What Even Are Millennial's?

Hey guys,

For my coursework I am tasked with creating a tv show for one of the ITV channels of my choosing which will target a specific audience; Mainstream Millennials.

But what are 'millennials'?

Not exactly Kanye. Well there are quite a few definitions, but primarily they are known as people born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. They are so called because they turned 18 in or after 2000. They are also collectively known as Generation Y. - The Guardian

 That definition is only part of the target audience. I am researching 'mainstream' millennial's. While mainstream typically means; ideas, attitudes and activities which are shared among many people and are regarded as normal and conventional, we may also want to take a step back and consider the psychographic group mainstreamers.

The psychographic group is one of the largest and they are described as  'domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental and favour value for money family brands'.

Something which I found really funny (I probably shouldn't have laughed, oh well) was how 'The Guardian' described millennials in their article called: Does Anyone Even Know What a Millennial is Anymore?  

Within the article it stated:

Bad news, everyone: those pesky millennials have killed another industry. I know, just when you thought those bloodthirsty market-murderers couldn’t top topping the marmalade industry, the motorcycle industry, and the “restaurants where you get to stare at the waitresses’ breasts” industry, they’ve struck again, like the serial killer in the movie Se7en (and we can’t even name the actor in that now because snowflake millennials have killed the “sexual abusers in Hollywood” industry).

All in all it's a joke. At least I hope it is. But there is some truth within this mockery paragraph. In terms of psychographics, millennials are formed by a bunch of them, however, I think the most notable groups are reformers and aspires. They have done a lot to change old views in society and with the uprising with social media they have also encouraged society to speak up and to speak out more on the issue of the world. 

They may be seen as causing drama, but really I feel as though through the countless protests just these past few years - which are usually led by the age group which millennials fall into - I believe that we can gather the information that millennials don't mind making a big scene, and if anything they would rather cause a big one and go big to get their point across.

One of the most popular tv genres amongst millennials are reality tv and soap opera's and one of the most popular shows amongst the millennials currently is 'Love Island' which is now ITV2's most viewed show and it gets more than 2.9 million views per episode. 
I believe people enjoy the show because the concept is nice, people are trying to find love, but the drama, the tensions, the out pour of emotions which follow is what keeps the audience reeled in. 

If mainstreamers enjoy sentimental and conventional programmers then Love Island could fit the bill as it covers the topic of love from many different angles allowing the viewers to be able to relate, and there is something about watching people grow for six weeks and being able to comment on their life choices which just seems to satisfy mainstreamers. Possibly because that's what many people do on social media anyways.

So we've chatted for a while now. If there is anything to take away from today just remember that mainstream millennials are typically anyone with at least one social media, aged 18 -35 with a general interest in changing some aspects of the world for the better.

And if it's still hard to picture a millennial then know this: it's either Kim Kardashian, or someone who's old enough (but not too old) to know how Kim Kardashian actually became famous;)