Introduction—U21 Global Survey

As the largest adult generation, Millennials now influence every aspect of civic life around the world. Political activism surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggle for racial justice, organized online and through social media, has been driven largely by a younger global citizenry. This chapter argues that global events during Millennials’ formative years, coupled with the proliferation of the internet and smartphones, led to the creation of a Millennial “core persona.” This core persona is more cosmopolitan, with Millennials seeing themselves as sharing common values across the globe in ways that older generations do not. This chapter provides an overview of the Global Millennial Survey and explains why understanding Millennials matters to the broader global landscape. Finally, it places the book in the context of the debate about the importance of identity and the benefit of the generational identity lens to understand factors that influence attitudes and engagement.