Bashing Millennials on the internet these days has become more popular than Kim Kardashian and videos of cats afraid of cucumbers — combined.
(Maybe a bit of an overstatement, but I’m a Millennial so you’ll have to excuse my entitled view and lack of common sense…See what I did there…)
And at the core of the fierce Millennial debate there seems to be one question at the forefront – What’s wrong with Millennials these days?
Like The Most Interesting Man in the World — Millennials seem to be a walking paradox that makes for great entertainment.
Entitled. Narcissistic. Lazy. The Facebook Generation all about instant gratification. Generation Me. These are the words used to describe the “Millennial Problem.”
Why is it that stereotyping certain topics is completely taboo, yet stereotyping an entire generation is all the rage?
Maybe it’s not entitlement, narcissism or laziness that is expanding the chasm between the generations these days. Maybe the generational chasm is growing because of all these stereotypes.
The Danger of Generational Stereotypes
We need to stop throwing out the same tired buzzwords to define the “Millennial problem.” (Click to tweet that)
We read a NY Times or Huffington Post article, or people watch someone under 25-years-old, and all of the sudden we think we have Millennials pegged. Grand, sweeping, headline grabbing, generalizations somehow become the norm.
There are 1.8 billion Millennials in the world. That’s like taking the United States and China and replacing every person currently living there with a Millennial.
Each of these “Millennials” are complex, diverse, unique individuals.
Millennials are people, not a catch-all marketing bucket. (Click the tweet that)
Many of us are not taking the time to truly understand Millennials because it’s much easier to have the three word answer than to take the time and effort to ask the right questions.
Buzzwords can’t be gospel truth.
Some Millennials will act entitled, some won’t.
Some Millennials will have an IV of technology hooked to their veins. Some still like the feel and smell of a paper book.
Some Millennials will persevere and work their ass off. Other Millennials will take repeated naps and watch Netflix.
Some Millenials will get married young. Some will cast marriage off like a pair of worn tennis shoes.
Some are immersed in social media and their iPhone, and yet at the same time feel very much alone.
Some Millennials are struggling with Obsessive Comparison Disorder. Some aren’t.
Some Millennials embrace being called a Millennial. Others can’t stand it.
As I wrote in my book 101 Secrets for your Twenties, “why do we think we can sum up an entire generation with a simple label like a box of Wheat Thins?”
Let’s be careful not to treat generalizations as facts. Because the problem is that these stereotypes become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Millennials Become What You Label Them
Stereotypes become your reality.
If you think Millennials are entitled, then you’re going to continually look at Millennials through that lens. Your perception will define your reality. You won’t look for examples of self-sacrifice or hard work because that would be contrary to the truth you already “know”.
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