It's no secret that everyone seems to hate millennials.
Who even is a millennial? According to most common definitions, it can be any person born from roughly 1980 to 2004.
Why is such a huge range of ages so easily placed into one box?
I'm sick of society saying that if you are a millennial, you are undeniably x,y, and z. Usually, x, y, and z are terms like lazy, overly-sensitive, immature, and just overall degenerative.
Here's the problem: when you step back from arguing that "millennials are ruining everything" for a moment, you'll see millennials are no different than any other generation. As time goes on, generations adapt and change to be successful in the world which their generation lies in.
If I had a dime for every time I heard the phrase "Millennials ruined ___", I could afford a penthouse. Everyone born in that 20+ range of years is automatically entitled, and has nothing to work for and is somehow the bane of all other generations.
Does anyone else see how insane this is?
Granted, the media doesn't help--look at who the faces of our pop culture are. Reality TV rules all, people become famous for actually doing nothing.
The problem is, if everyone who is technically a millennial succumbs to the expectation that they are lazy and ruin everything without saying a word, they will be silenced. There will be no more great writers or artists or filmmakers if they are not taken seriously because they are a millennial.
It's time for "millennial" to stop being a bad word. We need to accept that the new norm for society may involve a different pace and set of ideals than what has happened before--but what if it's the change we need? What if millennials are the generation to cure cancer or go to Mars?
It's unfair to say all millennials fit one description. The millennials I know work hard, bounce back from hardship, and have dreams bigger than any generation prior. It will be our job to improve the world, to fix what other generations have left behind. Sustainability, tolerance, and innovation are common goals for the millennials I know and admire.
When millennials stop being categorized using the same old same derogatory adjectives, and start being recognized as unique and progressive, we will be setting a better example for millennials and generations to come.
