I'm sure this isn't the first time you've been made aware that we millennials are thought of as a generation of entitled, lazy, or ungrateful individuals. I'm also sure this isn't the first time you've heard a rebuttal.

I am privileged in almost every category and I recognize that. I'm white, from a middle-class household, my parents are still together, I'm healthy, I'm going to college and I'm an only child so I've also been deemed spoiled. This is not putting myself on a pedestal, but rather understanding my way of living is easier than for some and, while it is not fair, it is simply the hand I've been dealt. I know that recognizing my privilege is only half the battle- I'll save that soapbox for later- but being considered entitled or lazy is something I disagree with completely.

An article featured on breitbart.com called our generation, "the most useless generation in America. By a long shot." If that doesn't make your blood boil, you may be who they're talking about.

Okay. I'm only half kidding, but hear me out.

I have personally worked ridiculously hard to get to where I am today and, if you know me, you know I hate taking credit for my accomplishments or things I've done. I'd like to believe that when it comes to my work ethic, the way I handle schoolwork, or my thoughts on making a difference in the world someday, I'm the farthest thing from lazy. I'm lazy in the sense that I don't want to get up to get the remote because I left it on the other side of the room and my blanket is situated just right, or I just woke up at 11 but now it's 1 so I'm going to take a nap on a Sunday. Not in the sense that I don't work hard for the things I've earned.

I could say the same of my friends. Of the people I talk to on a regular basis, many came into college already possessing an Associate's degree, and even more, have plans to get their Master's or even a Ph.D., They're driven, ambitious and humble. It's really unfortunate that an entire generation of individuals gets stereotyped when not a single person I associate with fits the bill- "by a long shot."

Let's get one thing straight. The generation that preceded us also faced issues from the generation before them and so on. It's not a new trend. What's unfair is that our generation grew up with the upswing of technology and along with that was an entirely different basis for jobs, hobbies and interests. Yeah, we have Twitter. So what? This is the generation that will shape the future just like all the rest to come. I hate to break it to you, but if you turn your nose up to those who "have their nose in their phones all day," it's probably only going to get "worse" from here.

Rather than tearing us down, appreciate that we have a different skill set and it is what will shape the world we live in. We have the ability to do great things, and we already have. If you're so concerned then nurture us. Encourage us to be better. Let us prove you wrong.