Chances are if you’re reading this, you are a millennial.
You’re between the ages of 18-29, you’re socially liberal, you’re excited for the future, and you’re characterized as “different” than any other generation. You are among the largest generation in Western history, and also among the most educated.
However, if you ask a baby boomer or a Generation X (ages 30-70) what the characteristics of our generation are, they will probably tell you: needy, entitled, lazy or narcissistic. This may be because millennials are, in fact, different than any other generation that has come before. Millennials are intimidating, innovative and dominant. The college spectrum, workforce, and economic field are currently being dominated by millennials– something past generations could have only dreamed about.
The overall value of the millennial generation is one to be contended with. We have impacted the world in a positive and tangible way, which is just one reason of many why I am proud to be a part of this generation.
We are educated.
As I mentioned before, millennials are on track to become the most educated generation in history, with over 90 percent of high school graduates saying that they plan on pursuing some form of continued education. Millennials are performing higher on Advanced Placement Testing than ever before and SAT and ACT scores have risen drastically. This emphasis produces citizens who believe in education and work as a means of success.
We are connected.
Millennials grew up in the heart of the technology revolution. With the birth of social media, smartphone technology and unlimited interactive applications, millennials expect the latest and greatest all the time. If our generation can’t expect technological innovation from others, we will just create it ourselves. Though sometimes our extreme connection to technology can hurt us, it ultimately keeps us in touch with the people who matter most, no matter where you are in the world.
We are entitled.
Millennials are entitled in the best sense of the word. We believe that we are on the same level as anyone else, giving us the same amount of opportunity as any other individual. Our parents are to blame for this, of course. We were always encouraged, maybe forced, to do our best at everything. Our parents did everything in their power to make sure that we had the necessary tools for success, which means that we feel as if we deserve success if we work hard. We don’t just deserve success, we are entitled to it.
We are individualists.
Millennials push the boundaries of society in every way. Between everyone having a different kind of smartphone, to proclaiming our unique and individual beliefs, millennials are not afraid to step on past generations' toes. We stand up for what’s right in society, fighting against racial and sexual discrimination, violence and harassment. I am proud to be a part of a generation that fights for what is right and deserved. The millennial commitment to shifting social values as individuals rather than conformists is one that sets us well above the rest.
