An idea that has been floating around in my mind lately is about our current generations of young people. Millennials constantly get ragged on for being the worst of the more recent generations and there are many reasons to support that. After many days of self reflection and observation of my peers I think I've come to terms with what is wrong with our generation: our sense of self worth.

While obviously this DOES NOT apply to EVERY millennial, but please consider the following:

We attribute our attractiveness by the matches we get on tinder.

We compare ourselves to photoshopped made up women and men in magazines with bodies that are simply impossible without major surgery.

We put down those who don't choose to go to college, but instead join the workforce.

We attribute our value by the likes, comments, and followers we have on social media.

We get college degrees for a workforce that is flooded with many candidates just like us.

We put ourselves into millions of dollars in student loan debt every year because there is a notion that without a college degree you cannot go very far.

We are told that our work is not good enough.

Our generation is a generation of needing constant recognition, myself included. Social media has basically built it into our lives. We live for the notification button on our phones and computers to light up with praise. Too many people think that their self worth is determined by the fact that they can get members of the opposite sex to offer up their body over the popular app tinder. Too many times have I heard the phrase, "Ugh why can't I ever match with anyone on tinder?". My question is always the same," why does it matter?". I obviously don't live my life according to who seems to value my looks on tinder, but many people do. Similar to our need for recognition, we seem to think that who we are isn't good enough. We strive to look like made up people. Our markets are swarmed with pictures, videos and advertisements of models and celebrities with bodies so morphed from their own that they seem to be perfect. Then we believe that this is what needs to be achieved to be beautiful. Eating disorders, depression, anxiety, dangerous diets, and surgeries are just some of the steps hundreds of people take everyday towards being that "perfect person". Let me tell you something, THEY DO NOT EXIST SO STOP TRYING TO CHANGE WHO YOU ARE FOR SOCIETY.

Now that that's out of the way, lets talk about education. I love education and I am blessed to be attending a beautiful university. But, I am a firm believer that you don't need to go to college to be successful in this world. Honestly, as a nation we cannot afford to have everyone go to college. We need electricians, plumbers, construction workers, janitors, lunch ladies, store managers, mechanics, secretaries, and other so-called "blue collar" workers. Being a blue-collar worker doesn't mean that you aren't valued or that you shouldn't get a college education at all, but to be successful in these areas you may not need a four year degree. If we encourage everyone to go to college and seek "higher" positions that blue-collar work then we will eventually have no one who wants to change our oil, fix our pipes when they burst, or make sure our children have proper nutrition in school. Moving forward, for those who are working or have already achieved a four year (or higher) degree of education, student loan debt drowns us. No, not all of us have it, but level with me. If you want to go to a school that is considered prestigious, you have to fork out some cash. ENTER LOANS STAGE RIGHT. And then to add the cherry on top of our situation, lets make sure that after we get our degree we enter a labor market that is so saturated with possible talent that getting a job is almost harder than getting the degree. Or if you get the chance to interview, you don't have the experience because no one will give you the chance to get it. Or what if you spend hours tying to gain experience only to be told that you didn't work hard enough.

This, is our generation. We facilitate a society of constant recognition and impossibility of appearance where a four year degree is the new high school diploma and no one can get a job. We are a generation of low self worth, why? Because we believe in things that are ridiculous. Our generation is supposed to be strong, educated, and powerful.

Make a goal to set yourself apart from the normal of what everyone else thinks we are. Make our generation the best America has yet to see. Work hard, dream big, but don't stray too far from reality.