The word "millennial" is often used as an insult. Just the word makes the baby boomer generation cringe, because of the negative connotation that comes with the title. The idea that our generation grew up with constant technology gives us the label of spoiled, sensitive and above all, lazy. Older generations are quick to judge but slow to learn about how millennials are going to change the world one day. Millennials are the next generation of leaders and have a lot more to offer than most give us credit for. Give it another 10 or 15 years and we are the next CEO's and Directors and Presidents of everything in the country, and the world. Growing up with technology has always been portrayed badly, but thinking about how technology has shaped who we are as people, can show so many positive possibilities.
Growing up with constantly changing technology means our generation has learned how to adapt. In social lives, in the workplace, or in a future family, taking situations as they come, and understanding every situation needs a different solution, is a special skill of the millennials. The constant technology change has expanded how our brains work. We grew up thinking, just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean it’s the best way. The motive for constant improvement is unique to the millennial generation, thanks to the ever improving technology we grew up on. People tend to be scared of change, but the way we strive for constant change is going to further our careers, our relationships, and the world’s future. Future leaders won’t get stuck in old habits, and maybe there will be a time when history won’t repeat itself. Some people say millennials are too spoiled and too sensitive, but this compassion we have and the high standard we hold someone else’s well being too, is going to help create happier families, better relationships, and a better workplace for people all over the world.
At a retirement ceremony I attended, the retiree gave advice and her number 2 piece of advice was “become friends with someone from a different generation.” The jump in thought processes, ideas, and advancements from one generation to the next is at an all time high right now, and too many people are scared of that gap. In reality it can be the best help possible for a struggling family or a tired workforce. Younger generations bring new perspectives and seemingly pointless advancements, but the older generation has the responsibility of keeping an open mind to change, to allow these advancements to work to their greatest potential. Older generations know what did or didn’t work in the past, and the younger generations have the responsibility to listen and understand how the older generation has much more experience than us.
As millennials, we don’t quite rule the world yet, but our time is coming, and we are some of the most excited, driven, and skilled people for the job. How college has changed, how expectations have changed, this coming generation is more prepared and pushed harder than any other generation before it. If we can look past the phone addiction, and the slang that’s used on social media, it’s exciting to see the qualities the next generation holds, and how we, the millennials, are going to evoke amazing change.
