I came into this world in the year 1996, smack in the middle of the 'Dot-Com Boom'. For almost the entirety of my life, I've had technology around me. I don't remember a time when we didn't have a home computer. I grew up learning how to operate software in school, and technology became a second language for people my age.
I got my first cell phone (a hot pink Motorola Razr) at the age of 11. I didn't use it much, except to call my parents if I was staying after school. I remember being excited to have the *newest cell phone technology* in my hands, but I didn't quite need it just yet.
Fast forward through years of other 'kid' cell phones, obtaining an Apple iPhone, and being a young adult who has had access to a cell phone for almost 50% of my life. I separate myself from my cell phone constantly. I know the appropriate times to be connected to it. If I am talking with someone, my cell phone is away. If I am somewhere new, or meeting up with a friend, it's in my purse. When I want to be on my phone, I am on my phone, but it is not a priority in my social life.
Something I noticed about being a millennial is that people expect me to be passive, uneducated about real life issues, and 'addicted' to technology and media. In reality, I'm the exact opposite of that. If anything, I notice that the older generations are much more technology obsessed than I am.
I was recently in a yoga class, which consisted of me and a group of 35+ year old women. The class was interrupted briefly, as the instructor had to handle something in the studio. The moment the instructor left, all the women were on their cell phones. I sat quietly and meditated as I heard the unmistakable sound of vibrating iPhones and nails tapping away on their touch screens. I couldn't believe it. I was the millennial, but I was the only one who didn't feel the immediate need to take out my phone.
Even in my travels on the New York City subways, I always see young men and women quietly reading, or listening to music, while the older generations are practically salivating over their Candy Crush game. I see mothers ignoring their children as they try to tell them about their days. I see grown men answering emails on their phones and almost stepping out into traffic.
I am not trying to pin the obsession on older generations, I've just observed their behavior and it's become obvious that millennials are not the issue. As I mentioned before, millennials have grown up with this technology. We know how to use it as a tool for education, sharing concepts, and networking. Our cell phone use is not confined to the dullness of social media.
The older generations, however, do not have the knowledge that we do. They don't understand how we can balance our life with our cell phone use because we are used to having this technology readily available to us. It isn't as exciting to us, and we know the etiquette that comes with the privilege of technology.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of exceptions to my observations. There are many millennials who would rather sit on their phones than pay attention to the real world around them. There are also plenty of older people who haven't advanced their technology since they got their first flip phone.
Personally, I want to end the stigma that since I am young, I am not able to appreciate the world around me. The stereotypes that are attached to the millennial age group is demeaning and cynical. Let's all put our phones down, discuss with each other, and learn more about the things that matter.
