Any quick search containing the keyword 'millennials' is usually followed by page after page of Google results with detailed articles explaining why millennials are downright awful. Lazy, spoiled, entitled, and the list goes on and on. Some articles literally call millennials the worst generation of all time. I mean, what are we good for anyway? Drinking, partying, binge-watching online television and unconventional sex? Sure, I have my own complaints directed at my generation for specific reasons, but millennials are arguably the best, and here's why:
1. We are the first generation to become open and receptive to the idea of non-traditional marriage and homosexuality.
Go team. Go millennials. Go everyone. Love IS love no matter what, and guess whose pushed that idea? Us. Contrary to popular belief your business is none of mine, but regardless you should be happy.
2. We're reading constantly.
What're you doing right now? Reading this. There's this constant unfounded backlash against our generation because we're not sitting down and reading Shakespeare constantly but seriously, who is? Besides that, we are always taking in new information and reading despite the format for reading being "non-typical."
3. We're fighting gender and race barriers, and fighting pretty much any barrier that exists.
Don't tell a millennial that a female shouldn't have equality in all aspects of life, and also don't tell one that because of they're skin color they don't deserve equality either. It will be a long uphill battle but we are challenging all of the cultural norms in place.
4. We're environmentally conscious.
We all love living here, and millennials are making sure we'll be able to live here still in 100 years. Eating organic foods, composting, recycling, encouraging public transportation, and just generally paying more attention to the upkeep of our planet.
5. We aren't scared to express ourselves.
Tattoos and piercings, anything goes. We understand that self-expression is an important part of the human experience and I can't say I've honestly met anyone in my generation who openly discriminates someone else for their own choices.
6. We don't really care for the "normal" idea of success.
Sure, there will be that inevitable group who thinks money equates to happiness, but more and more millennials are realizing that success doesn't always come in the monetary form. We're quitting jobs that don't make us happy, even if the pay is great, and we're squashing the nine-to-five mentality.
7. We are redefining the workplace.
Finally, someone woke up and realized that forcing someone to work eight hours a day in a less than ideal environment dampens creativity and breeds resentment. Places like Google, Buzzfeed, and Odyssey are changing the game when it comes to offices, and a whole host of companies are following suit.
8. We are innovative and adaptable.
Who said millennials can't work hard? We work smart. We work diligently. And we adapt. We are always searching out and following the latest trends and as a bonus, we grew up in such a technological world that we learn new systems quicker than our older counterparts.
9. We know how to have fun.
Just like we know how to work, we also know how to have fun. We never stop searching for the best obscure restaurant or the next best music festival because obviously entertainment is a crucial part of a fully enriched life. Side note: We don't make the best music (my heart and soul belongs to the 60s music) but it's better than 80s music #sorrynotsorry.
10. We are the future.
Regardless of your attitude toward millennials, there's no arguing we are the future, and we're striving for a better one at that.
We are doing the things our parents' generations wouldn't dare to, and we're pushing the limits to the edge. We're accepting our own and honoring the uniqueness of our brothers and sisters around us. Just like every generation has their flaws, so do we, but we're doing revolutionary things and changing the very course of the world we live in. Millennials for the win!
