Everywhere I look on the internet I see posts about how millennials are terrible at this, or millennials are hurting the economy, etc.
It has become quite the nuisance. We're just young people trying to make our way in the world, but it feels like we are under attack. Here is a list of what we, as millennials, are tired of hearing and reading.
1. We are killing the (insert product) industry.
Millennials are not the reason for the rise and fall of any business. There are plenty of industries that market to an older group of people and are doing just fine. If you can't market to young people successfully, maybe you should target another group or work on your marketing skills. You can't blame everything on us.
2. All of us are lazy.
I, frankly, have never heard of a young person in any period of time being lazy. Bazinga! This concept of young people being lazy is not exactly new and original. Yes, sometimes we like to sleep in, and we don't adore going to work, but that is also in line with almost everyone. Sure, there are some millennials that are extraordinarily lazy, but every generation has people like that. Many of us are in school (if not already graduated) and are also holding up a job. Everything is so expensive that unless we want to solely rely on ramen noodles for food and the thrift store for clothes, we can not afford to be lazy.
3. Millennials are so entitled!
Entitled to what exactly? I, for one, am entitled to debt and overly high expectations!
Most of us at this time are working retail, fast food, or some type of customer service job, so I can assure you that we are not expecting special treatment. I usually expect to be disrespected and talked down to every time I go into work (which is at least around three times a week.)
Also if you work a service job, I have a question for you. What age group is someone most likely apart of when they are rude to workers and impatient? The same one that is calling millennials entitled? Interesting.
4. Every negative thing that happens is because of the use of our phones.
I kid you not, last week when I was cashiering, a man came through my line and told me I looked tired. Okay thanks?? I wasn't even that tired; school had not started yet. He should see me now. He then preceded to lecture me on how he knows I'm tired and that it's because I stayed up on my phone the night before. Little does he know, I'm a night owl regardless of my phone (and I also was not tired.)
We're just tired of hearing this. Phones are a normal part of our life now, and I think that older generations need to work on accepting that. Also contrary to popular belief, I think that our phones do NOT make us antisocial. I think that, when they are used in a healthy amount, phones help connect you with the people you love when they are not in your presence.
5. We have no respect.
If I didn't have any respect, I wouldn't have a job. Case closed.
Jokes aside, if we didn't have any respect who would the blame be on? When does "having respect" usually become apart of one's character? Oh, it's usually taught to us by our parents when we are young, isn't it? So it appears that, if we have no respect, some of our parents are also at fault for not raising us the way they were raised.
6. We're all snowflakes.
First, I would like to say that millennials who are genuinely concerned about treating other people right sometimes become labeled as snowflakes by other people, and this is very frustrating. They are not snowflakes, and chances are the person calling them that is trying to use it as a defense so they do not look as insensitive. I guess there are some young people that really are snowflakes, but that is not usually the case. We're all tougher than you think. There is so much more stress placed on everyone at a young age than there was before, and we still are chugging along. You might label a millennial a snowflake, but really they're working overtime and have a test that's worth 33% of their grade next week. They're tough; they just care about how people treat each other.
As a whole society I think we should work towards not labeling an entire generation, especially when it is negative. Each person is so different. If you are really set on the idea of there being important traits that our youth lack, then maybe you should become a teacher and invest in us.
I'm tired of reading posts that say we've lost the American way because I don't call my dad sir, and I don't churn butter like ma and pa used to do. Let's try to keep with the times.