After reading an article called “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change,” I started to think about the similarities I have to my peers. If someone of my parents’ generation were to categorize me as being the same as most others of my generation, in many ways, they would be right. Technology is a huge part of my day-to-day life; I’m not religious; and (sadly) I don’t claim that a great work ethic is one of my most defining qualities. But in some ways, I am not the stereotypical Millennial. I haven’t exercised vigorously in the past 24 hours, unlike 56% of my generation (although I idly considered going to the gym, I never actually made it there today). I’m actually quite surprised that so many people exercise. I guess I’m glad to be part of such a health-conscious generation. As well as health-conscious, I think Milennials tend to be pretty environmentally-conscious. I like to think that I am too, but I don’t buy green products, unlike 53% of my generation (albeit, I might if I had a little more money).
Unlike 65% of my generation, I don’t get my news from the television – actually, I don’t really get much news from anywhere – maybe I should make more of an effort to be aware of current events. Unlike 53% of my generation, I tend to think that the government is too involved and society would do better if individuals and businesses were left more to their own devices (admittedly, I formed this opinion based on discussions with my parents). Unlike 69% of my generation, I am not a registered voter (although I did just recently turn eighteen). To be honest, I think young people around my age are too decided in their opinions and not well informed enough on both sides of issues – I try not to be too stubborn with my own views, because I know they can be improperly founded. I remember one of my friends once saying, “I feel as though the world is topsy-turvy and everyone keeps changing their opinions at the drop of a hat. Each time I try to make an educated decision, it turns out my education was wrong. Somebody just tell me the truth.”
Unlike 56% of my generation, I think that technology is an easy way to waste time; unlike 54%, I don’t think it genuinely makes people closer. Yes, I spend a lot of time on the internet and on my phone. But I don’t think it’s genuinely fulfilling – it’s just a habit and a way to procrastinate, in most cases. I’d rather have a conversation on the phone than on Facebook, but few of my friends care to do that – even though of my them once said, “Facebook is the imitation crab meat of social-ness” – it tastes decent, and it’s cheap, but the quality is not the same. But even as I write this essay, I’m multitasking and communicating with people via the internet. I’m quite the hypocrite, clearly.
I can’t exactly back this up with facts or statistics, but I wonder how many others might share the opinion that my generation, or at least some of the people in it, often have this air of entitlement? They – or should I say we? – seem to expect a lot from the world. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in all cases, but maybe it’s setting us up for disappointment. Nobody ought to think success will just be handed to them on a silver platter. This idea about Milennials really just speculation in my part, and hearing what other people think about this. One of my friends said on the subject, “Grow up, people….stop complaining about your jobs, that’s the way you make money in order to do the stupid things you do. Stop complaining about college, you paid to go, so just man up and do work.”
“Every generation welcomes the pirates from the last.”
― Lawrence Lessig, Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity
In looking at the full report of “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change,” I noticed some interesting trends over time, some shifts in a certain direction from generation to generation. I think generally, people have become more accepting – of biracial marriage and gay marriage, for example. This makes me wonder what the next generation will be like. Hopefully we’ll keep moving in this direction. Who exactly are the “pirate”s of the Millennials? I don’t think I’m one. The ways in which I am different seem to me more like lingering effects from my parents’ generation, Generation X, than anything new that could become more significant with time.
Note: Statistics collected from “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.”
An Adventure of Sorts 