Millennials are the digital generation. When we asked them to identify “What is the biggest difference between your generation and previous ones?” only 15 percent of millennials chose “My generation is more informed” and just 5 percent chose “My generation is greener.” In contrast, 40 percent selected “My generation is more digital,” making that their key differentiator.The proportions were even higher in the United States (53 percent), United Kingdom (49 percent), and France (46 percent). The numbers were lower in China and India (25 percent and 28 percent, respectively) because more millennials in these emerging nations identified with “My generation is more global” (34 percent in China, 31 percent in India).

This view of the millennial generation was echoed by the older sample. Overall, 41 percent of respondents aged 40 to 55 cited “more digital” as the biggest difference between today’s youth and their own generation. Agreement was highest in the United Kingdom, at 61 percent. Once again, the Indian and Chinese samples considered globalization the more important differentiator, cited by 33 percent and 28 percent, respectively.