Ypulse Essentials: Naming The Next Generation, Millennials Rely On Their Parents Financially, Pepsi Gets Down With Michael Jackson

Gen Z? iGeneration? The Homeland Generation? There’s much debate about what the next generation should be called (but one thing’s for sure: they need a name soon! There’s a push to classify those younger than Millennials with a name that represents their generation, yet with so many options in the air by theorists, marketers, media outlets, etc., the generation that’s still forming remains nameless. What do you think they should be called? Tell us in the comments below! Speaking of naming a generation, Neil Howe, the man who coined the term Millennials, will be speaking at the Millennial Mega Mashup in Miami next week so stay tuned for updates on the conference and all things youth!) (USA Today)

- It’s no secret that Millennials rely on their parents for financial support (with nearly a quarter saying their parents pay for their cell phone, and 20% say their parents pay for food, Internet, and insurance. Yet this is putting a strain on Boomers, many of whom are supporting their parents as well. In fact, 71% of boomers said they helped pay for their children’s college tuition or loans, 55% let them live at home rent-free, and 53% helped their children buy a car, which has slowed down many of their retirement savings) (Business Insider) (MSNBC)

- In Pepsi’s latest foray into entertainment (the brand has partnered with Michael Jackson’s estate to feature MJ in its ads, place his picture on cans, and offer remixes of his songs, which Pepsi drinkers can access by scanning codes on the cans. Between the pop culture connection and obvious nostalgia, they hope to bring Pepsi to the top of consumers’ minds, particularly Millennials) (Huff Po) (USA Today)

- Reverse psychology may be the solution to discourage Millennials from texting and driving (as this Belgian advocacy group discovered. They challenged young potential drivers to text while driving through a training course. The drivers quickly realized how difficult and dangerous it is, which will hopefully prevent them from trying it when they're on the road for real. We’re glad that so many companies are helping to prevent this problem, considering that 67% of Millennials admit to having sent texts while driving, according to Ypulse research) (Mashable)

- Unfortunately less than half of Millennials feel informed about skin cancer (and 1 in 5 women aged 18-24 do not apply sunscreen. We were saddened to hear these stats from Total Beauty Media Group and hope that as summer approaches, Gen Yers are more careful and take preventative measures to be safe in the sun) (PR Web)

- Superhero movies are taking over the screens this summer (including cellphones! We’re talking about Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man augmented reality app which lets fans interact with the hero online and in the real world by scanning features on social channels — including the movie’s website, retail locations, and online platforms like Entertainment Weekly and Activision — to unlock 3D animations. And as we mentioned earlier, Walmart is also offering superhero AR apps that make the characters come to life in stores. Speaking of major super heroes, Ryan Gosling — who has saved a women’s life and broken up fights — is now getting his own comic book. Kapow!) (Kidscreen) (Refinery29)

- And finally for a little Friday fun... (Here's a look at the new product Instagram is rumored to be rolling out after receiving a $1 billion payout from Facebook. Funny, we think we had one of these years ago...) (The Verge)