Millennials, that's what we're called. I can't give you an answer on whether or not that's a derogatory term or a compliment. I see so many posts about how mygeneration is just a bunch of lazy technology addicts that will never realize what hard work can bring... Yet I also see a bunch of posts from the complete opposite spectrum; This generation will be the greatest there ever was because of the resources and big ideas we have!

I'm going to have to agree to completely disagree with both of those statements.

Let me start with the incredible things about my generation that are sometimes missed by some from the generations before me.

1. We have a way with technology.

Mostly perceived as a negative trait, it can also be so impressive. I'm quite sure that we are the only generation so far that can tell you exactly how long it is going to take to get from one location to another because we have access to traffic delays, accident warnings, and construction updates all in one click. And do you remember that old stereotypical sketch of the family driving around, lost, with the woman begging the man to pull over for directions? That didn't just become a well-known spoof for nothing. People got lost. Now, Google Maps or Siri does fail us sometimes, but let's just say that any men that relate to the situation previously mentioned are just a tad bitter that us millennials can find our way around easier than they could. Would it hurt to just accept that there is a more efficient way to do that now? Not lazy. Not too easy. Literally just so much more efficient. Gas-wise, time-wise, stress-wise. Plus, word/info/alerts can get out, FAST. Child kidnapped? There's a quick alert for that that has helped many children. Bleeding to death? Call 911. In a sketchy part of town or think you could need help getting away from a rapist? There's an actual app for that. If you still think all technology is just sent from hell, I'd like to remind you that you are reading this on an electronically based device.

2. Millennials like it equal.

I am fully aware that this one is not strictly limited to millennials. There is something to the fact, though, that women have become more of a force to be reckoned with during the 90s and 2000s. Sexism has become plain disgusting and non-debatable. It's not a "well, it's how it's always been," with this generation. We were born in an era when feminists were rising up, so we just see it like it always should have been: Women are equivalent to men. Racism/sexuality is also a huge one. Woahhhh sexuality watch out!! Scary subject!! No. Stop and chill for a second. My generation looks at race/color of skin through an entirely different lens because, frankly, we haven't seen it any other way. That can be a beautiful thing. We think that all races are equal because that is HOW IT IS and to us, how it's always been. As for sexuality, whether you agree with LGBQT or not, I don't really care. It's a fact that all humans should be treated with dignity, respect, and love. My generation has been making leaps and bounds in that exact area.

3. We get offended and wear our heart on our sleeves.

I've seen time and time again people complaining about how "touchy" or "sensitive" people are nowadays. Newsflash, just for a second. That's not a bad thing. Oddly enough, even people my age complain about others getting offended too easily, but let's sketch this out a little bit. Can you argue with how you made someone feel? No. You can try to explain yourself if you were misunderstood, yes. But you can not argue with their feelings. It's how they feel! And you caused it. So, either, a) you can work through the conflict and try to resolve some deeper-lying issues that probably are the cause of the offense or b) get angry at the person you offended for being sensitive... Don't get me wrong, a little tough love IS NECESSARY sometimes. But a lot of love for others is WAY MORE NECESSARY. Yeah, we're touchy. But that can also make us much more sensitive of our words towards other people. So is it really all that bad if people are sensitive and overly loving...? I'll let you piece that one together.

Now I'm not saying I'm fully in love with my generation either. There are a few flaws in the blind belief that millennials are the best.

1. We have big egos.

With the beauty of technology has come the evil of social media. Social media could be incredibly fun and interesting if there were no likes, no favorites, no commenting, no retweeting. But instead of being social with your friends and being happy for others when they are happy, my generation has turned it all into a popularity contest. "Don't post too little, or you won't get followers, and if you don't have followers, you're not popular enough. Don't post too much, or else it's annoying because nobody really wants to see anyone else that happy. Once a week or so is acceptable. Make sure to take more pictures with your pretty friends than with your family, because that will bring in the most likes! Post your picture at prime liking times, because the first 2 hours are when you get your most likes. Figure out when people are on their phones the most, then post! Text or snap your friends to get more likes or comments. Promise that you'll say nice stuff on their wall if they like your post." Here are just a few of the unspoken rules of this never-ending popularity nightmare that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat have become. All of these strangling rules also attribute to the fact that our faces our constantly in our phones and we can't stop taking selfies. And you thought we did it just for fun...

2. We are ungrateful.

Some call it laziness, some call it ignorance. Please hear me out. I hate it when I hear people call millennials lazy. I'd like to remind other generations that the extracurriculars, the schoolwork, the drama... it's all gotten more hectic. I heard a scientific study that actually said that the average high schooler to young adult has a stress level equivalent to someone they would put in a mental health ward in the 60s. I say that we are ungrateful, not lazy, because we honestly don't have to walk uphill both ways to school through snow and rain because it would honestly be a huge waste of time with all we have available to us now. We just complain way too much when we should be realizing our luxuries. Common complaints from people my age include but are not limited to: "The Wi-Fi connection is bad/there isn't Wi-Fi here; The drive thru was taking forever; They spelled my name wrong on my Starbucks cup; There's no Nutella in my house; My aux cord broke." You get the idea.

3. And last but not least, millennials are almost never content.

This can be a good thing, some could argue, but I disagree. There is something healthy in always striving to be your best, but my generation needs to learn to love their life right where it's at. Whether it's something big, like not having a cookie cutter family, or something small, like not having long enough hair, there's always something that's sitting so wrong with us that there is no possible way we can go on without it. That is exaggerated of course, but I am always finding even myself just wishing for something I can't or don't have. We see the ads of perfect outfits and just want to have a wardrobe like that. We see the snapchat stories of another girl and just envy them because their eyebrows are fantastic or something. There's never a focus on what we do have, rather, it's a focus on what we don't have. I know we aren't the only generation fully guilty of this, but we are definitely a HUGE culprit.

There it is. A view of millennials from a millennial who can't decide if it's good to be a millennial. But for now, I am happy with my generation. We have some big cons but there are definitely some pros. And really, that can be said about every generation. We just can't be so focused on the past and what went right for everyone else, because then we might give up on the future and what could go right, just in a different way. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be old and look at the youngest generation and hate their guts. But hopefully I have shed a little light on this strange, new generation.