Why Are Millennials “Childish?”
While Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm the past week, not everyone is happy about it. Those who didn’t grow up with the first generation of pocket monsters in 1997 cannot understand why those in their 20s and early 30s would flock to such a “childish” game. The reason behind its success shouldn’t be surprising at all — it’s about nostalgia. More so, it’s about escapism for a generation that has largely known nothing but misery the past decade.
Millennials grew up in the 90s, arguably a time when it seemed that economic prosperity was all but guaranteed. The internet seemed poised to deliver profits through to eternity. It was a fascinating time for all technology including that which gave us handheld games like Pokémon, A&R tech which gave us a new generation of pop acts, and CGI technology which gave us memorable blockbusters of a different scale.
Our Boomer parents all but assured us that if we studied hard, we would be able to participate in this profit taking too. We were destined for success. Then, 9/11 happened and the Dotcom bubble burst. Years later, the big one: the Great Recession wiped trillions from the economy in 2008. Suddenly my generation graduating college was left with little economic prospects. The aching pain for nostalgia, a time when we still believed all was possible reigned supreme.
Before you accuse Millennials and the Buzzfeed listicles that cater to their sense of nostalgia of being childish, let’s take a trip back in time… To the 1930s.
The only generation that can truly understand the economic and emotional pain of the Millennial generation is The Depression generation. Much like the seemingly unstoppable 1990s, the 1920s too made it seem as if the gravy train would never stop. Until it did. They too were about as penniless as my own generation.
The only real difference between then and now is the modern conveniences which make it seem not as bad. We don’t have shanty towns and dust bowls — but the younger generation in both cases has very little money or wage earning potential. Both mostly live(d) at home because they cannot afford rent or property. Both sought out nostalgic forms of escapism.
Three things became very popular in the 30s: movies, radio and baseball. Since very few avenues of technology existed, these three things were the main source of escapist entertainment. People could spend an entire day in the movies for very little money. Baseball offered cheap seats, and minor league teams were also a popular attraction. If you were lucky enough to afford one, the golden age of radio was a way to escape to lands far and near — or just to listen to a favorite comedian.
The things these methods of escapism have in common is that they’re all populist. Yet, we still have these populist forms of entertainment today, so why are Millennials instead into “childish” things like PokemonGo?
Well first let’s take a look at the word childish. It assumes that what Millennials are into is made for children. But is it? Nostalgia is big business. When Niantic was doing market research for this game, they tested the waters with my generation, not 10 year olds. Why? Because they knew it was my generation that would be most interested. Nostalgia — it’s practically what turned Buzzfeed into a billion dollar enterprise. It’s what added $9billion to Nintendo’s stock price in days.
But it’s still childish you may say. But is it? Is it any more or less childish than the super hero movies coming out every few months, movies 40-somethings are also attending? Is it any more or less childish than adults who read comics? Is it any more or less childish than grown men buying up Star Wars and Marvel action figures? Is it any more or less childish than all the 80s remakes so obviously catered to Gen-X?
No it isn’t, and it’s also had a very positive impact on the generation it’s aimed at.
Millennials can’t afford many of the escapist forms of entertainment once pursued by the Depression generation. Studies continue to show Millennials aversion to dropping $15 on a single movie. Baseball and other live venues have become wholly. unaffordable to anybody not sitting in company seats. Yet we still seek out entertainment which allows us to check out from how awful things are.
PokemonGo, a free phone game, has had an incredible communal aspect. It’s brought people together from different socioeconomic backgrounds and races. It’s gotten people out of the house and walking around, exercising — like geocaching apps before it. It’s social enough to get people to befriend others they wouldn’t have before. Perhaps it’s even a possible networking tool too.
Many in Gen-X making fun of us would rather say it’s leading to robberies and data abuse. The underlying cynicism is that Millennials are not responsible enough to be treated like adults. Somehow, it’s easy to overlook that robbery, data abuse and walking into things on your phone long existed before PokemonGo and will after too. Street smarts will always evade some.
What those with economic opportunity fail to understand is that Millennials are not childish. We just need to check out sometimes. We have seen a decade of stagnant wages prevent us from fully appreciating all that adulthood offers us, things like home ownership, financial independence or starting a family. Instead of getting cynical and moping about because of that, we’ve instead chosen to invest in nostalgia.
If that nostalgia has the power to bring people together, I say that’s a good thing. So instead of criticizing people for being “childish” how about assessing your own proclivity for childishness? What things do you like which are also allegedly aimed at children? Probably a lot, because nostalgia is a happy feeling. If something makes someone happy, something that is largely benign apart from your hatred of it, why be that curmudgeon? If something appeals to multiple generations, isn’t that good?
Instead of criticizing Millennials for walking by your home hunting Pokemon, how about be grateful you can afford a home? Instead of shitting on Millennials for catching Pokemon near your workplace, be happy you have a job — one which likely pays a lot better than anything we have available to us.
The Millennial generation has a lot to be unhappy about. So too did the Depression generation. I’m just of the opinion that if something makes someone happy despite the miserable world in which we live, that’s a good thing.
(Post originally appeared on my personal blog: https://sarcasticny.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/why-are-millennials-childish/)
