If you were born between the years of 1980 and 2000, congratulations, you officially are a part of the worst members of our society. Our narcissistic, self-centered, whiny, selfie taking selves are taking over the world as we know it while still under the roofs of our parents.
Now before I go on, OBVIOUSLY I have to shamelessly plug my social media outlets......
No, I won't do that, but I do think that it is very important to acknowledge the negative stereotypes that are being associated with millennials. However, let us not forget that these things have not just been said about us.
"In her experience lies the explanation of certain grand puzzles of the 1970s, a period that will come to be known as the Me Decade." - New York, August 23, 1976
"There they are, those preening narcissists who have to document every banal moment with their cutting-edge communications technology." - Newsweek, December 30, 1985.
"They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder... They crave entertainment, but their attention span is as short as one zap of a TV dial." - Time, July 16, 1990
Clearly generation differences and competitions have plagued our society for quite some time now, but why is this? As a millennial I am going to sound like an arrogant a**hole for saying this, but could it be that the generations before us know we are making contributions to society that they couldn't even imagine when they were our age? This is not to say that Millennials are the best people in the world because we all have our own flaws. I have so much respect for the generations that came before us that have paved the way for us with their contributions to society. However, I also do ask that those generations before ourselves think back to their young-adulthood and evaluate if the things you valued then were different than they are now in your adult years.
The human race is always evolving and trying to make themselves better, whether that be through technological advancements, pushing the limits of the human body, or reaching new boundaries in the universe. Fifteen years ago, the idea of the iPhone was archaic and now it is a household name. The first sub-four minute mile was ran by Roger Bannister in 1954 and now we see collegiate athletes and Olympians consistently doing this. We have people traveling to the moon for crying out loud. Humans are absolutely amazing and the contributions that have been made by each generation is so vital for the further advancement of the human race.
All this in mind, the next time you see an article, video, etc. that criticizes, generalizes, or classifies an entire generation of people please keep a few things in mind.
1. Whether or not you realized it, you have probably been on the receiving end of these generalizations. Media has been criticizing the younger generations of society for a long time now, it is now just more predominant because of easier access to digital and written content.
2. Think about the advances that came about as a result of your own generation. Ask yourself if the younger generations could be doing what they are doing had it not been for those contributions. Then be proud that your generation's contributions have allowed for the further advancement of the human race.
3. Finally, think about all of the positive things that are coming about from younger generations, and know that the work they are doing is paving the way for further advancement of humans for the ever so many years that are to come.
There are always going to be bad apples in a bunch, but please know that for every bad apple, there are equal amount of good apples. Know that these generalizations that have been making headlines in media for ages now and most certainly can not classify an entire generation of people.
