The labels linked to today’s young adults have sought to either quantify or qualitatively describe the market. Some simply focus on the size or relevant position of my birthgroup, while the rest seek to capture the most distinguishing feature. The media’s needs are best met by concentrating on the latter; and who can blame them? A new segment featuring body-piercing "Grungers" is a lot more provocative than placid, violin playing conservatives.

Labels that seek to simplify a particular market by trying to capture its dominant element can create a false sense of security. By concentrating on the titillating attitudes of the more offbeat young adults, the nightly news has unintentionally sparked (and substantiated) sweeping generalizations.

The "designer labels" popularly applied to young adults actually inhibit in-depth understanding. Psychographic labels are particularly perilous because they profess to provide clarity from a bird’s eye perspective. This approach largely depends on a priori assumptions that may be either incomplete or outdated. Labels based on psychographic definitions are inherently flawed for two simple reasons:

• The Snapshot Factor. As with any generation, consumer attitudes, language, and lifestyle needs are constantly evolving. Hip terms such as "Slacker" will quickly become obsolete.

• Market Diversity. Today’s young adults represent the most heterogeneous generation in American history. To assume that 46 million peers are similar is to erroneously generalize that every Baby Boomer camped out at Woodstock.

Is this a proposal for an all-out label boycott? Of course not. Aside from an undeniable trendiness, labels do perform a legitimate function by efficiently conveying maximum information. They foster an economy of words by tapping an implicit understanding when used responsibly.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, let’s simply stick with the most broadly used term: "Generation X". While many people have attempted to link psychographic generalizations to it, the phrase conveniently functions as a blank sheet of paper. It literally says, "I don’t know who today’s young adults really are." The very term "Generation X" represents a challenge to Corporate America to learn more about it and to harness the short and long-term profit potential.

Since successful marketing communicates on a personal level, profile refinement is crucial — especially for a market as diverse and dynamic as Generation X.