I wasn't born yesterday, or the day before, or even the year before. I was born in the mid-90's so, therefore, society has labeled me a millennial. Up until recently, I didn't understand the fuss behind the term "millennial" because it seemed like an innocent term for my generation. In reality, the term millennial is used to stereotype the behaviors and characteristics of today's young adults and forces us into a "box" so that we can be socially defined. But, just like other ethnicities, races, religious groups, etc., a group of people cannot all be distinguished by the same qualities.
Millennials are constantly being described as lazy, and yes, this may be true, but perhaps we are enjoying life because we can. Generations before us worked exhausting manual labor to provide for their families and make an honest living. Today's transition into the world of technology allows us to work from home, on the go, via FaceTime or Skype, and to set our hours. Technology has provided this generation with flexibility rather than a rigorous 9-5 schedule.
Technology also allows for us to stay "plugged in" to the world around us, whether that be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Social media provides constant communication around the world; you may think it's pointless to post a picture of your lunch on Instagram but tagging the restaurant you ate at could bring more publicity and service to that restaurant. Millennials also aren't the only ones using, refreshing, and updating their social media profiles. Older generations are using social media more as well to stay connected. Overall, the use of social media is more pronounced because its user base is growing in all ages.
Society also claims that millennials feel privileged and expect to be rewarded based primarily on the fact that we were given participation trophies. A little league baseball participation trophy did not make me, similar to many other millennials, feel privileged. I admit that having a bobblehead baseball player with my name inscribed at the base made me feel accomplished, but it didn't blind me from the fact that recognition and reward require hard work and dedication. We work for what we want, but working for it differently than an older generation shouldn't define us as privileged. I'd say it makes us innovative.
Nonetheless, society will continue to label millennials and try to cram us all into a perfectly wrapped box with a bow on top because that's easier than admitting and understanding our differences from previous eras.
