If you are reading this, you are most likely a millennial. What does this mean? Millennials are otherwise known as Generation Y, and it includes anybody born between the years of 1980 and 2000, according to Merriam Webster and Urban Dictionary. Without realizing it, everything you do is a defining factor of us millennials.
We millennials are guilty of things that include binge watching multiple Netflix shows at once, Snapchatting every single seemingly important moment of our lives, and snagging the wifi password at every house we are invited to. Time magazine released an article titled Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation and it called us lazy, entitled, and narcissistic. Ouch. These things that define millennials are non-inclusive, though. An article from Inc.com says that although some individuals of Generation Z (those born after 1993) are in the work force, those of Generation Y are now "firmly established... and are a force to be reckoned with." Our generation is said to be the fastest growing in the business world and millennials, according to Whitehouse.gov, represent the largest and most diverse generation in the United States.
Generation Y was born into a world that relies on technology. There are not other generations that can say that, and we seldom enter a place of business or home that is without technology in some way, shape, or form. Computers are used at restaurants for taking orders and sending them to the kitchen, cell phones are in just about every back pocket, households are usually owners of more than one computer, and of course, all stores that are shopped in have cash registers to do the adding and discounting of items for whatever employee is working at the time.
We are the children of the baby boomers, and we follow our passions more willingly than those before us. From the researching I have done on the millennials, there a lot of common traits and characteristics that we hold.
1. Spontaneity
The Inc.com article I mentioned earlier says that millennials often revert back to the saying "No risk, no reward." The fear of missing out on opportunities is high in our generation, which is probably why already 60 percent of our generation has started their own business.
2. Technology Geniuses
I can't be the only one with grandparents who say, "How in the world do you text that fast?" or "Can you show me how to work this thing?!" ('this thing' being their new smartphone). Using computers, phones, and whatever other machine isn't a difficult task for any of us.
3. Recognition
Although I'm not sure if this is a positive or negative note, it is also said that millennials require instant gratification and recognition. In the work force or otherwise, we prefer to be praised immediately if we have done something we think we should be praised for. I, personally, don't think this is that bad, but I can see why people may not want to hire our generation for this reason.
4. Liberal
This obviously isn't true for every single individual born between 1980 and 2000, as this trait can be different depending on your family and background. When I say liberal, I don't mean just politically. Generation Y is said to be more open-minded and passionate than previous generations when it comes to world affairs and issues.
Don't let the negative voices of older generations tell you that you're lazy or that you are not going to be hired. Although there are statistics that say millennials are less likely be hired, there are also more statistics and evidence that say we are taking over the workforce in a positive way.
