If you are like me you try to read as many articles, blogs and books as possible but just cannot catch all of them. “In Case You Missed It” is my way of pointing out a few “reads” that I think are too good to miss.

74 Of The Most Interesting Facts About The Millennial Generation – Dan Schawbel

Throughout the years, I’ve collected some of the most interesting primary and secondary research related to the millennial generation (also termed Gen Y). These stats shed lights on how the economy has affected their lives, their values, how they view the workplace, their consumer and investing habits, political views and entrepreneurial spirit. Here is my full list by category:

Millennials and the economy

• $1 trillion in student dept.
• The average member of Gen Y carries $45 000 in debt.
• Unemployment rate of 16.3%
• 40% of Millennials said their stress had increased last year.
• Just 6 in 10 Millennials have jobs, half are part-time.
• 284,000 American college graduates working in minimum-wage jobs in 2012.
• 48% of employed college graduates work in jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.
• 50% do not believe that Social Security will exist when they reach their retirement age.
• Their average incomes have fallen 8% since the recession began in 2007.
• 63% know someone who had to move back home because of the economy.
• Median net worth fell 37% between 2005 and 2010.
• Average student carries $12,700 in credit-card and other kinds of debt.
• Nearly a third have put off marriage or having a baby due to the recession.
• 88% of millennials are optimistic about finding a job.
• 45% believe a decent paying job is a “priviledge.”
• Over 63% of Gen Y workers have a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Median salary across Gen Y is $39,700.

Read entire article here.

10 Things Millennials Won’t Tell You – Jen Wieczner

1. “Don’t like us? Blame our parents.”

From childhood through today, the distinct combination of cultural touchstones they’ve experienced has set them apart: They watched the Cosby Show, wore slap bracelets, wondered whether O.J. was guilty, worried about Y2K and waited for their Internet to dial-up so they could instant-message their friends.

They saw the World Trade Center towers crumble, and they struggled to find or keep a job in a tough economy. All before the age of 30 or so. Generation Y was born in the 1980s and ’90s—roughly those now between the ages of 18 and 34 (though experts disagree on the precise time frame). These so-called millennials are mostly the children of baby boomers, and at more than 82 million strong, they now outnumber the members of the boomer generation, according to the National Conference on Citizenship.

But the millennials have grown into adulthood with some personality problems that the boomers lacked, according to psychologists who measure such things, including high rates of narcissism, materialism, unrealistically inflated expectations and a startling lack of independence. American college students scored 30% higher on the 40-item Narcissistic Personality Index in 2006 than they did in 1979, for instance, according to a study led by psychologist Jean Twenge of San Diego State University.

And many experts lay the blame for some of these problems at the feet of the parents, specifically those who bought into the then-popular “everybody gets a trophy” school of child-raising—showering their kids with positive affirmations and telling them they could be anything they wanted to be, says Twenge, also the author of “Generation Me”.

Read entire article here.

Going Deeper With Kids: Asking Great Questions – Todd Lowans

I sat intently and listened as Jon talked about how broken, devastated and utterly hopeless he felt. I listened for what must have been an hour straight (it was definitely 2 venti coffees). There were a ton of times I bit my tongue as to not cut in. I knew I needed to listen and take it in. By it I don’t just mean what he was saying but what he was feeling and communicating, under the veil.

Then it was my turn. Jon said, “What do you think about all this? How do i fix it?”

This would be the even more challenging part. You see the it wasn’t a parental divorce, or a major life decision, it was that his girlfriend of 7 weeks broke up with him. In the grand scheme of life, not devastating, not life changing, not a big deal (can I say that?). But to him, in this moment, it was earth shattering.

As Campus Life leaders our job in these situations (and other more serious ones) is to listen well then ask great questions that get to the core of the issue. That way we can bring it back to the Gospel in an intelligent way.

Read entire article here.