A term widely used in the educational and political realms, especially amongst everyone who is NOT considered a "Millennial"... There are actually a lot of people who have no idea what this term means, even though it very possibly defines them perfectly. "Millennials" is a term to broadly define the generation following Generation X. There is some argument about the dates defining the start and end of this generation, but very broadly it began with births around mid 70s and ended with those around the turn of the century. Millennials were brought up in a time of economic, politic, and technological advancement and prosperity. Raised under the mantra of "Follow your dreams", they tend to be known as overly confident. But being raised amongst increasing diversity, they are also known for their acceptance of difference. Often, however, these benefits may be seen as downfalls when broadcasted in a certain light.

I don't know that anyone has referred to me as a millennial in any other fashion than for a joke... Mainly, because I'm a hard worker who has always valued the lessons learned by working for what you achieve. Very few things were ever given to me on a silver platter. I worked for what I got. But a common misconception of older generations is that we, the younger ones, never work for anything. The truth of it is we don't have to work as hard as they did. Many of our parents don't want us to have to do that.

My grandparents' generation, having grown up in wartime, learned a lot about self-sufficiency, caring for their families at a very young age... By the time they were adults, that's what they expected of their children. So our parents' generation grew up working harder than was actually necessary. They worked and worked and worked. Their work ethic is unmatched. But what did that mean for their children-- us? It meant that they never wanted us to have to face the same difficulty, the same struggle. Now, granted, there are many parents who still taught their children the importance of hard work. However, a large portion of parents largely contributed to the rise of the millennials. Our parents fought for every one of us to get a ribbon, a medal, a chance at success. They bought us the many toys and gadgets they were refused as children. In the process, we learned to want to have more, but we also learned to care about equality. We may have lost the work ethic, but we gained the idea that every person matters.

None of this is an excuse for the many downfalls of the millennial generation. But, perhaps, it may help some of you understand the reasoning behind our predicament. For those older than us, try to look at things from our perspective. For those younger than us, well, learn from our mistakes.