The Lazy Generation
“Young people these days don’t understand what hard work is,” “they are so lazy,” “maybe if they got off their phones and laptops, they would be more productive,” and so many other similar phrases get hurled at myself and others in my age group. However, whenever I talk to my friends, think about social media influencers in my age group and reflect on my own life, the majority of 20–25 year olds I know seem to be constantly working and finding new ways to grow their skills.
There are so many examples of this. My friend is working on her Photoshop and web design skills during quarantine so she can have a more extensive portfolio to share with employers. Influencers I watch are expanding their brands and starting podcasts to diversify their income streams. I am learning news skills like calligraphy and painting because these are activities that I find personally fulfilling. Honestly, I can easily list at least five other friends and what they have been doing lately to improve themselves either professionally or personally.
However, our age group often gets deemed as lazy and unmotivated. I have always found these claims confusing, as everyone I know seems to struggle with burnout and “hustle culture.” Especially when I lived on campus during my college years, I found myself always worrying that I was not doing enough. Even though I was involved in so many activities and busy from morning until night, whenever I had free time I wondered if I should be doing more. This is a feeling that myself and many of my friends struggle with, yet everyone continues to spread themselves too thin in order to keep up their productivity.
This quarantine that could have served as a much needed rest for many has turned into a productivity competition. What books have you read? How many times a week do you exercise? What skills have you sharpened? Perhaps it’s our need to post everything we accomplish on social media which makes us think we can’t take a break. We compare ourselves to our peers and get frustrated when we believe that we are not working as hard or as much as others.
Some older people comment on how we are on our phones and laptops, which is a reason they believe we are lazy. However, social media is necessary these days. When building a brand and reaching target audiences, companies and businesses cannot thrive without a well-curated, aesthetic online presences. So, as we brand ourselves, our social media pages need to demonstrate that we know how to engage followers and create a cohesive theme. I don’t think these skills make us lazy just because they are different from physical labor. Online skills take time to develop and master, and working on creative endeavors can be draining. Additionally, because we work on laptops, we find it almost impossible to detach from work because our entertainment and work are on the same device.
Although we may use different tools to accomplish our professional and personal goals, our generation should not be dismissed as lazy and undisciplined.
