Housewives Are One Surprising Solution To “Millennial Burnout”
Whether for being right or for missing the mark, that millennial burnout piece sure has made a splash. Ann Helen Peterson, writing for Buzzfeed News, weaves an interesting explanation about how society’s increasing work-related demands (more education, more qualifications, more debt) weigh heavily on millennials’ psyches — to the point that many of them find themselves unable to muster remaining motivation to do even ordinary tasks of daily living (“errand paralysis” about what you could call “adulting”) = Millennial Burnout.
There are plenty of criticisms available here. “How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation” offers a story of privileged, highly-educated burnout, when actually it’s a burnout story that applies towards people of many ages who find themselves working in the 24/7 information economy of today. And oh yeah, burnout intersectionality.
Personally, I’m not sure about the “burnout” label for this state of affairs in the first place, it seems a little idiosyncratic and overly broad. In any case, the “errand paralysis” hook is pretty compelling and widely relatable: why can’t kids today bring themselves to just “adult” and do the things that they need (and, on some level, want) to do? You know: registering to vote, managing insurance paperwork, getting knives sharpened, cleaning and maintenance…
