being needed to legitimize Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, or the stagnant Soviet bureaucracy before its collapse.

But societies that shift from religious to non-religious can see other shifts in sociocultural phenomena that may not seem related initially. This is one reason that this is a useful data point to collect. In a similar manner, a secular shift could simply be a pendulum reaction (like the Baby Boomers during the hippie "love and peace" era) that passes at the generation ages. In this instance, the generation may swing to the opposite extreme as they age, which could bring other trends.

How Much Money Do Echo Boomers Make?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

If you read the article Echo Boomers, you might have been confused on two separate items: Millennial median household income is $58,620 while Millennial median individual income is $22,000. Obviously the word household is what distinguishes the two - in one case you may have two people, in the other case you only have one.

1. Timing is everything. The second study observed that Millennial median income had fallen from $30,000 a year to $22,000 a year from 2009 to 2010. The first study only observed 2008. Post recession, almost a third of Echo Boomers don't have jobs, which will play into low income figures.

2. Marriage matters. Household income should be higher than individual income because a household can have more wage earners than one. If two married people each make $44,000 a year, the household income would be $88,000 a year while the individual income would be $44,000 a year.

2. Marriage matters - men. Men significantly see increases in income when married. This is one reason why the median household income is much higher than if you took two median individuals and combined them. In fact, many of the "households" had one income. How could that one income be higher than the median individual income? Married men were often the reason why.

Important side note: When media sources lie (neither of these did), they often lie by using the word "household." For instance, they will claim that "household income in the United States has been decreasing for three decades" without telling you that households in the United States have been decreasing in wage earners in the last three decades (ie: the rise of single parents).

Do Echo Boomers Fear China?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

A blog post [Update: dead link removed] discussed a recent Brooking's study [Update: dead link removed] about Echo Boomers and their views on countries as allies or problems. When it comes to China, Echo Boomers differ from former U.S. generations as more Echo Boomers tend to see China as a potential problem. Of course, this study failed to clarify how Echo Boomers saw China.

As an example of this, Echo Boomers grew up in a world where jobs were being exported to China to capitalize on cheap labor. The U.S. lost manufacturing jobs, which have historically paid well, while China made major gains. In the past thirty years, China's trade surplus has grown while the U.S.'s trade deficit has increased. Echo Boomers may see China as a threat only in the sense of economics, not in terms of military.

But I've cautioned a nuance here with thought leaders on this subject: some Echo Boomers see the U.S. as the problem in this situation of exporting jobs. This means that China isn't a threat to them, but incompetent U.S. leadership is. How does this play out over time? It will vary by the group, as some Echo Boomers view this as a reason to leave the U.S. entirely, while others may vote for policies that haven't been popular in decades. I've already noted multiple times that ambitious young male Echo Boomers have left (and are leaving) the United States. China is one destination along with other countries in Asia.

Related To This and the Impacts

As an additional note, many Echo Boomers think that China will be the most powerful country by 2025. If you spend any time at all reading online news, you will know that this view is prevalent throughout U.S. media. While I don't doubt that China will become the dominant power, it should be of note that for a generation that reads a lot of online news, this view is not surprising. Anyone who's visited China will feel impressed by its rise as well. China has already surpassed the United States in terms of innovation and I expect this will continue throughout this century (maybe longer).

Notice theme? According to most online media, globalism is a good thing. Yet Echo Boomers don't see a higher standard of living, lower costs, better jobs, and they won't live as long as their parents. In an Echo Boomer's mind (and this frequently comes up with them), how is globalism good?

Even though Echo Boomers trust the internet and use it frequently as I've noted, an online narrative will never defeat personal experience. I'm neither saying anying positive or negative about globalism, but noting here that if people don't feel the positive effects in their life over time, your narrative will fail and then they won't trust you.

I think that Echo Boomers' views on China as a potential problem (mostly from an economic standpoint) will encourage them to vote and fight for policies which favor domestic production over foreign production, if they remain in the United States. We may be seeing the end of the view that globalism is a good thing, as Echo Boomers - who are experiencing high rates of unemployment - see China as an economic threat (or other countries that Echo Boomers perceive to be doing the same).

Male Echo Boomers and China

As I noted, ambitious young male Echo Boomers see Asia as a destination to start a business, family and receive superior products and services. Consider that most of the items Americans buy are made in China! The standards of living in China - especially healthcare - are significantly higher than the United States. Young men know this inherently because it's politically popular to attack young men. I've noted consistently that Obama and Democrats have wisely targeted young women because they vote more. This is a good strategy in the short run, but it does carry longer term costs that the Soviet Union proved.

In a nutshell, my granny's observation that "girls mature faster than boys" explains why it makes sense to target young women over young men. Young women have early advantages. What goes missing that we saw in the Soviet Union is what happens when young men mature? You can see what happened in the Soviet stagnation. The Soviet Union even got cute for a period and tried to stop people from leaving, but that further hurt the country because people won't invest in something they hate. Putting up walls creates an environment of contempt.

