A Millennial Misconception
To start, there are many.
- we’re lazy
- we feel entitled
- we expect things to be handed to us not earned
- we watch Netflix all day
- we need constant praise/affirmation
- etc
Now, every single one of these things may be true for some people but for the massive group defined as Millennials, Echo Boomers or Gen Y a lot if not all of them are complete misconceptions and not defining characteristics at all.
What isn’t a misconception, is that there is a constant unifying theme that is ignorant to the generational labels created by social scientists that is: we all need each other.
The constant and moderately irritating list of misconceptions came to a glaring viewpoint a short while ago. Since this point I have found solace, however the image nonetheless still stays with me.
Back track to mid May 2017, in Halifax, Nova Scotia…
There was a local event held recently where entrepreneurs could set up a booth and tell passer-bys what they do. Although FLAG got plenty of traffic, one person, in particular, stood out the most. I still remember exactly what she said, how she walked ever so slowly and how she stood less than patiently trying to understand what we do. A short, grey-haired, elderly lady stopped to ask what we do, and in the same breath, how we came up the idea of FLAG.
At this very moment, I took a step out of my own skin. I thought about how I could best explain this in such simple terms that I could convey the need and desire for my idea to someone that may or may not care or understand. So, I took a second, really thought about it, and I said:
“I went through a time in my life where I realized that, I didn’t feel like I could open up and talk to anyone about my problems. I feared judgement and that made me uncomfortable. So I thought to myself, why not create a platform where people can share their problems, experiences, and insecurities and not feel the pressures of judgement or isolation.”
Part way through explaining this the elderly lady interrupted me and said:
“I’m sorry, but you lost me at the part where you said that you didn’t have anyone to talk to. There is always some one to talk to.”
And walked away.
Now, I wish I could tell you I just brushed that off but it stuck with me.
In that moment, I not only felt a crushing feeling in my chest, for myself, but for every single person who is traumatized by the everyday feeling of loneliness that holds them from opening up to someone else.
In that moment, I saw a whole generation look down on me and tell me to suck it up, let it out, and get on with it.
To be fair, there are misconceptions on both sides of the coin depending on who’s perspective you take. But that’s the problem. They are misconceptions we all have of each other, created by the differences in our conditioning in which we then view our generational counterparts with.
As Millennials, we may get lazy sometimes and lack ambition, we may feel that we’ve worked hard and deserve some recognition and we may have an off day and watch Netflix for without leaving bed. But who doesn’t do that from time to time.
We’re all just human and we all have different ways of dealing with stress, pressure, judgement and fear. We shouldn’t be labelled and treated different because of it. If we tell you that we have an issue and we don’t know who to talk to, I promise, it’s not because we feel entitled and crave someone to listen to us, it’s because we’re struggling. So please, just listen.
If there’s one things I took away from the interaction with the elderly lady was that as Millennials, we may have been raised in environments where individualism thrived but now we have to figure out how to transition out of that so we can come together.
There is too much hate in the world not to lend a empathetic ear to those who need it most. In the end, all we have is each other and despite our misconceptions we need to be there for one another, no matter what we may think.
If you agree with the last statement please check us out as that is exactly what we stand for. We are a not for profit and our goal is to create a platform for those willing to share their experiences so that others can know they’re not alone in their struggles. When we listen and help each other through the tough times, we’re all better because of it.
Originally published on theflagmovement.com
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