The millennial ‘problem’
*Disclaimer, I’m a millennial. Read this however you want through that lens.
Millennials have been called the cheapest generation, the me me me generation, lazy, and the biggest one: entitled.
I think it’s a safe assumption that there is a lot of criticism focused on millennials. And to be fair, we are the most studied and discussed generation in history, so not all of that can be good.
This is problematic for two reasons: these traits may or may not be accurate and these negative descriptors are defining my generation.
Maybe we are entitled, narcissistic, and lazy, but maybe we can look at these traits differently.
Entitled. The biggest accusation. But Caroline Beaton a writer at Forbes, believes that might not be a bad thing. “Entitlement means simply, ‘what an individual believes he or she deserves.’” Throughout history, it could be argued, that entitled people aided social progress. Entitled women fought for the right to vote at the beginning of the 20th century. Entitled African Americans fought for equality during civil rights (and still are fighting).
Narcissistic. Perhaps that one is true. But, every generation is narcissistic and that is following a century of American individualism. Research has found that narcissism increases slightly with every generation, so yes millennials are self-absorbed. But, the increase between Gen Y and Gen X is very subtle, so I have a hard time understanding how this is a defining characteristic of my generation.
Lazy, actually is the one I’m going to object to. Yes, we received participation trophies. Yes, some of us live with our parents still. But, 25% of millennials aren’t using paid vacation days. And, “workplace experts say workaholics are common among 19-to-35-year-olds, perhaps more so than among older members of Generation X and baby boomers.”
Lastly, as an aside, a common complaint is that Millennials are addicted to technology. This isn’t a generational problem; it’s a cultural problem. The internet doesn’t stop at generational lines.
The common and stereotypical traits of a millennial are tired. But worse than that, they are shaping the identity of an entire generation.
Recently, a video about dealing with millennials in the workplace was going around my Facebook feed. I watched it and heard the same generalizations I’ve been hearing for years. What surprised me, though, was the number of millennials who shared the video and/or agreed with the video.
The consistent reiteration of negative descriptions has affected my generation. We have the lowest sense of generational identity among the living generations. And in fact, most millennials have a negative perception of themselves and their generation.
It saddens me to see my generation adopt these negativities into their identity. But, if there is one thing I know about millennials, it’s that we are hopeful. We have higher levels of student debt than any other generation, and we faced very real economic struggles after 2008. Yet, we have a more optimistic outlook on the economy that any other generation.
I think it is absolutely essential that Millennials become the definers of our generation. We have to stop focusing on the negative attributes that are continually used to describe us and foster hope.
Most millennials want to have an impact on the world (62% of millennials want to work for a company that has a positive impact on the world). But maybe that impact needs to start with reclaiming our identity and redefining our public perception.
We must step up and change people’s beliefs about who we are. But, we need to change our self-perception first. I think some millennials believe those things about our generation, but believe they are the exception. Perhaps, there are lot a more exceptions than we think. And perhaps, those exceptions who are driven and hopeful can become the rule.
