They've also developed a trail-and-error approach to problem-solving — Nintendo, anyone? — which contrasts to the more rule-oriented approach of other generations. And they tend to take things literally, Bender says. "If you say 'you ought to think about doing this,' to us that means go and do it. To them, it means go and think about it."

On the other hand, the Millennials are very adept at multitasking and work well in teams and with mentors. They are open to learning, just not by lecture.

They do look for frequent and immediate feedback. In fact, they the expect instant everything. "They want it all, and they want it now," Bender says. They connect 24/7. They can find information 24/7. They have little tolerance for delays.

But they are also very civic minded. A survey conducted by Cone, a business strategy and communications firm, found that 61 percent of Millennials feel "personally responsible for making a difference in the world."

We are already seeing the influence the younger voters are having in politics, Bender says. "In large part, they are driving the Obama campaign."

Millennials will also change the ways companies do business. For example, companies will have to not only have Web sites, "but those Web sites must be interactive, and they must change a lot."

Having Internet access on the sales floor is not be big deal, she said, "they can get that at home. But some companies are starting to offer a cell phone service that you can sign up for when you enter the store, and then you get text messages about various products as you shop. My 80-year-old mother-in-law would not know what to do with that. But my 21-year-old daughter would love it."

Overall, Bender believes that the positives will outweigh the negatives for the Millennials. "They really are great kids. It's just that we have to learn how to deal with them." From numerous focus groups with the generation she had found that "they think it is cool when you know what they are talking about and try to understand them," she says.

Here's a tip for parents, she adds. "When my kids became teenagers, I quit listening to the radio stations I liked and started listening to 'Top 40' radio, and to read their magazines, and really dig into their world. It is an amazing place."

The biggest challenge, she says, is for other generations to learn how they operate and how to get along with them in the workplace and in the marketplace and even at home. "There will be a learning curve. But that's par for the course. That happens with every generation."

On the other hand, she says, "they have had so many more opportunities and so much technology that we didn't have, they will have so many gifts to give us. They will open new worlds. It's safe to say that the Millennials are going to change the world, or at least as we know it."

That, after all, is what new generations do.

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com