Our language changes all of the time. The way we view each other changes all of the time. They way we interact with each other is transformed daily. So why are we so afraid of change or offended when someone blames change on us?
Our generation, the "Millennials," is constantly bombarded with "studies" and "opinions" on what we should do to "improve" our "slacking" and "entitled" generation. Why do we let it get to us, especially when the past generation has left us Millennials with crippling debt and poor wealth prospects, even though we are the most educated generation so far?
Every generation transforms society in a multitude of ways, and in doing so we often butt heads with the members of generations before us, as if we are messing their work up.
But let me tell you what exactly we are "messing up" from generations past:
Racism:
We're still working on it, but we certainly have become a more aware and watchful generation for race relations, and have championed peaceful protesting and better accountability in police departments.
Queer issues:
We certainly will be known as the generation who helped advance queer rights, building upon previous advancements. We have a long way to go, but with Transgender issues being focused upon more and more, we are working to truly embrace all queer identities.
Wage inequality:
While the wage gaps remains astonishing for our generation as a whole, it is even greater of an issue for those with intersecting identities, such as females of color, who earn only about 67% of what white males earn. This is an ongoing fight, being won mostly in municipalities.
Information accessibility:
Since the progression of the internet in the current "Age of Information," whole works of writers, thinkers, and artists are accessible with a click of the mouse, almost anywhere in the world. And these are what just come to mind when writing. There are thousands more. So why are we so offended when we hear someone say, in a derogatory way, "Well, your generation..." when we should be proud of what we are redefining?There is a song by The Who, "My Generation," that speaks on this issue, and one verse says:
People try to put us down (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awfully cold (talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (talkin' 'bout my generation).
I'm not sorry for wanting to advance minority rights. I am not sorry for fighting to raise the minimum wage. I am not sorry for making information public for all to see. I am not sorry for letting people be who they are and like who they like. I am not sorry for making Facebook. I am not even sorry for adding "bae" to the dictionary.
We cannot let previous generations define us. That will only drag us into the same generation as themselves. We certainly may learn from them and take their suggestions into consideration, but this is our time. This is our generation.
