On Millennials

[Llee]

A friend recently shared this about this generation and it has some good points.

https://bornagainminimalist.com/2016...f-millennials/

[Mother of Sons]

Eh. Every generation has been criticized by the one before it. That's nothing new. And of course the next generation isn't shy about blaming all the world words woes on their parents generation. Also not new. It always has been. Always will be. Different generations have different upbringings, different world circumstances, different goals etc. it's not easy to see eye to eye. Each generation has their good points and bad points. Millennials included.

[HomeWithMyBabies]

That was interesting. I hear about whiny millennials but thinking of the people I know personally that hasn't been my experience from them. Although they also are not vocal about minimum wage issues and the like either, and most have decent paying professional or skills based jobs.

One thing that interests me is that gen X'ers like myself (I'd be young gen x but still gen x IMO) tend to have more debt than millennials and have a harder time paying their bills on time. We're one of the original bread slices making a sandwich out of our parents generation. Yet millennials are more vocal. I think they tend to be more hopeful then gen X and that accounts for their willingness to speak up. As for my generation, we've been through this already and never fully bought into the American Dream to begin with.

[forty-two]

I agree with some of the points made wrt how economic realities are different for people starting out. And I generally agree that overbroad assumptions about how "I did it, so why can't you? Must be your fault that you can't " are uncharitable and unhelpful.

But the author's *tone*! If you are going to write something refuting that millennials are whiny and entitled, it helps to not sound all whiny and entitled in your defense . Seriously, none of millennials' problems are our own fault? None of them? Everything wrong with us is because of the faults of other generations? Really? This is not helping the whole "millennials are whiny, entitled special snowflakes" stereotype . I'm guessing the tone was more a product of being defensive than being entitled, but a defensive attitude doesn't put you in a great headspace for making calm, reasoned arguments.

[mommychem]

Wait, wait, wait...according to this article, I'm a millineal. I thought I was solidly Gen-X. I need to read the rest of the article - only got through the first paragraph and then SHOCK - this is about me!!!

[Katigre]

So if you're born 1980-1984 you're between the generations imo. 1985+ is millennial all the way. 1981? It depends . I relate more to millennial than gen x (maybe 60/40 split) and was born in 1982. Dh was born in 1980 and doesn't relate to millennial at all.

[ECingMama]

I don't relate at all. 1980

My kids are horrified that I think smart phones are an unnecessary luxury. My kids are 6 and 9.

[OnAMission]

I was born 1984, and identify generally more with Millenials, though not entirely. There was a huge difference between people who were seniors when I was a freshman, and my brother, who is four years younger than me. The difference between his class and mine was very evident from a young age, especially things like working in groups and team work.

I think there are a lot of good things about Millenials as the article points out, and there are things Millenials are having to learn the hard way. Millenials were told from day one, you can be whatever you want to be, and pursue what you like without regard for pay because that is more important. The positives from those messages are that Millenials are very tolerant of others, others-oriented, and are willing to give of their time, money and talent for others. However, between those messages and coming of age in the Great Recession, many are finding the world isn't quite as ideal as they thought. Some are landing on their feet, and some are needing to rethink what their adult lives will look like. My cousins are all solidly Millenials, and this seems to be their experience so far, including the mix of landing on feet and not.

Frankly I like that I was born in between I have the benefits of both worlds: a bit more practicality and emphasis on the need to work in order to achieve with an emphasis on others and live and let live. I think something that really sets Millenials apart is that their, or at least my, definition of what "leaving the next generation better off than me" looks different than previous generations, at least with my family. My great grandparents successfully worked hard so their kids with have more money/education/social status, as did my grandparents, as did my parents. I certainly don't want my kids to live in constant need or not be able to get the education they want, but my definition of successfully leaving them better off than me has a lot more to do with character qualities than the money they make or the house they'd live in. This makes my family sound super materialistic, and they really aren't they raised my siblings and I after all! But my siblings and I have a broader instead of reach even higher mentality that just doesn't quite make sense to my parents (who are borderline between baby boomers and gen x) Maybe that is all just me, but it is my experience.

