Within the last few years, as the millennial generation has been moving into adulthood, we have been criticized more and more for our lifestyle choices and behaviors. However, what the other generations don't seem to understand is that we have our reasons for making the choices we have. Here are things we, as a generation, are picked apart for doing, and the reasoning behind it.
School
One of the things we are criticized for is getting an education despite the expenses. Many of us are in debt from student loans and are judged for it. I've heard older people say that they don't understand why we don't just work more to pay tuition or why we even go to school at all. After all, many of them didn't get a college education and they turned out fine. What they don't understand is that more than half of millennial college students work, but unfortunately there are only so many hours in the day. This means that by the time we are done attending hours of classes, studying, completing homework and managing the new adult responsibilities we are being given, the amount of time we have left for work is typically only around 25-30 hours a week depending on the course load of the student. There literally is no more time to work. Even if there were, chances are, it would still not be enough unless you are fortunate enough to find a high paying job with a flexible schedule straight out of high school, which I'll admit does happen, but it is not common.
So, why do we put ourselves through the pain of higher education? For some, it is because we truly want to learn more, but for many it is because we spent the first 18 years of our lives being told we had to. We are conditioned to believe college is a necessity, and in this economy it is. Many of us did not feel that we had a choice after high school graduation, but luckily many of us have found a subject we enjoy learning about and intend to find a carreer in the same field.
Yes, we are the generation that invented the phrase, "we're not dating, we're just talking," but is that necessarily a bad thing? We have big plans for our futures and many of us are not quite ready to settle down with a relationship. We're busy working and getting an education, and trying to enjoy our early twenties. We don't have time or energy to put into a boyfriend or girlfriend. Call us selfish for wanting to spend this time in our lives only worrying about ourselves. Call us crazy for not wanting to choose a life partner before we've experienced life. It's who we are and it's what makes us happy. With over half of marriages ending in divorce, we want to be sure we're being selective about who we spend our lives with.
Large Purchases
No, we're not blowing what little money we've managed to earn on new cars or starter homes. We have enough debt from going to college and don't want to add a car payment and mortgage to that. We're saving our pennies for experiences rather than material possessions. It's strange how other generations can condemn us for being "materialistic" with our fancy phones and computers while also condemning us for not "putting money into the economy by making large purchases." We don't care as much about what we're driving or where we're living. We care about where we're going, who we're meeting, and all the fun we're going to have along the way. We've listened to our parents and grandparents share their regrets about not traveling enough and not going to the concerts and events they wished they could see. We refuse to make the same mistakes.
In the end, we're going to be the generation to help change the world, and in some ways we already have. They think we're lazy just because we're not standing outside with picket signs, but we're making changes in other ways and we're learning. Don't be so hard on yourself, millennials. We're going to do good things.
