Ah, Millennials. The worst generation, right? Well actually, you’re wrong. As a Millennial living in 2018, I’m getting pretty tired of the unnecessary flack we receive for being the first generation to be driven by technology. We were born into a time when technology began to flourish, and we have been raised around this inescapable phenomenon.

The real issue I have is that older generations assume the worst of us at almost all times. If I so much as touch my phone, I can feel judgment from Baby Boomers all around me. While I understand and admit to the fact that I get caught up in all of my social media apps or games on my phone, I know limits to when it’s appropriate to catch up on my feeds and when it isn’t. I really can’t stand when people monitor how long I’ve been on my phone or assume I’m losing brain cells when I check my social media.

I feel like a lot of older generations always tell us to “disconnect to connect” or to remember what it was like before iPhones and tablets. Well, first of all, I was in sixth grade when the first iPhone came out. I really don’t remember what it was like before. As far as I can remember, we’ve been surrounded in technology for the entirety of our upbringings. It’s been a primary part of our education up to this point, including classes that are impossible to take without certain software, apps, or websites. It’s funny how the adults that shame us for always being engulfed in our phones and laptops require us to use them to pass classes…

I also have an issue with older generations thinking we’ve all become airheads who are oblivious to current events. Here’s an update: we’re taking to social media to activate our voices on a platform that we know we can reach one another on. I follow news stations’ Twitter accounts, I’ve seen Facebook posts informing me on how to call my local senators, and I’ve learned about activist groups through my friends’ photos on Instagram. While the real changes happen from voting and protesting, we do what we can to speak our minds until then.

Money is another tough subject for us Millennials. I’ve literally seen an article called “Why Aren’t Millennials Buying Diamonds?” I mean, diamonds are expensive for anyone, let alone my generation that has been put into the most competitive job environment to date. I feel like my resume has to include the cure for cancer, the solution to world hunger, a straight A+ transcript, a reference from Bill Gates himself, and 48 previous job experiences to even be considered for whatever internship I’m applying for. Some of the most outgoing and talented people I know aren’t even getting the chance to interview at the companies they want to work for because of the time period we live in. Anyway, I’m sorry we aren’t buying diamonds. Maybe you could hook me up with a job that would allow for that to change.

The moral of the story here is that Millennials aren’t the worst people to ever exist. I’m a smart, kind, genuine individual. I read books (even the classics!), I go outside (I mean like hiking and exercise!), I have people skills (even when it comes to interviews and customer service!), and I have opinions on current events (like politics, feminism, and the environment!). Don’t write us off because we grew up during the same time period as technology and social media.