Generations are made up of individuals who all have different opinions, passions and ideas that will impact the world in different ways. Millennials make up a generation of 83 million people whose ages range from 18-34. I find it interesting that SO many people are able to be put into a box that says they are ALL *insert stereotype here.* Millennials tend to get a bad rep in the media. Just recently there was a video released apologizing for the entire generation as if every millennial is only existing and not contributing anything useful to society. I want to change the stigma that follows the word 'millennials.'
We live in a world that "we are criticized for being narcissistic and lazy, but praised for being progressive and optimistic. Applauded and reprimanded for being open to change." -Victoria Sun Esparza
Contradicting much?
There are millennials who are narcissistic and lazy but what generation has people who are not these things? If we start to look at the positive things about millennials we will find that the good tends to outweigh the bad ( in most cases.)
Looking at statistics for millennials you can get a glimpse of what kinds of people we are as a whole but you cannot fully understand each of us as individuals.
Here are six points that I attribute to a Millennial:
1. WE... Give Back
50% of millennials said they would be more willing to make a purchase from a company if their company supports a cause.
52% said they are most likely to volunteer in support of education, 50% for human services, 35% for religious causes and 33% for arts and culture.
93% of surveyed Millennials gave to nonprofit organizations in 2010, with 21% giving $1,000 or more during the course of the year.
2. WE ARE... Diverse
4 out of 10 are considered non white. Compared to previous generations combined, where less than 3 out of every 10 are not white. THATS 1/3! A 10% difference in ethnic diversity over one generation.
3. WE ARE... Innovators and Entrepreneurs
46% of millennials post original photos or videos online that they have created themselves.
In 2011, Millennials launched almost 160,000 startups each month, and 29% of all entrepreneurs were 20 to 34 years old.
Belmont University said that 40% or more of the freshmen that come into their entrepreneurship program have already started businesses.
35% of employed Millennials have started their own business on the side to supplement their income . [Iconoculture]
4.WE ARE... Adventurers
79% of millennials said they would like to visit all 50 states. 75% said they would like to travel abroad and 69% said they crave adventure.
If you look through social media a lot of what you'll see are photos of millennials going out and exploring the world. This can take many different forms. From going across the globe traveling or simply going a few cities over to a music festival, or even reading a book that takes their imagination into a fantasy world, millennials love to have a sense of adventure in their lives.
5. WE ARE... Accepting
From gender roles in society to race and religion millennials seem to be the most accepting generation yet. Feminism has been on the rise within the millennial generation with men and women. Equality between men and women as well as the gender pay gap are all issues millennials are very interested in.
A nationwide survey of 1,000 fathers said 51% were the primary grocery shoppers in their household
The NFL is now trying to build a larger female audience and ESPN has launched a website specifically for women "espnW"
Millennials are more tolerant of races and groups than older generations (47% vs. 19%), with 45% agreeing with preferential treatment to improve the position of minorities. [US Chamber of Commerce]
6. WE... Connect
More than any other generation we connect with people from all over the world. Technology has greatly impacted the way we communicate and make friends. Through social media and smartphones people are able to build their businesses, plan events, and stay in contact with people they may not get to see often or make friends/ business partnerships across the globe. Technology has made it so much easier to express individualism/creativity and share information with a broad audience.
87% of online users 18 to 29 use Facebook, with 53%on Instagram, 37%on Twitter and 34%on Pinterest
More than 84% of Millennials own a smartphone.
(Pew Research Center).
These are just a few of the things that make up the generation you call millennials. We are so much more than the categories we are put in. Millennials welcome diversity in all aspects of life ethnically, politically, culturally, and socially. We "welcome the ability to challenge traditional expectations."We do not fit into the boxes because, each of us is an individual with their own experiences and goals for life. Every generation has good and bad things about them but if we only focus on the negative and continue to stereotype each individual within that generation what are we accomplishing? If anything it is only hurting the vision of change that we want to see.
Let's encourage each other and try to understand people as individuals.Let's stop categorizing people, stop putting people in boxes and embrace change.
Watch this video of a TED talk done about millennials that I really appreciate. It speaks of everything I just said and does an even better job of explaining just how amazing millennials are.
