Lately, the distaste and hate for the “millennial generation” has become more and more prominent. The hatred isn’t only derived from our parents and those much older than us, but also from our own friends and colleagues. The Baby Boomers are no longer the only ones wanting to silent us, so the distaste for my generation is no longer something I can ignore.
So many of my friends like to ramble on about how terrible our generation is, saying “our” as if they can lessen the insult by including themselves in it. Using “our” the way one uses “passed away” in place of “died.” They hate the way our generation loves its technology and social media; the way we identify ourselves by our connectedness, our egocentricity and our belief that we are superior.
We’re so hated is because there is such a negative connotation associated with every aspect that defines us millennials. We’re seen as selfish because we’ve seen the consequences of those who do not love themselves enough, we are selfish because we’ve been raised by parents who treat us like a gift. We feel like we’re special because we are. We are the generation that is smart enough to solve the problems that the generations before us could not. We have been encouraged, supported and loved enough to believe in ourselves. We are stubborn enough to not give up, and we are hotheaded enough to keep trying until we are the ones who solve all the problems.
So many others laugh at how our generation longs to publicize even the smallest things of our lives. People mock us for taking so many pictures and posting so many Tweets, yet they’re on the receiving end of it all -- “liking” and “retweeting.” We’re mocked for being public, yet so many of us look to one another and wait for the next update. We want to feel that connection, we want to know about our colleagues' lives, and to know that there are different opinions and lives out there and we are not alone.
This generation is critiqued for being so dependent, our socialness is seen as a weakness. We’re criticized for not wanting to do things alone, and for turning any event into a social affair. We thrive for the company of others and prefer to make most tasks a group effort. Others see it as a surrender as individualism, but it’s an explosion of diversity. We do not sacrifice ourselves in the group setting, but rather open ourselves to new ideas and ways of getting things done. While time spent alone is greatly appreciated, we’re firm in the belief that two heads are better than one.
So do not complain about how you hate the Millennials and do not say the Y-Generation will ruin this country. People must give this generation a chance, we are still young, but we’ve already begun to change this country -- this world. To the Millennials: take pride in yourselves. Continue to love the generation surrounding you, love yourself and love the uniqueness of the Y-Generation. Be selfish, depend on others, connect with everyone and do not take no for an answer. Live.
