PETALING JAYA: For home-maker Regina Shanthi, it is important that one has faith in God and never forgets his culture.
“These are the factors that shape you as a person and help you lead a better life,” the 54-year-old mother told theSun.
But for her daughter Naomi Asha Raj, who is still a student at age 23, religion is anything but a priority. “What’s more important for me is to be able to live a comfortable life and to save up for the future,” she said.
This gap between the two generations is anything but surprising.
For ages, the elders had often decried how the young had forgotten their roots. But then again, priorities change with the times.
For instance the age at which couples tie the knot has risen. In 1947, the average age couples in Malaysia exchanged vows was 18.5 years. It rose to 22.3 years in 1970 and by 2020, it averaged 30 years for men and 28 for women.
Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are more inclined to place comfort and flexibility over security compared with baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964).
Such differences are inevitable, according to anthropologist Dr See Hoon Peow. “We are the products of the times we grew up in,” he told theSun.
He pointed out that baby boomers grew up in the post-World War II years, an era of rebuilding and optimism for the future.
On the other hand, millennials are products of the internet era, when the world has become a smaller place, See, who is also chief executive officer of Berjaya University College, said.
“Baby boomers are more prudent, while millennials are lucky enough to be born into more affluent families, making them bigger spenders,” he noted.
When making purchases, millennials are most at ease with the e-wallet at the payment counter while their parents continue to place their trust in cold hard cash, another difference that is only to be expected.
See pointed out that there is also a contrast between the two generations’ lifestyles. Unlike the extended family that baby boomers are used to, millennials are more likely to have their own place to start a family.
He said the change is also partly the result of urbanisation. “Millennials tend to move to the cities for work, leaving their baby boomer parents in the small towns,” he said.
However, the reverse is also true for some communities. For instance, while non-Muslim baby boomer parents are more religious than their children, the offsprings of Muslim families tend to place greater emphasis on observing their religious obligations than their parents.
See attributed this to the Islamic revival across the globe.
At work, baby boomers are more cautious and tend to remain in the same company, some for life.
See sees this as an indication that they have a sense of direction.
“Millennials are more daring, they like to explore new grounds so on paper they appear to job hop,” he said.
“But then again millennials live in a fast-paced world. Things change quickly, making it difficult for them to set a clear direction.”
See said this could also be attributed to the fact that millennials are less risk averse because they are more highly educated, have more opportunities and they can always fall back on their parents when things go wrong.
But there are subtle similarities too. For instance, millennials are just as optimistic as baby boomers and more liberal than Gen X-ers (born between 1965 and 1980).
Regina and her daughter Naomi, too, share some similarities.
When it comes to vocational pursuits, both agree that it does not necessarily have to be “professional” in the traditional sense.
For instance, Regina loves art and that would have been her choice if she had gone on to pursue a career while Naomi loves music and sports.
