Each generation is distinctive in the characteristics they hold. The "Greatest Generation" was characterized as responsible and hardworking because of the struggles they went throughout to survive the Great Depression. The "Baby Boomers" were considered to be motivated, independent and competitive because of the changes that were taking place in the country during their time. Then came "Generation X," also known for their hard work. Finally, there's my generation, "The Millennials," who are known to be lazy by some people and idealistic/optimistic by others. And so the biggest controversy is whether we are the next greatest generation.
Many people claim that we're not the next greatest generation because the Millennials are also known as the "Me Me Me Generation" and filled with narcissistic values. People also claim that because we're also known as the "Trophy Generation," we lack the grit to survive in this world, and because we are constantly coddled we don't fully any experience failure. On the other hand, people also think highly of the Millennials because of our access to developing technology, which has made us more creative and decisive learners and thinkers, but this developing technology also became the downfall of our generation.
This changing technology has made Millennials turn themselves into "brands" with "friends" and "followers" on social media and due to this, people started to shape themselves into "micro celebrities." By being a member of social medias like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I myself have seen that this technology has destroyed people and caused them to become so self-centered. People like to bandage their insecurities with the number of likes they receive and most importantly, their constant need of approval and "thirst" for acceptance of others. And we don't realize the destruction of technology until we hear the story of a child that committed suicide after being cyber-bullied.
Don't get me wrong, I still believe in my generation and I still love technology. But how long is it that we can stand in line without looking at our phone? Or how long is it that we can just give up our phones altogether? The Millennials perceived power, however, is only an adaptation to a world of abundance. I mean, for God's sakes, we grew up with flat screen TV's the size of walls, easy to carry laptops and smartphones that replace laptops. You can't blame it all on us.
Because of all the technology available to us, we are usually three to four steps ahead of the plan. We experiment and learn by testing things out and learning from what we do wrong. The technology has taught us to process large amount of visual information and process advanced motor spatial and strategy skills because of gaming technology. It has also made us think in different ways and be creative and innovative. But it is our job to hold ourselves together and fight against the destruction that technology we're surrounded by causes, because the future lies in the hands of the Millennials. The future lies in our hands.
