Anybody who has been on Facebook for the past week has probably seen a video created by Alexis Bloomer titled, "Dear Elders, I’m Sorry." In the video, Bloomer makes the argument that
Bloomer starts her video by claiming that she wanted to understand why older generations are upset with millennials. It’s true that generation Y isn’t seen favorably by older generations. I would like to point out that it’s true that we have a reputation for being whiny and lazy, but every generation sees flaws in the generations to follow. Generation X, people born from the 1960s to the 1980s, was at one time seen as cynical and unmotivated. Now we know that that’s not really true; it’s only a stereotype which, for the most part, has dissolved.
Bloomer’s next claim is that millennials have “not contributed anything to society.” This is a really rash statement, and one that couldn’t be further from the truth. One example that somehow has slipped under the public eye is Jack Andraka’s diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer that is 28 times faster and 20,000 times less expensive than any other types of diagnostic tests for cancer. Andraka was only fifteen when he invented his test, and was born in the year 1997. Another notable example of contributions by millennials is the invention of virtual reality. Up until now, virtual reality has been science fiction. But Palmer Luckey’s Oculus Rift VR headset has made virtual reality a real technological tool that can be used for both practical and entertainment purposes. Luckey is 23 years-old and was born in 1992.
The next point Bloomer makes is that our generation lacks manners. While it’s true that there are rude millennials, it is only true because there always has, and always will be, rude people in general. It’s really impossible to say which generation is more "rude" than others, because no matter where you go, there are always going to be unsavory people. It is easy to say that Gen Y is more rude, but it’s something that is impossible to prove. Even if studies show that older generations are more polite, the question has to be asked if that is something that comes with age. That is a question that could be a very difficult one to answer.
Bloomer also claims that we listen to obscene music and use “words like ‘bae’ to describe the person we love.” In this sense, our generation is the same as every preceding generation. At one time Elvis and AC/DC were considered obscene, and the word "bae" is just one example of slang words that come and go. Sure, "bae" may not be a refined word recognized by Mirriam-Webster, but there’s nothing really wrong with it. The word "bae" is simply an acronym for "before anyone else." Music and slang words are just trends that will come and go, and will be seen by people outside of the generation they come from as unusual and, in some cases, obscene.
At a point in the video, Bloomer claims that “standing up for something we believe in means going on Facebook and posting a status.” This claim is particularly flawed, not only because her video would be part of this problem, but because Facebook is a great platform for anybody to express themselves. Facebook, or any other kind of social network, should be used as a replacement for social interaction; but anybody should be able to post what’s on their mind. That is what Facebook is there for, and part of the reason it has become so successful. There’s simply no such thing as an objective Facebook status; they are almost always opinions. We may not always agree with each other’s posts on social media, but it’s wrong to say that people posting their own opinion about something is a problem.
Alexis Bloomer makes a lot of claims about Generation Y in her video, and many people may agree with what she’s saying. But, as a millennial myself, I can’t help but feel that all the video does is reinforce negative stereotypes about me and the group of people I grew up with and continue to associate myself with every day. Any problems people have with a group of people should be grounded in facts, otherwise they are just stereotypes.
