Read the January cover story, "The Graying of America: Can Insurance Cope?"

But who are these young people we're trying to reach?

Born between 1982 and 2002, millennials were the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media. According to Neil Howe and William Straus in their book "Millennials Rising," they are "the 'Babies on Board' of the early Reagan years, the 'Have You Hugged Your Child Today' sixth graders of the early Clinton years, and the teens of Columbine."

Millennials are very different from their Gen X predecessors (now in their 30s), more akin to baby boomers in their sanguine acceptance of new technology (just as baby boomers were the first generation weaned on TV, millennials were born with a silver mouse in their hands).

Digital media are an integral part of their lives--and a key way to reach them as both consumers and potential employees. According to the recent Insurity/Microsoft "Millennials in Insurance Survey 2008," an online survey of more than 700 millennials 18 to 27 years old, 77 percent use social networking, 71 percent use instant messaging, and 59 percent use wikis, and they fully expect to be able to use these technologies as part of their jobs as well.






The good news is, 55 percent of respondents said they would consider insurance as a possible career choice or they currently work in the industry.

AA&B spoke with two of these young people, both of whom had been introduced to insurance through IIABA's InVEST insurance education program, which is robust in Florida. Here are their stories:

Amy Jo Kinzel

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