We’ve all heard it before from someone old and crotchety — “Oh, you’re a millennial” they say with a condescending twinkle in their eye. Um, yeah? I am, and that’s not really something I can help. I was born in 1996, so yeah, I’m a millennial. But here’s why I don’t see that as a bad thing.
We’re known as the “emotional whiner” generation; that is, we’re too caught up with feelings and are considered over-protected babies. We get berated if we express too many emotions, such as feeling uncomfortable with events that are happening all over the world like mass shootings and institutional racism. We get told to grow up and get over it, because our parents and our grandparents didn’t have safe spaces in college, so why should we? Well, screw them. I say be emotional. Be a baby. Be a whiner. Because that’s the only way things are going to change around here. It never did anyone any good to sit around and just accept things — it takes strong emotion and powerful will to make a difference. Do you think Martin Luther King Jr. said to himself, “Hmm, well, if white people want to be racist then that’s OK! That’s how it’s been for hundreds of years, so let’s just keep it going!” Hell no. He decided that he hated the way things were and he made a change — all powered by strong emotion. So I’ll be damned if I become a robot and just accept things the way they are. I’m going to make a change, and I’ll cry about it as much as I want.
We are also often considered lazy and demanding — we want free handouts. We don’t want to work for our money and we’re just expecting everyone to cater to our every need. Well, considering that the cost of living has skyrocketed, college tuition has increased tenfold, unemployment rates have gone through the roof and the job market is in disarray, I’d say there are a few kinks in the system to work out. If anything, we are the least lazy generation there’s been. Competitive spirits these days are at an all time high, and I’ve never seen so many kids my age work so hard to make good grades just so they stand a chance to get a job out of college. I’ve seen my friends have mental breakdowns and stay up for 32 hours straight just to get a passing score, so the next time you want to call us lazy, talk to them. Talk to our thousands of dollars in debt as soon as we graduate and talk to the employers who are only looking for people with 15 years of experience in jobs that probably only need one. Talk to yourselves, who put our country in a complete down spiral and then blame us for being incapable of fixing it.
My favorite insult that baby boomers have is that our generation is too obsessed with technology and smart phones. “We’re missing out on life.” I take pictures because I want to remember. I text my friends because I want to stay in touch. I check social media because I want to stay updated with what’s happening in other people’s lives. And let’s not forget that it’s this technology that has saved millions of lives. Our technological advances have found cures for diseases and ways to keep people healthier for longer. We are a generation that might be more disconnected socially, but connected on a common bond of love for technology. And here’s some food for thought: have you ever considered that maybe talking face to face isn’t the most ideal situation for some people? Of course not; you’re too busy spewing your hateful insults.
I could go on all day about how horrible other generations consider us, but I’d tire my little lazy brain out. All in all, I’m sick of being shamed for who I am, for when I was born. I’m done, I’m over it. I’m not ashamed to be a part of this generation, and I will continue to stand for what it is and what it does until the day I die.