[knitlove]

I was a 79 baby and I definity feel in-between. Not a full gen x and not a millennial. My brother is 8 years younger and is definitely a millennial. I have run across several things that put the 78 to 84 as a seperat group.

[Victorious]

Born in 1982. The Oregon Trail generation. There's a good article somewhere. I'll be back with it.

---------- Post added at 01:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 PM ----------

https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/201...il-generation/

[Trixie]

1984 and I definitely would classify myself as the Oregon Trail Generation! Some of that is how I was raised. We had a computer, Nintendo and Sega, but we weren't allowed to play on it all the time. Even when cell phones were becoming popular in high school, I didn't have one. I remember being totally in awe of the internet and spending way too much time on it in high school (and now). I just got my first smart phone within the last two years so while I am quite adept with technology, I am hesitant to embrace it. I value hard work, and roll my eyes at people with entitlement issues (and I have seen it with older people so it isn't exclusive to millennials.)

Honestly the whiny-ness from the article sounds like it was written by someone coming of age and still not having people take them seriously. I remember lamenting that an older friend when I wan in my early 20's. People my age and younger enjoyed the relative prosperity of our parents and weren't necessarily taught all the basic life skills. (I could kind of budget and balance a checkbook, but had no cooking skills). We were both expected to burst forth from high-school fully functioning adults with everything together while also not being treated like adults from the previous generations. It really feels like it takes people longer to "grow up" now than it used to, but that is due to a shift in culture and education requirements. My father is an aerospace engineer without a college degree. He will even tell you that he is last to be able to do that and that it restricted him in his career, even with his brilliance in the area (He was on the B-2 project and he recently was contracted for Tesla, so he knows what he is doing.) Now you need at least an associates degree and more increasingly a bachelor's degree to even get an entry level job. I am amazed at the amount of jobs that require degrees for positions that do not require a lot of skill. It seems like today you are an "adult" at 18 but aren't "grown-up" until you have your degree and an established career.

[Maleldil's daughter]

The Oregon Trail Generation! That's awesome! I was born in 1983 and definitely fit in that.
I'm a bit of a Luddite personally so I approach technology more like someone a bit older. I didn't have a cell phone until after I graduated from college and only got a smartphone last year. My poor dh has to rescue me from tech frustration fairly often. And he is the exact same age so it's more just me.
In terms of things like values and worldview I can typically identify with millennials to some degree. However graduating from college in 2005 and having a few years to work before the Great Recession seems to have let me escape some of the economic angst plaguing millennials. And I do agree somewhat with the original article afa economic realities facing young people today, I just don't seem to have that level of anxiety.

[OnAMission]

to the Oregon Trail Generation!

[MercyInDisguise]

Originally Posted by Katigre

So if you're born 1980-1984 you're between the generations imo. 1985+ is millennial all the way. 1981? It depends . I relate more to millennial than gen x (maybe 60/40 split) and was born in 1982. Dh was born in 1980 and doesn't relate to millennial at all.

I think being in the gap really depends where you are in your family too. An oldest child might identify more as a millennial whereas someone with siblings 10 years older than them may identify more with Gen x.

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[Soliloquy]

1972 but we had Atari in the 1970s and an Apple II+ in 1981. So I grew up with technology. But there was no such thing as helicopter parenting back then, at least in the suburbs. We didn't have soccer moms or crazy schedules. We stayed outside from 3:00 until bedtime. But my generation was completely tossed to the wind to navigate adolescence. The Breakfast Club portrayed it perfectly. I didn't have a single adult to talk to, neither did my friends. I think we've learned from that and are trying to be connected with our teens.

I agree that every generation of young adults feels like they're getting the shaft and their parents think they have it easy. I'm in my 40s now so I can see both sides. My kids will have some things easier, some things harder.