February 2020 SPRAY 21
Millennials are also far more diverse than prior generations,
with higher levels of ethnic and racial diversity and a lower likelihood
of having served in the military. Not surprisingly, they are
also on track to be the most educated generation in U.S history,
with more than 60% having some postsecondary education.3
The use of technology and social media are cornerstones of
how this generation interacts with the world and particularly
with social media. Ninety-five percent of Millennials follow
brands through social media with Millennial parents leading
non-parents by a substantial margin.5
Although more than a million Millennial women are becoming
mothers each year, they have been waiting to become parents
longer than prior generations. In 2016, 48% of Millennial
women, ages 20–35 at the time, were mothers. By contrast, 57%
of GenX women were moms at the same age, following a trend
of delayed parenthood observed since the 1970s.
While this generation may be delaying parenthood by a
substantial margin, interest in becoming a mother/father is very
prevalent, with 52% of Millennials stating that being a good
parent was the most important goal of their lives in one survey;
a separate study reported 60% of Millennials stating that being a
good parent is extremely important to their overall identity.6
Outlook on Health Care
It is well documented that Millennials are redefining the concept
of what it means to be healthy. As they conceptually combine
the idea of one’s physical health with more a holistic sense
of mental and full-body well-being, the influence Millennials
are exerting over the pharmaceutical industry is becoming more
clearly defined and understood. No longer are pharmaceutical
companies considered trustworthy; 37% of Millennials consider
current U.S. health care system “poor” or “terrible,” and many
believe that the industry is greedy and puts profits ahead of
patient well-being.7
To address their frustrations, this group relies heavily on
a personal network and a wide variety of informal resources,
including an array of digital resources, to manage their health
and wellness needs. Even primary care physicians are being
sidelined, with only 61% of Millennials having a primary care
provider. Moreover, a minority of Millennials (41%), as opposed
to a majority of respondents from other generations (68%), view
doctors as the best sources of health information8 and 32% of
Americans ages 18 to 34 years old think that they could be a
doctor with little or no training.9
These observations coincide with the wide availability of
information, no longer held as the exclusive property of the
consumer health care industry, and a growing openness to
alternative medicine and do-it-yourself approaches to wellness.