It has been drawn that millennials are so extremely affected by social media and technology, we lack the ability to communicate effectively with non-millennials and one another. Aspects of our social lives, the classroom and business affairs are effected by what some may call a “gap” in millennials’ communication.
Millennials use social media for many things -- social involvement, job searching and even getting the news.
According to a study/survey by the American Press Institute, “88 percent of those surveyed get news from Facebook at least occasionally, 83 percent from YouTube, and 50 percent from Instagram.”
That's right. 88 percent of millennials get the news from Facebook.
“Millennials have grown up in a time where information has become available instantly,” Jay Gilbert wrote for the Ivey Business Journal. “Through a Google or Wikipedia search, answers to even quite complicated questions can be found. As such, millennials have developed into a group that wants to work on new and tough problems, and ones that require creative solutions.”
BBC published an article in 2013, addressing the “under-developed communication skills” millennials display. Our body language, ability to engage and tests of our comprehension to other communicators’ messages are said to be sub-par.
Because we are more likely to send a text message than to call for information or conduct business, we miss important messages and cues that help in better serving in relationships -- business or social.
In 2014, NBC News called it a “big chill,” when addressing millennials’ ability to excel in the workplace after college graduation. Although we are well-educated, it has been shown that the application of what we learn in the classroom does not hold when we enter the workplace, and that this is caused by technology and social media.
“Employers regularly cite attributes like integrity, leadership and work ethic as crucial. And a recent study indicates that many of them question whether millennials have what it takes to succeed in the workplace,” wrote CNBC reporter, Kelley Holland. “In that survey, State of St. Louis Workforce 2013, a lack of communication skills, a poor work ethic and a lack of critical thinking and problem solving were the biggest shortcomings of the job applicants they were seeing.”
According to BBC, as a result, employers are finding that their young hires are awkward in their interpersonal interactions and ill-prepared to collaborate effectively with teammates and develop relationships with clients. Millennials lack confidence when meeting alumni or recruiters, and sometimes haven't acquired the skill of reacting appropriately to rejection or critical feedback.
On the social side of our “gap,” many would agree with the same observations employers make. Even when we, as millennials, go out to associate with others in our age bracket or that we have things uncommon, we are still constantly engaged in happenings outside of where we are, on social media.
For example, one can go to a social club, see a person they know and not engage in conversation with that person until after leaving the scene by adding them on a social media platform, or via direct message when they were literally just in the same place, in the same room, at the same exact time.
People from older generations constantly question our capabilities. The fact that we are less likely to know how to cook, or fix a car, or sew, or even read a map (thanks, Google Maps), coincide with their doubt that without technology we can’t survive. So, although technology is innovative, in some cases, even lucrative for people in our generation, and despite all the good things about it, is it really bad for us?
