As generations come and go, so change trends about what’s popular and in demand and what isn’t. With the Millennials well into adulthood now and some approaching middle age, some clear preferences are starting to emerge.
Some of the things out of favor aren’t going to go away, but the desire for them is definitely dropping. In some cases, that’s good; in others, it leaves us a little sad.
Marriage
Marriage rates have declined in recent years. Many Millennials are delaying until they’ve established their careers and paid off student debt. Others don’t see as much value in the institution as older generations do.
Movie Theaters
Theaters have gotten better with screens, sound, and concessions, but prices keep rising, too. Many are choosing to stream from home and skip the high prices and annoying audience members.
Car Ownership
Cars have always been expensive, and they’ve recently become more expensive than ever. To save money and reduce their ecological footprint, a lot of younger people are turning to Uber and similar services, walking and bicycling, and public transit.
Bar Soap
Even with softening additives, many bar soaps are caustic to the skin. Liquid soaps are less so and often contain replenishing oils and other ingredients.
Cruise Vacations
Cruises will never go away, but younger generations are interested in more active getaways. Maybe reduced demand will lower prices for those who prefer a relaxed, all-inclusive way of seeing the sights.
Cable TV
For years, cable companies had us at their mercy and could charge what they wanted while delivering poor customer service. Now, the tide has turned thanks to streaming and interest-specific offerings online.
Dining in at Restaurants
For many, going out to eat is a treat. For many others, it’s a chore because of wait lines, unpredictable service, the expectation to tip well regardless of quality of service, and the downtime between being done and ready to go and waiting for the check. It’s no wonder that meal delivery and curbside takeout have caught fire.
Fast Food
Like cars and cruises, fast food is unlikely to ever disappear. Nonetheless, younger generations are increasingly shunning it in favor of healthier options even when they’re more expensive.
Lottery Tickets
There’s no one who wouldn’t love to win the lottery. However, research shows that nearly ? of people who buy lottery tickets are older than Millennials. It’ll be interesting to see how that trends as Millennials get older.
Department Stores
The internet and niche stores have all but killed off department stores for Millennials and younger generations. Maybe that’s why they’ve all but turned into ghost towns in…
Shopping Malls
Once the hub of family shopping and teenage activity on Friday and Saturday nights, shopping malls have been steadily dying. They’re another casualty of the internet and their own excesses.
Napkins
Why buy napkins when you can spend the same amount on paper towels? The latter are more absorbent, and they often come in half-perforated sizes that make it easy to use only as much as you need.
Men’s Dress Suits
A jacket and tie will probably never go out of style. Thanks to the recent trend toward more casual wear, though, many companies are okay if you’re not dressed for a formal occasion.
Designer Clothes
You don’t have to pay designer prices for designer-quality clothes anymore. The store brands often look just as good and perform just as well, and the kids have caught on to this.
Meat
Okay, Americans are never going to stop eating steak. Still, Millennials and Gen Zers have more vegans and vegetarians in their ranks. They won’t end the consumption of beef, pork, and poultry, but their abstinence might affect prices in ways we don’t know yet.
Landlines
People of all generations have been dropping landlines for years now. However, Millennials are the first generation with large numbers of people who never grew up with landlines at all; therefore, they feel little incentive to get one.
Postcards and Letters
Email, texting, and social media have all but killed off actual handwritten communication among younger people. As Gen Z grows up and Boomers depart, expect this trend to increase.
Corked Wine
In the early 2000s, many wine producers switched from cork to metal screw-off tops to avoid cork taint, which affected up to 10% of bottled wine. Now that Millennials are of legal drinking age, many are used to this and not persuaded by attempts to bring cork back.
Cigarettes
Years of high taxes and education about the deadly effects of smoking paid off with vastly lower rates of cigarette use. The news isn’t all good, though, as vaping has become quite popular among younger people.
Children
Birth rates have declined among Millennials for reasons similar to declines in marriage, but there’s another factor for some. Millennials as a generation are more environmentally conscious than preceding generations, and in a world with more than 8 billion people and dwindling resources, many find it irresponsible to bring more people into it.
Like every other generation, Millennials have their own preferences that affect society more broadly. As Gen Z grows up, expect change to be the one constant.
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