Millennials — the always-connected generation, those born between 1981 and 2000 — have such a "thirst for instant gratification and quick fixes" that they're at risk of making poor life decisions based on findings from a fast Google search or a text message response from a friend.

That's the worst-case scenario, according to 42 percent of the 1,021 Internet "experts" from think tanks, research groups, corporations and universities queried by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University in a new study, "Millennials will benefit and suffer due to their hyperconnected lives."

A somewhat brighter future is hoped for by 55 percent, who say that Millennials "are learning more and they are adept at finding answers to deep questions, in part because they can search effectively and access collective intelligence via the Internet." Changes in learning behavior "and cognition among the young generally produce positive outcomes."

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