Millennial Generations & Their Parents: Similarities and Differences

This study aims to investigate the similarities and differences between the youth generation and their parents. The youth’s generation’s personality characteristics, work values, life style, social and cultural values, preference of communications ways seems different from their parent’s generation. The previous information helps parents to provide effective parenting strategies to develop their offspring’s personalities, abilities, and potential to the ultimate level. Also, the research findings will help family counselors, university counselors, educators, and administrators to understand the youths, as well as provide effective services for them to enhance their growth level in different areas. A sample of 616 students consisting of male and female students was selected randomly from eight scientific and humanities colleges at Sultan Qaboos University. A questionnaire was used to measure factors that generate similarities and differences between the youth generations and their parents. The reliability and the validity of the instrument were high and suitable for implementation. The study shows that the millennial generation has similarity to parents in the cultural values, work values. Differences indicated in the communication styles and optimism in the new generations due to social media and technology effect. Farther results of the current study were discussed in details. This study gives the needed insight for the governmental agencies in getting better understanding of the needs of current youth. The recommendation for parents, family counselors, university counselors, educators and administrators was discussed.