Millennial vs. Gen X Parenting

Millennial parents are picking baby names based on available domain names. The new trend emerged in a study examining how the internet is shaping approaches to parenting and how thinking about a child’s online presence now starts while they’re in the womb.

According to the research, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of GoDaddy which surveyed 1,000 millennial parents (aged 24-38) and 1,000 Gen X parents (aged 39-53), as many as one in five (20%) millennial parents said they changed or considered changing their baby’s name based on what domain names were free at the time.

The study compared the parenting approaches of millennial parents against those of Gen X and found a huge growth in the number preparing their kids for a life online before they’re even born.

The importance of a strong internet presence for children has nearly doubled among parents between the generations—48% of millennials believe it’s important for their child to have an online presence early in life, compared to just 27% of Gen X respondents.

Millennials are especially familiar with the value of an online presence, given their own experiences growing up as digital natives.

Millennial parents are much more proactive with getting their kids set up with their own websites, too, as 38% have created or are considering creating a website for their kids. Only 20% of Gen X can say the same.

“It’s no longer enough to make sure that your baby is enrolled at the top elementary school at birth—parents today are claiming their child’s name and online identity to make sure that they’re set up for success down the line,” said Melissa Schneider, trends expert at GoDaddy.

Education on how to represent oneself online is a top priority for parents. Nearly half (42%) of respondents that had created a website for their kids intend to teach them what should and shouldn’t live online, using the website.