SAN DIEGO -- They are eco-conscious and civic-minded.

They are mobile because their music, pictures and favorite TV shows are all downloaded onto their iPods.

They would also rather text message a friend than make an actual phone call.

They are what some experts call the millennials and they are about to be the largest, most influential generation in America.

"They will become the dominant force in American life in pretty much all spheres," said Michael Hais, co-author of "Millennial Makeover."

Hais and Morley Winograd co-authored a book about the millennial generation born from about 1980 and 2003. They said the book is not for them, but for the rest of us. The authors said we have to conform to the millennials.

"It's mostly the way they were raised. It's their parents fault, it's always the parents fault," said Winograd.

The millennial generation is those who received a trophy just for participating and everybody was considered special.

"It was in the second grade and there was a bike-a-thon for the whole school and everybody had shirts across that said, 'I am special.' I remember like it was yesterday," said millennial Leila Niehuser.

Millennials like Leila were raised by parents who did not really want to put too much pressure on their kids.

Today, these millenials have their priorities and stick with them.

"I do have a work ethic; I'm going to get things done. I'm not going to miss deadlines, but I'm going to get to my yoga class at 5:30," said one millennial.

Baby boomers and Generation X'ers might not like nor understand the millennials, but Hais and Winograd said a new generation comes along about every 40 years and realigns everything from technology to the political process.

Now, it's the millennials' turn.

"Are you saying that if we don't pay attention to this generation we better soon?" 10News' Steve Atkinson asked the authors.

"Well, there won't be any choice," said Hais.

Hais and Winograd said millennials are also the most ethnically diverse and gender-neutral group in American history, which might explain why millennials are the biggest supporters of both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.