11 things millennials do that their parents wouldn't recognize

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• The millennial generation generally includes people born between 1981 and 1996.
• Through their sheer size, they've affected industries such as fast food, fast fashion, and higher education.
• They parent differently from their parents — and run their lives differently too.

Everyone loves to hate millennials.

The Pew Research Center recently defined this generation as people born between 1981 and 1996. And boy, are they shaking things up.

They're killing industries left and right, from napkins to diamond rings. They're marrying later and starting nontraditional families. Those rascals!

Below, we rounded up some of millennials' most significant departures from tradition — "tradition" being the way their parents did things. Read on to find out how this much-maligned generation is changing life as we know it.

Instead of preparing meals, millennials are more likely to order takeout.

The food industry is responding to major shifts in the way young people eat.

Business Insider's Akin Oyedele reported that millennials spent the least amount of time on meal preparation compared with older generations. Instead, they're more likely to eat at restaurants, pick up prepared meals, or order delivery.

Instead of drinking beer, millennials prefer wine and spirits.

Millennials are drinking less alcohol than older generations in general. But when they do drink, they prefer wine and spirits to beer.

Citing Nielsen data, Business Insider's Kate Taylor reported that beer penetration in the US market fell by 1% from 2016 to 2017 while wine and spirits stayed the same. UBS and Goldman Sachs have also found that millennials are less interested than previous generations in beer.

Instead of attending lectures, millennials want to learn online.

It's screens versus lectures.

Business Insider reported on a survey in which 69% of people 18 to 34 years old said they thought they learned more from technology than from people, compared with 50% of people older than 45 who said the same.

And there's evidence that Generation Z — those born after millennials — could be even more disinclined to pursue higher education, especially to avoid falling into debt.

See Also:

• 23 things most millennials have never heard of
• First date etiquette differs around the world — here are the rules you need to know in 11 countries
• 7 adults went undercover in high school for 4 months — see how the 20-somethings passed as teens

SEE ALSO: 23 things most millennials have never heard of