<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Lost Generation </Li> <Li> G.I. Generation </Li> <Li> Silent Generation </Li> <Li> Baby boomers </Li> <Li> Generation X </Li> <Li> Millennials </Li> <Li> Generation Z </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> Lost Generation </Li> <Li> G.I. Generation </Li> <Li> Silent Generation </Li> <Li> Baby boomers </Li> <Li> Generation X </Li> <Li> Millennials </Li> <Li> Generation Z </Li> </Ul> <P> Millennials (also known as Generation Y) are the generational demographic cohort following Generation X . There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years . Millennials are sometimes referred to as "echo boomers" due to a major surge in birth rates in the 1980s and 1990s, and because millennials are often the children of the baby boomers . The 20th - century trend toward smaller families in developed countries continued, however, so the relative impact of the "baby boom echo" was generally less pronounced than the post--World War II baby boom . </P> <P> Although Millennial characteristics vary by region, depending on social and economic conditions, the generation is generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies . In most parts of the world, their upbringing was marked by an increase in a liberal approach to politics and economics; the effects of this environment are disputed . The Great Recession has had a major impact on this generation because it has caused historically high levels of unemployment among young people, and has led to speculation about possible long - term economic and social damage to this generation . </P>

When is the cutoff for being a millennial