The young male Echo Boomers who have left the United States and continue to leave the United States will create powerful innovation in other countries. They will help those countries avoid stagnation that will put pressure on those leaders. But they're too young to do anything right now and as I highlighted, young women are always more popular in every society than young men. Young women are more likeable across the board. This is partially explained by my granny's observation.

But what I would caution any leader is something too many people miss: you can predict a country's future by evaluating how it treats its young men. The Soviet Union provided a great example of this in the past. The United States is currently providing a great example of this now (watch out China because you will be tempted to alienate your young men someday). This group of young men does not fear China nor see China as a threat. Rather they welcome a society that encourages and desires innovation regardless of what "group" it originated.

Note the Perspective

One point to remind people here: this article is written from a U.S. leadership view, not Chinese view. Unbalanced trade leads to long term resentment and possible conflict. I am not advising any foreign leadership, but if I was, I'd highlight that every country should aim for trade and business that prevents long term resentment. As Sun Tzu remarked, all wars are won in economics long before they're won on the battlefields. Novices love talking strategy, while experts grasp that logistics determine outcomes. Sun Tzu ultimately recognized that you win by never getting into a war in the first place. In other words, think about how you can win but in the same context as the other person can win. You'll never have to worry about later resentments because everyone is winning.

This applies to other countries as well. "Are we creating a bonfire of later resentment?" Remember that thinking requires work and effort. The best use of critical thought is creating situations that age well.

Will Marriage Become A Minority?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Will Fewer Echo Boomers Marry Than Not Marry?

According to a Pew [updated link, but data set may not be available] study only 21% of Echo Boomers are married as of 2009. I am currently in a 31 day study of counting married Echo Boomers I speak with (right now, the average is at 22% among the ages of 18-31). While marriage, as an institution, will never end, I expect that the United States will experience record low marriage rates (compared to previous American generations) among the Millennial generation for a few reasons.

1. If you look at the age group I'm dealing with (18-31), you'll notice that there are 6 years above 25 within that group, and 7 years below 25. Both my current numbers and the Pew study state that only 21% of Echo Boomers are married with my study narrowing the age range. Even if marriage rates tripled among this generation that would only mean that 63-66% of Echo Boomers would be married. That would mean that 37-34% of Echo Boomers would never marry. From the GSS data that I can recall in college, in former generations, about 20-25% of former generations never married. In other words, even if marriage rates triple, the Millennial generation would still possess the most never married group of members in U.S. history.

2. Obviously, Echo Boomers have witnessed divorce more than former generations, and might be reluctant to marry. While I avoid leading with topics like this when speaking with Echo Boomers, I've heard many Echo Boomers express concern about divorce as a reason to avoid marriage. (They raise this point and it's worth considering that they notice the divorce rate.) The main reason to avoid marriage that Echo Boomers list, however, is financial concerns, but divorce can quickly change a person's financial standing.

On a point I often raise when speaking to thought leaders in the legal profession: marketing products around divorce prevention has worked better with Millennial men than other generations of men. I recognize the challenge of this marketing ("preventable products" are a hard sell) and I also recognize the legal complexity. However, a young man who pays $200 to listen to an attorney tell actual stories of divorce that save him $180,000 from an expensive divorce is well worth the cost.

3. The Millennial generation has more single parents than former generations, and this will encumber marriage consideration. Notice that in this study [Update: dead link removed] some Echo Boomers have delayed marriage consideration due to the economic conditions. Obviously, finances are a concern for many Echo Boomers, and marrying someone, who already has kids will add to a person's economic stress.

None of this is illogical; obviously children are more expensive in terms of finances and time than some homes are, so avoiding marriage in these situations can alleviate or prevent financial stress. Echo Boomers, unlike their parents, are inheriting a country with a massive amount of debt and a significant amount of economic uncertainty.

Here's what I expect for the future of marriage rates in the United States:

The United States will look more like Europe and Japan in the Millennial generation; low marriage rates and changing economic demand. I estimate that 33-40% of Echo Boomers will never marry in the United States. The majority of Echo Boomers will marry, but we'll see more single Americans than we have with past American generations.

Remember, this will carry some upside for some companies and individuals! Some successful future companies will succeed by finding products and services that these singles will want. For an example of this, if the United States mirrors Japan, some trends Japan is seeing among its young men [updated link] may be products that can appeal to these single Echo Boomers in the United States (or a current example in the U.S. already: the fitness industry tends to appeal to single Echo Boomers over married Echo Boomers). The same with any company selling dating-related products; this generation will date much more.

Highlights Shared With Thought Leaders On Consequences

First, we'll see positives due to the rise of more single men and women. Housing and rental demand will be much higher, as marriage consolidates housing demand (2 people getting 1 home versus 2 people getting 2 homes). Anything that feeds the dating market - fitness, dating coaches, pickup artists, dating products, etc - will also become popular. We may even see the rise of new products because past American generations were married, so no one thought of business products for single people since this market would be smaller. In addition, niche marketing becomes easier. Selling to married people significantly differs from selling to single men and women; in other words, it will be even easier to sell to married people because of each category being different.

