As a female millennial, it’s become increasingly difficult to filter the hate society throws the way of the generation at large, which is classified as those ages 18-34. I begin to wonder, when did all of this hate start? Why does the blame of society's ills begin to fall on our shoulders? I really have no idea.
Maybe it’s because millennials are an easy target because often times, being young is being seen as ignorant. I seriously beg to differ. Our generation is the brunt of so many jokes and is seen as ignorant about so many issues but who even constructed that idea?
Millennials are seen as being selfish and self-serving but it makes me wonder, wasn’t the generation before us and the one before them the same way? I mean, come on, it’s not like looking out for oneself is a new concept. Older generations harp that no one cares about each other or are willing to lay it on the line for someone else, but why would we be? We have been conditioned to look out for ourselves to be successful as possible. We grew up being told how cold of a world it is so we adjusted to fit in and not drown in the pool of hypocrisy we were expecting to face.
So now that we are all older, the more I realize how blame is placed that doesn’t apply to us, the angrier I become. For example, getting a job. I had a conversation with my dad the other day about how millennials don’t stay with a single job for very long. He (age 52) argued that people should try to stay with one company and move up the ranks, however, the younger generations have been primed to achieve as much as possible, as quickly as possible. This leads to the mindset where yeah, you will switch jobs if it means you get paid more and the title is sexier. It’s extremely discouraging to stick with something for a long times and not feeling like you’re getting anywhere. This is definitely in the millennial mindset however; the notion of moving up quickly has been constructed by older generations.
Another reason why millennials are the way we are comes from what we learn in college. We are told it’s crucial to pack your schedule and do as much as humanly possible, but don’t forget to join clubs and internships. You’ve got to have an internship every summer. This formula has been constructed by older generations in order for young people to be successful. So, it’s seriously no wonder why it drives millennials to unhealthy stress levels striving for high levels of success. The bar is set by older generations, we just have to live up to it and exceed it to conform to these fangled standards.
I am thankful to be a millennial woman. I’m proud to be a part of a freethinking and more liberal generation, and I welcome the critiques from older generations who may be afraid of what we will make the world when we are their age. But for now, they can laugh and scoff at what they want. Go forth and conquer millennials!
