What is a millennial? Older folks may tell you that this group is the worst generation the world has seen. Even some millennials would agree to this. But why are we accepting this? While we are a younger generation and may not have everything figured out, we have so much potential and need more credit. In some small ways, and some bigger ones, millennials are paving the way for future generations, and we want to prove those that doubt us wrong.
1. We work extremely hard for our education.
Whenever I complain about my workload in school, older generations always tell me how they never had that much work. In college, we have 13-17 hours of class per week with about the same amount of time for homework. A lot of students are involved in Greek life, which accounts for about 3-5 hours per week, depending on how involved you are. Add on a job and extracurricular activities, and that adds around 15 more hours. We need all of these things in order to get a job after graduation. You have to factor in time to sleep and be with your friends and family as well. Also, we are told that getting a job is almost unachievable. How encouraging...
2. We go above and beyond to one day be successful.
Each job requires about two years of experience. This is great for companies, but when we graduate, we are aware that we'll probably have to work an unpaid internship before receiving a paid job. We are facing the consequences of a recession that happened when most of us were in middle school. We are more than willing to put in the time and effort for an internship, but without an income, most of us will have to move back home after college.
3. We are great with technology, not addicted to it.
Millennials love to escape the real world through our smartphones and laptops, which makes us more technologically savvy. We love to find new technology and become experts at anything by simply watching a tutorial Youtube video. However, this is looked down upon by older generations. We are the "worst generation" because we like to be on our phones. But, when we are on our phones, we are creating relationships and sharing our ideas with the world. We are heard on social media, and we understand the power in that. Now, presidential candidates, companies, and organizations are reaching out on social media, and are able to connect with the world on a much more personal level.
4. We are working towards equality for all people.
With the rise of technology comes better communication, which allows smaller voices to be heard. Our generation truly works to understand the struggles of other people. Whether it be about equality among race, sex, religion, or anything else, our generation has helped lead the way for these movements. The internet makes it possible for people to become peers, and when you are someone's peer, it makes it easier to relate to their struggles and opinions. This helps us in many ways, as a country, and as individual people. Millennials understand the importance of community, and it really makes those part of that generation much stronger.
5. We care about what we consume.
With more information available to us on the internet, we are demanding better products in the marketplace. We are becoming informed consumers, not just of food and products, but of politicians and celebrities. We know not to believe everything we see, and we want to see who the people that we look up to really are.
6. We know that we have to prove ourselves.
At this point, we are so used to hearing about how terrible our generation is, that we don't even take it to heart anymore. This criticism makes us stronger in who we are and what we believe. We, like every other generation, will have to face our own struggles and hardships, and we know it won't be easy.
Next time, before someone says that millennials are the worst, they should think about the pressures this group is forced to deal with at such a young age. Think about the fact that because of social media, our pasts can never be forgotten unlike other generations. Or, that almost everything we do is geared toward getting a job, because it is that hard nowadays. The truth is, we are still growing and learning, while always working to better ourselves.
