I'm pretty tired of hearing and reading endless articles and comments about how the Millennial generation is "selfish," "self-absorbed," and dare I say "without a good work ethic." Of course I can't help but read them since technically I am part of that generation, its like overhearing gossip. You can't help but want to know what's being said about you! However, I think what it boils down to is that times are changing. All of the old "rules for success" have been thrown out of the window and we're just holding on for dear life.
A previous boss once told me that when he graduated from college he was $500 in debt. Tuition used to cost hundreds, not thousands of dollars. Where is all of this money supposed to come from? What do they say, "You can't squeeze water from a rock?" And I think the government is making the impossible happen by giving this "financial aid" to millions of student. What exactly is "aid" anyways? I don't believe it should be a crutch, or a false promise of assistance that you pay for dearly in the future. It should be true aid. And the student loans keep us from buying new cars, homes, or making large investments. So you're still surprised the economy is in the dumps?
High school was brutal. We were so concerned with our college tuition, hoping for scholarships or grants, that school was less of a safe environment to grow up in, but more of a cutthroat competition between each other to make it to the top of your class. High school is brutal enough but add to it today's cyber bullying and incriminating photos of EVERY bad mistake you've made... (I am thankful I barely missed that technology update.)
We're adapting to technology faster. We don't need an entire day to write a paper or do complex math problems, create reports, or design a presentation. With today's technology we can accomplish more in one day than others were able to do in a week. So why are you surprised we don't think 8 - 5 makes sense or we're not morning people? The TV and computers don't turn off and we're busy absorbing as much as we can.
We realize you can do more with less. Our phones have a day planner, camera, wallet, mailbox, library, dictionary, the weather, and so much more on them. We don't need a bunch of fancy equipment to do amazing things. Our priorities have changed because we can do so much more with just a few gadgets that used to take entire teams. So why are we still staffed and organized where we have to go through multiple levels or hierarchy to make any decision?
We don't see the world in black and white. It is full of grey and colors. We've been inundated with a million movies, movie clips, songs, artists, books, and anything else we can imagine. If we didn't come out of all of that entertainment without a somewhat warped sense of idealism then I might worry. We're only a reflection of our environments and the environments we grew up in.
Money struggles are real. We are stressed more than you will ever believe. With student debt and struggling to find good paying jobs it's no wonder more of us aren't homeless or just given up on it all. It can feel next to impossible to "get ahead" these days and its downright frustrating. Add on mixed messages regarding relationships, marriage, and sex and you've got an entire generation of confused individuals doing their best.
I could go on and on but I suppose it all just sounds like excuses. But that is not my intention. What I really wish I could do is to challenge the baby boomers and traditional managers to try to see the world through our eyes. Sure, it's not so rosey, but we're making the best of it. We know there's a better way of working out there that doesn't involve boring 8 - 5 jobs (doing things we can use the computer to accomplish in .25% of the time), but we know we have to do this work to make a living and pay our bills.
Things are changing, I guarantee it. I don't think its necessarily bad, but it is going to be different. The true question is whether we will try to hold on to our outdated ways of thinking about work, and "expectations," and judgements and try to figure out a new way to co-exist. I don't imagine we "millennials" are going anywhere any time soon so I think we should instead learn from each other and define new rules for "work" and "play."
A previous boss once told me that when he graduated from college he was $500 in debt. Tuition used to cost hundreds, not thousands of dollars. Where is all of this money supposed to come from? What do they say, "You can't squeeze water from a rock?" And I think the government is making the impossible happen by giving this "financial aid" to millions of student. What exactly is "aid" anyways? I don't believe it should be a crutch, or a false promise of assistance that you pay for dearly in the future. It should be true aid. And the student loans keep us from buying new cars, homes, or making large investments. So you're still surprised the economy is in the dumps?
High school was brutal. We were so concerned with our college tuition, hoping for scholarships or grants, that school was less of a safe environment to grow up in, but more of a cutthroat competition between each other to make it to the top of your class. High school is brutal enough but add to it today's cyber bullying and incriminating photos of EVERY bad mistake you've made... (I am thankful I barely missed that technology update.)
We're adapting to technology faster. We don't need an entire day to write a paper or do complex math problems, create reports, or design a presentation. With today's technology we can accomplish more in one day than others were able to do in a week. So why are you surprised we don't think 8 - 5 makes sense or we're not morning people? The TV and computers don't turn off and we're busy absorbing as much as we can.
We realize you can do more with less. Our phones have a day planner, camera, wallet, mailbox, library, dictionary, the weather, and so much more on them. We don't need a bunch of fancy equipment to do amazing things. Our priorities have changed because we can do so much more with just a few gadgets that used to take entire teams. So why are we still staffed and organized where we have to go through multiple levels or hierarchy to make any decision?
We don't see the world in black and white. It is full of grey and colors. We've been inundated with a million movies, movie clips, songs, artists, books, and anything else we can imagine. If we didn't come out of all of that entertainment without a somewhat warped sense of idealism then I might worry. We're only a reflection of our environments and the environments we grew up in.
Money struggles are real. We are stressed more than you will ever believe. With student debt and struggling to find good paying jobs it's no wonder more of us aren't homeless or just given up on it all. It can feel next to impossible to "get ahead" these days and its downright frustrating. Add on mixed messages regarding relationships, marriage, and sex and you've got an entire generation of confused individuals doing their best.
I could go on and on but I suppose it all just sounds like excuses. But that is not my intention. What I really wish I could do is to challenge the baby boomers and traditional managers to try to see the world through our eyes. Sure, it's not so rosey, but we're making the best of it. We know there's a better way of working out there that doesn't involve boring 8 - 5 jobs (doing things we can use the computer to accomplish in .25% of the time), but we know we have to do this work to make a living and pay our bills.
Things are changing, I guarantee it. I don't think its necessarily bad, but it is going to be different. The true question is whether we will try to hold on to our outdated ways of thinking about work, and "expectations," and judgements and try to figure out a new way to co-exist. I don't imagine we "millennials" are going anywhere any time soon so I think we should instead learn from each other and define new rules for "work" and "play."
