Truth about the youth: The difference of the Filipino millennial

MANILA, Philippines — The millennials – also known as Generation Y, the YOLO generation, or those born between 1981 and 2000 – are taking over. 

By 2025, millennials are estimated to account for 72% of the global workforce. This means that the attitudes and traits of these self-involved, selfie-taking individuals are what will be shaping various industries, both as workers and consumers. That’s why so much extensive research is being done to get a better picture of them.

So far, much of the research that’s been done have generalized this generation. Studies tend to summarize insights from millennials in developing and developed countries, where circumstances greatly vary.

What about the little nuances that make Filipino millennials different? 

In order to paint a clearer picture of Filipino millennials, McCann Truth Central, McCann Worldgroup’s global thought leadership unit, conducted an original study for 2016 dubbed The Truth About The Youth Philippines.

This is part of a larger study that consists of findings from 33,000 interviews across 18 countries including the US, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines.

As it turns out, there are certain things the Filipino youth do or care about more than their millennial counterparts in other countries. Here are some interesting statistics to note: 

On adulthood, thanks to multi-generational homes and a highly collectivist culture, Filipinos are more closely knit to their family. 

• 83% of Filipino youth are still heavily reliant on their parents for advice, as compared to 73% globally
• However, Filipino youth believe that 30 is the age at which it stops being socially acceptable to live with parents – 2 years younger than the global average of 32. 

Filipino millennials are more active on social media, and are more easily influenced by it compared to their peers

• 22% of Filipino youth have written a negative comment about somebody they know, higher than the Asia-Pacific average of 16%
• 61% of Filipino youth feel pressured to portray themselves in the best way possible on social media, higher than the global average of 53%. 
• 1 in 2 Filipino youth say that seeing their friends post on social media can make them feel inadequate

Filipino youth also feel strongly compelled to make an impact on other people’s lives.

• 96% feel that we all have a responsibility to make a positive contribution to the community we live in – higher than the global average (89%).
• 26% of Filipino youth want to be remembered as a person who has changed the world.

These are just some of the figures from the worldwide Youth Study conducted by McCann Truth Central. The full results will be released at a later date.

It’s interesting to see the little discrepancies that set the Filipino millennial generation apart from their peers. It begs to ask: how else are we different, and how are these differences relevant for our country’s future? – Rappler.com