Stereotyping Millennials Proves Difficult

Millennials, the cultural group between the ages of 18 and 29, are playing an active role in communities through civic engagement, a recent study claims, undermining the generation's stereotype of Instagram-loving tweeters.

A recent study, called the Millenials Civic Health Index, released Wednesday by The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) found that Millenials are using their resources to progress society and evoke public action, challenging the norm and bringing real change to America.

 “This groundbreaking research underscores, in red ink, that young Americans play too critical of a role in our democracy to simply be mischaracterized and dismissed as ‘lazy’, ‘apathetic’, and ‘entitled’,” says CIRCLE lead researcher Kei Kawashima-Ginsber.

“This report shows that when communities are open to engaging Millennials in an authentic way, they become places in which people want to work and live,” said Mobilize.org Board Chair, Kari Saratovsky. “Authentic programs and initiatives that cultivate youth ownership in local communities are powerful reminders of the work that can and has been done to strengthen our nation's civic health."

The study revealed potentially surprising details about Millenial values: when asked about their most important life priorities, 52 percent said the most important thing will be to be a good parent, 30 percent said having a successful marriage, and 21 percent said helping others.

"Working to better understand and engage with [Millenials]... is not only critical to ensuring a healthy democracy and citizenry, but also imperative for today's political campaigns looking to appeal to this key demographic," said Harvard's Institute of Politics Director Trey Grayson.