As a 20-year old, born in 1993, I have been inducted into this generation so negatively labelled. We’re considered the Millennials (most frequently) from 1985-1995, who are now entering the workforce after college, yet carrying a heavy stigma along with our enormous student loans. I recently have been so frustrated with people from the “Baby Boomers”, and the “Generation X” generations telling me that my friends and colleagues will drive this country into a dark hole. We’re barely in the “real world” yet and most people are making assumptions about what we’re even capable of doing before given the chance to make a name for ourselves. Other generations have labelled us as lazy, narcissistic, pampered, delusional, entitled, etc. mainly because of our attachment with technology.

I have been told constantly not to even put money into Social Security, Medicare, or even take out loans because it’s either a waste of money or that it’s pointless because those programs will no longer exist when I’m old enough to reap the benefits. How is this our generation’s fault? The answer is it’s not, and neither are many other issues in our society such as the war on oil, the trillions of dollars in debt (or even more as I’m writing this) and the need to globalize and branch out technologically. What first got me thinking about how i’m perceived by other generations was talking with my grandma (who is 75) the past month and how she really appreciates mine and my friend’s “spunk”. She believed (contrary to her friend’s) that our generation was able to change the way our society is shaped. This led into me constantly thinking how I was portrayed in the eyes of others and what I could do to change that stigma. Although, what really got me enraged was a blog entry by another individual my age who believes our generation needs a “kick in the ass”. The blog entry was unbearable to read and had no clout in the discussion of intergenerational debates.

Our generation has a lot to be proud of even though we’re just beginning our lives!

We are a very open-minded and relaxed age group that believes heavily in issues that truly matter. According to the most recent Pew Research poll, individuals aged 18-32 are in support of same-sex marriage. The research center has very interactive graphs marking how the issue of same-sex marriage has changed over time based on age, religious affiliation, generation, and a few others. Here’s the link: http://features.pewforum.org/same-sex-marriage-attitudes/index.php. Other generations have differing opinions on same-sex marriage and may believe we are wrong, but in my opinion taking away human rights is something that the millennials won’t tolerate.

We have grown to adapt to the changing world that we’ve been thrown into because of globalization, wars with countries competing for oil, and an increasing population that’s using technology of all ages. And that’s the thing. How you can blame our generation for utilizing technology in many effective and productive ways, when there’s no doubt that if the “Baby Boomers’, or “Generation X” were in our position they would be on their iPhones at the dinner table. (Granted that’s rude and I don’t do that). In 2013, Charles H. Becker wrote an article in the Journal of Library Administration, that pointed the “consumer-based entitlement” finger right back at the “Baby Boomers” saying that after the war most families went through an affluent stage with new appliances, technology, and the consumption of television.

In the workforce our understanding of technology has given the Millennials an edge on the competition when given projects pertaining to technological “professionalism”, social marketing, and overall research literacy. In Spring 2013, Brittany Otey published an article in the Journal of the Legal Profession, that states millennial law students are adapting well to the new changes in technology within the field. These students are said to be “team-oriented, pragmatic, and technologically savvy”, which helps bring both their work-life and personal life to an effective balance. I don’t find it difficult myself to help individuals who have problems with computers at our college’s library, because most of the issues I face are older people who are having troubles navigating a website and/or logging out of their email.

Our generation has been studied constantly and rightly so. Another study by the Pew Research Center has found that in 2010, our generation of individuals ages 18-29 are said to be the most educated and yet less employed. Why is this so? Is it possibly the negative stigma attached to my generation? Will employers look at my application compared to an older man or woman’s application and believe I’m lazy, thus not hire me?

Some interesting statistics I’ve found that are from the article “Study: Millennial generation more educated, less employed” by Sharon Jayson, and supported by the Pew Research Center state that our generation is full of optimism. We believe in voting for our future president (and having a big say), expressing ourselves with tattoos, and getting more involved than generations before us. In fact, according to the recent Millennial Impact Report, in 2011, 75 percent of young people donated to causes last year and 63 percent said they gave their time to volunteer. The survey polled 6,522 people between the ages of 20 and 35. This seems pretty narcissistic, and entitled if you ask me. I in fact donated $300 out of pocket to Relay for Life at my college last year just because of the organization, and because one of my best friend’s family has been greatly affected by cancer.