I am a millennial. Now, this isn’t profound, unless you too have lived on the edge of a generational cut off your whole life.
On March 1, Pew Research Center determined the official age range for millennials spans from 1981-96. Up until March 1, my birth year of 1996 was either the cut-off year for joining the millennial club, or the beginning of a new generation, depending on various studies. So, thank you Pew Research Center for imparting some clarity unto my life.
Prior to this age range being established, I played a fun game of deciding whether or not I would classify myself as the highly-criticized millennial, or as a post-millennial — a generation whose characteristics are still being developed (though equally criticized — thanks, Tide Pod challenge).
But, why should I care? Why should you care what generation you belong to? We’re all different, so who’s to say that I have to identify with a generation that is accused of killing the bar soap industry (yes, millennials have been in the headlines for that).
Well, the truth is, there is something important about knowing your generation and how it has helped shape who you are as a person. As it is, and as it always will be, older generations will reflect on how they grew up as a means of judging younger cohorts — sometimes harshly. While headlines continue to scream “Millennials are ruining the workforce,” or “Millennials killed home ownership, chose avocado toast instead,” I know there is more to our existence than apparently killing bar soap, ruining the workforce or our evident love for avocado toast.
My worldview is shaped by some of my earliest memories, which include the 9/11 terrorist attacks, going through a recession and growing up right alongside rapidly-changing technology, just trying to keep up in a world that was still new to me.
If anything, I think millennials have proven we are just as strong and smart as previous generations. We’re innovative and creative — we’ve shown that we can adapt.
Millennials don’t buy as many homes as previous generations because we’ve seen the foreclosures in our neighborhoods and the job security that just isn’t there anymore. We’re not as quick to choose the traditional workplace, and instead opt to chase our dreams on alternative routes. We don’t use bar soap because it’s kind of gross when you think about it.
There is importance in studying how our environment shapes us as a generation and what we can pass on to the younger members of our society. There is a lot of good about our generation, but it is essential we recognize what can be improved on too. We’re too attached to our technology and we could work on our concept of privacy in regards to what we share on social media, along with other things.
We don’t have to fit into the stereotypes of our generation, but if we recognize them alongside our strengths, we can continue to learn and progress as we continue to lay the foundation for future generations.