More and more, the word millennial has been creeping in to our vocabularies, the media, and day to day conversation... and I can't stand it. When you look it up in the dictionary, the modern definition given by authors Neil Howe and William Strauss is: "individuals who reached adulthood around the turn of the 21st century." While this is not the only time in history this word has been used to describe a generation, millennial has become a concrete defining word of our modern language.
So yes, by this definition, I am considered to be a part of the millennial generation. From what I have seen, however, the word millennial is not used to describe an age group hardly at all, but rather the world in which they are creating for themselves.
If you type 'millennial' in to a search engine and click on images, you will be met with an onslaught of pictures of people taking selfies, friends sitting around a table on their phones and not talking to one another; there is always a mobile device to be found somewhere. You will find a world created through hashtags and the filters of a camera. What you may also find pictures depicting strong thinkers - people that intend to change the world through a variety of different ways. Search a little bit more on the Internet and you will find that, according to the media, millennials are made out to be a people group who:
- make and live their lives predominantly on social media
- are the first generation to collectively embrace going cashless (because we do a great deal of our shopping online)
- are disillusioned with expectations that are unrealistic and grandiose
- grew up thinking we should "follow our dreams"
- ... and as a result are very entitled, outspoken, loud, and narcissistic in our opinions
- are the most diverse generation yet
- are expected to be underemployed and bounce between jobs
I encourage any reader to do your research. There is more than just this, and these things can be found in many places, and I made none of this up. Bottom line- it kind of hurts.
While this can apply to people all throughout my generation, I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. Even more so, I am not the bad type of millennial that is commonly depicted. Sure, I am in my 20s, I am surrounded by technology and OF COURSE I have a voice and dreams, but I am not your stereotypical millennial.
I hate the word millennial because it no longer defines an age group- it stigmatizes the actions of that age group. And, it makes me even more upset because it is my age group being stigmatized- and what is being set up for the next generation? If my generation is under this much scrutiny, what will happen to my future children?
By lumping us together, you (the general public, press and media) are calling our generation a technology obsessed, image crafting, big mouthed, illogically thinking set of lofty dreamers who are never going to go far because we can never make up our minds. I am here to tell you that this is a broad definition, but it does not define all of us.
I have dreams and I have a bucket list. I have an insane love for travel. I have a smartphone, a computer, and a tablet, and I use them often. I am more of a free thinker. Although a great deal of my peers do not go to church, I still do. I do not always know what I want all the time. My career plans are not set in stone.
HOWEVER:
I have dreams, but I am practical. I love to travel, but I am not predominantly an impulsive person. I have technology, but I use it to call people, take notes in class, and do academic research (and that is more than just texting). I think freely, but I am patient- I am learning how far is too far. I still have my faith. Just because I have my phone out at a particular moment does not mean that my phone is my life. Social media has its benefits, but it is not everything. Just because I have big dreams and a huge bucket list does not mean that I have unrealistic expectations of the world. Just because I am confident does not mean that I feel entitled. Just because I am not 100% sure of what I want to do with my life does not mean that I don't have a plan and that I am ignoring it.
As I read from an article from TechTarget, "Millennials are exerting their influence on the world around them, as all prior generations have done."
I encourage you, after you finish reading this, to start a conversation about it. What can we, the "millennials" do to break the stereotype? What can we do to break it in a good way? My opinion is not perfect, but the topic is important. If this generation is being described in such a way as this, and you don't like it, maybe consider how you are contributing to the stigma. By literal definition, we are millennials, but we are not all the definition of millennials people think of.
