millennial is the name given to the generation born from 1981 to 1996 dates now clarified by the pew research center although some have seen them as starting in 1980 and being born as late as 2004 1 also known as generation y gen y the millennial generation follows generation x gen x in terms of numbers it has edged out the baby boomers as the most significant generation in american history 
millennials are so named because they were born near or came of age during the dawn of the 21st century the new millennium as the first to be born into a digital world members of this group are considered digital natives technology has always been a part of their everyday lives it s been estimated that they check their phones as many as 150 times daily and serving them has been a major contributing factor to the growth of silicon valley and other technology hubs 2research has shown the millennial generation to be the most ethnically and racially diverse in u s history gen y tends to be progressive in their political views and voting habits and less religiously observant than their predecessors gen x 3