As for the costs, societies with fewer married people tend to be more violent. If you study marriage through human history, then you'll observe that some of its stated benefits through history has been a form of social control. Modern Americans like to think this only applies to one gender, but both genders are actually controlled by marriage in society. These expectations have both positive and negative effects. One major positive effect that cannot be ignored is that married people commit far fewer crimes than single people (even non-violent crimes, like fraud).

In a similar manner, single people work less than married people. Researchers tend to see this pattern significantly in men, but in my research, I've seen it as much in women (though married men do work significantly more than every other group - married women, single men, and single men). What does this mean? In a sentence: married people are more productive and our standard of living is determined by our society's productivity.

Another often-missed pattern of married people is that they create more social cohesion. One reason why is that when comparing single people with married people, married people are more likely to commit and invest in a place than single people. In other words, married people are more likely to stay in their community and get to know their community than single people. (In fact, married people describe "moving" as a difficult challenge compared to single people and the reasoning isn't only related to more family members, but losing connections to their current community).

I cannot absolutely know what will happen in the future. But if I had to predict the future United States I would predict that it would be more violent than now, less productive than now, more on an unsustainable economic path than now, and more socially fragmented than now.

But this may not happen. Echo Boomers may marry more than I expect and we may see some of these trends reverse. That's not what I predict for this generation, but it's not impossible.

How Do Echo Boomers Think?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

According to a few studies, one by Brookings [Update: dead link removed] and one one by Pew, Echo Boomers hold views that are quite different than some previous American generations. Echo Boomers constitute the next major generation of American leaders, and will influence the political spectrum as they mature. Some of the highlights of Echo Boomers' views from the study:

1. Unlike former American generations, Echo Boomers favor isolationist policies. Keep in mind that this generation has been influenced by the U.S. government spending significant amounts of money overseas, while the U.S. has experienced major trouble in our own society. Echo Boomers may be thinking, "Why help others if we can't even help ourselves?

2. Echo Boomers use online media sources for their news more than any other form.

3. Approximately 38% of Echo Boomers identify themselves as Democrat, 26% identify themselves as Republican, and 29% identify themselves as Independent.

4. Among all different political views, Echo Boomers are influenced most by their parents. It should also be of note here that many Echo Boomers have formed political and economic views based on what happened to their parents (outsourcing, Enron, et cetera).

5. Echo Boomers, unlike Generation Xers, favor government jobs and opportunities.

6. Echo Boomers respect energy companies the least, while respecting IT and consumer goods companies the most. When you consider Google and Apple, this should come as no surprise as technology demarcates Echo Boomers from other generations in terms of use. I will caution readers on this point because we see pendulum shifts with industries from one generation to the next. For example iGenZ will probably have a less favorable view toward big tech.

7. Echo Boomers favor more government than former American generations.

Remember

Remember that generations react to what they've seen in previous generations. When Echo Boomers see a company like Enron fail, what do you think they conclude? The same with the bank bailouts during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

I will caution that I have observed that the Baby Boom generation was the most anti-war when younger and became the most pro-war as they aged. I note this here because generations can shift from one point to another and faster than you think. What I highlight here from Brookings and Pew is what we observe right now. But this doesn't mean that these will always hold true for this generation. In addition, some of what older Echo Boomers may think in 20 years may be a reaction to what they thought right now ("I was young and dumb" - the common line we hear from older people).

Will Low Marriage Rates Sap Future Housing Demand?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

As an Echo Boomer, I often hear from adults that the lack of interest in marriage among Echo Boomers will suppress housing demand. In fact, a recent study [Update: dead link removed] has been used by some adults as evidence that Echo Boomers will have low marriage rates, and thus a low demand for housing.

First, I've written about the housing recovery and will write more in the future with pertinent economic data. Frankly, marriage rates of Echo Boomers are far less of a concern than the Millennial financial data. This is not a generation that looks prepared to own homes.

Second, female Echo Boomers that are unable to find partners tend to express interest in owning a home later in life regardless of their marital status. Male Echo Boomers, by contrast, do seem satisfied with renting. My point here is that even if all Echo Boomers stayed single (already untrue), and most female Echo Boomers bought homes and most male Echo Boomers rented, you'd still end up with similar numbers for housing demand in the future plus you'd have added rent on top of that. More single men and women mean more demand for housing in general, though this demand will be for both homes and places to rent (apartments, condos, etc).

Remember that a large generation with more single people will require more housing in general of any type.

Third, marriage doesn't equate to home ownership. Although married Echo Boomers I speak with tend to mention interest in owning homes more than single Echo Boomers, a few single Echo Boomers have already achieved home ownership.