A Millennial Crisis: Part 1
by Portia Adams ( I wrote this when I was 17-18ish, kinda angsty)
A little too much gin one, a bit of Barry White in the background to set the mood and my parents. Little did they know, nine months later they would be greeted with lil ol’ me. By societal standards, I’m considered a “millennial” *cringe*, otherwise known as Generation Y. What even is a millennial? According to my “in-depth” research ( I googled it and watched half a YouTube video) we didn't even make up the term it was coined in 1987 by Neil Howe and William Strauss, who are both part of Generation X. Basically, individuals born approximately in 1982 and 2004 (that's like a lot of people, like 20 percent of the world’s population a lot ) . As I was doing my “in-depth” research, there were a few words that kept attaching themselves to the generation, such as: lazy, entitled, narcissistic, and... coddled? I’m guessing you might have come across or heard something like this? Times magazine called millennials “the me ME me generation”. Huh... maybe that's because I had attentive parents that gave me a reward every time I took a dump or because I always got an award for all the sports I was horrible at in school ( #teamparticipationaward aka you literally just showed up to practice). I’m probably the last person to start generalizing an entire generation and I think it is oversimplifying; I just want to start a discussion. Why and how did these words come about? Do you find accuracy in some of these characteristics? Do you think it’s time to start questioning the narrative that is criticizing millennials? Is it just classic hypocrisy, something that you never buy, always have, and can’t seem to ever find the receipt to take back? I'm not here to defend or offend, I’m trying to share a perspective that seeks deeper understanding.
So, let's first talk about the word narcissistic and where is it coming from? Being a young adult is the common denominator for millennials. I really want to place importance on the word young because it’s something that is commonly forgotten when people begin to ridicule millennials for being “self-involved”. When you are a 20 something-year-old, you are at this major curve in your life, constantly making decisions that will impact your future. To be your best self you need to know yourself or at least a greater part of yourself, and that requires some self-reflection, after which point you can know how to properly contribute to society... right? Do you think we are blaming young people for being young and still figuring it out? Some (my mother) say “that's just code word for young people are lazy” arguable, its quite a relative; but lets not forget the thriving job market in 2008 and all the wonderful jobs that awaited thousands of millennials with a degree in college debt.
In contrast, we cannot talk about millennials without talking about technology, how has that advancement, subtract from society? Technology is propelling the virtual world, making access and information more readily available than ever. Social media has a revolutionary impact on the way we govern, communicate, respond ect. Technology is such a powerful tool that holds so much influence and access in our society.
According to Simon Sinek, a guy that broke the internet when he did an interview about millennials in the workplace on “Inside Quest” (link at the end of this page) states that social media is becoming an addiction, and we are connecting into the virtual and disconnecting from physical reality. This in short is hindering our ability to handle real-life engagement. This instant gratification that is constantly allotted by social media is toxic and is creating a decrease of patience.
He goes on to explain the complications of surface-level forms of communication which result in millennials’ difficulty building deep and meaningful relationships due to a lack of a social skillset. In short, we want it fast and easy, just like I want my dentist appointments.
I tapped on a few subjects here about the subject but there is still so much to add to the discussions. That's why this is only part one. Do you agree or disagree with the points given?
Simon Sinke Speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU
Oxford Academy : Use Of Technology
https://academic.oup.com/iwc/article/27/1/36/2357500/Researching-Young-Children-s-Everyday-Uses-of
World Economic Forum: How Social Media Impacts the world
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/6-ways-social-media-is-changing-the-world/
Catalyst: Demographic of Millennial’s in America http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/generations-demographic-trends-population-and-workforce
Telegraph: Millennials
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/work/problem-millennials-workplace/
Time Magazine: Me ME Me generations