In a follow up to last week’s post regarding how each generation views information in the workplace, I’d like to dig deeper and look at owning vs. renting content.

In today’s technology based world, we have everything at our fingertips. This delights Milennials who believe that the ability to access ad share information quickly is power. Milennials are content to pay a monthly fee to companies like Netflix, Spotify, Pandora, and Hulu to stream data and entertainment. Whereas the generations before them would amass large collections of records, Milennials are content to just have the information rapidly available with no ownership.

This goes against the collectors and protectors of information in the Baby Boomer and Traditionalist Generations. Boomers and Traditionalists would see their collections as a tribute to their own tastes, status, and interest. They would carefully curate a collection of items dear to them and share these items with the ones they loved.

Milennials are not collectors. They just want the information on-demand and are content to turn it back in when they are done. Milennials are geared toward individualized entertainment. They watch and listen with portable devices and ear buds almost anywhere.

These striking contrasts between the generations are a result of technological advancements. It doesn’t mean that we can’t all communicate effectively, but the better we understand each other’s Generational Codes, the more successful we all will be.