Response to Dear Elders, I’m Sorry, Sincerely a Millennial…….

Last week journalist Alexis Boomer published a video “Dear Elders, I’m Sorry, Sincerely a Millennial”. As a millennial there are some point of her argument that I agree with. For example the impact social media has had on individuals. Our self worth is based on the amount of people that follow us. Let’s ask ourselves this “How many of the “followers” are real people” most importantly how many of the those followers do we actually know? How are we so sure that what are posting online is making an impact or that it won’t place us in danger? As a millennial I agree so many people are on some form of social media (twitter, facebook, snapchat, tinder, instagram, etc). I know some people who have all of these and it drives me crazy. I can barely manage one social media application. Some of these people are either one form of social media or the other it is non-stop. I see couple who are on their phone while they are on a date, or even at the mall walking side by side on their phone. I’m sorry is this the new form of relationships the one in which physical contact is merely side by side, in which picking which picture makes us look like a perfect couple is more important than actually being affectionate towards each other partner. I mean social media has made such an impact on people’s lives that it is hard to avoid it. We are basing our life on the internet and making sure we always look perfect online to avoid any criticism.

Even music has been derogatory towards women and it idolizes the way man should spank us, or how they are going to place their penises into our vaginas. It insane how okay we have become with this music. Rappers have made millions by in simple terms stating that women are sexual objects only good for one thing SEX. Why are we okay with this? Like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, J-Cole even Drake who is one of my favorite rappers. I see myself skipping more songs than I did before most of the songs talk about how we’re going to get down. Why can’t these rappers instead talk about how these women take care of their kids, take care of them or how their mothers raised them or about drugs BUT not how loud they want girls to moan or how they want girls to talk dirty to them. One of the few rapper who has been able to do this was Jay-z his last album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” which recites some obscene statements towards women like the song Picasso Baby “ No, I want a wife that fuck me like a prostitute” but compared to his past albums this has actually been a big change of direction. His past albums referred to women as bitches, side hoes etc. I have followed his music and it was refreshing to see this album and the direction it took. J-cole dropped “Wet Dreamz” which pretty much walks us through his first sexual encounter and he talks about how he is scared he won’t do her right. This song was by far one of the most sexual songs I heard and I was surprised to see how many people liked it. Everyone listens to music and most of the music created is based on pretty much having sex and making sure to place the women as the object that will be man handled.

Alexis I agree with you on this two points but one of your points was “free education and not willing to put in the work” I have to disagree with that point because honestly what work can we do to obtain free education? As a first generation college student I have tried to figure out what can I do? I mean besides apply for some scholarships, get loans? I work fulltime and my days off from work consist of being at school all day going through classes and getting as much homework done. So exactly when will scholarships fit in? You’re statement is valid to an extent but some of us weren’t granted money for college, and some of us have to struggle to just make it through school by working and making sure that paycheck pays for tuition. Everyone’s story is different and everyone has different struggles. So you can’t assume “were not working for it”.

Boomer got different responses from her video. BUT she brought attention to the way social media has affected the way people interact and also how music continues to demean women. We continue to grow apart as a society, we assume our internet representation is more important and vivid than face-to-face, we spend hours taking a perfect selfie to post online, we also sing along to music that discusses sex and the way women need to be sexualized. Yet there’s those other people who quietly struggle to make ends meet, are trying to get an education but not end up 80,000 dollars in debt. Education shouldn’t leave us in debt for the rest of our lives. We go to school to be educated, make good money and afford a decent lifestyles. What we are is diverse in so many ways we can’t label millennials with social media feens or students who are in debt 5 years after school. Millennials represent those categories and more.

So what are you? How do you identify yourself as part of the millennials?

I can say I am a fulltime student, worker, daughter, friend and most importantly a feminist who really wants to get her education but I understand I am going to struggle but I also understand it will be worth it when I can present myself to others as an educated hispanic women. That’s going to be my contribution to being a millennial…