On their website, “millennialsdontsuck” Matt Little and Ari Andersen host various guests from different backgrounds to discuss individual perspectives and experiences. Oh, and the guests are all millennials.
The podcast is a push-back to the notion that millennials are lazy, entitled, and out of touch with the working world. When I think about my college age friends, I don't see this at all. I see people who are desperate for something to apply themselves to, but who are struggling to find something to sink their teeth into.
I read a tweet recently that talked about a college professor suggesting that nobody in his class was buying a house due to laziness, or lack of determination. One student responded that it's hard to buy a home when you're struggling to feed yourself and put gas in your car. This is a common attitude that millennials are confronted with, and it is a false notion. Is it possible for different generations to live in two completely different worlds? I think this tweet illustrates that it is. There are always going to be people that seemingly lack "drive", or who are interpreted as "lazy." However, it is a mistake to lump a whole generation into one category.
It would be easy for Matt and Ari to sit around and attempt to stoke the ego of a generation by simply arguing points back and forth, monologuing in a sort of college communiation class style. Luckily, that's not the model these guys are following. The two hosts draw upon their guests to reinforce their message, that millennials don't suck, and while doing so have some very interesting and relevant conversations.
In their first episode, Matt and Ari talk with Richard Williams, whom you may know as Prince Ea, American spoken word artist, poet, rapper, and filmmaker. The conversation is interesting, intelligent, and most important of all, it is extremely relatable.
As I stated earlier, the purpose of this podcast is to make a point, and sometimes that point is a little obvious for my liking. Then again, I’m only into episode four of twenty-two, and my assumption is that as things progress the hosts will feel less compelled to remind everyone that "millennials don't suck" verbally, and instead do it with the conversations and stories of their guests.
Perhaps the world is too hard on millennials. Maybe generations that are now firmly out of the limelight should take it easier on us? I think it is all too easy to denigrate those walking the trodden path, judging and criticizing every step taken, while forgetting the personal struggle they experienced themselves, and paying no mind to the vastly differing current socioeconomic and political landscape of our time.
If you’re like Matt Little or Ari Andersen, you probably believe that millennials, like any other generation, are capable and motivated people, and you should probably give this podcast a listen. If you're not of that mindset, perhaps give it a go anyway, maybe it will open you up to some millennial aged folks from diverse backgrounds who are doing great work in all kinds of industries from the arts to the sciences.
Although the focus here is on the millennial generation, the takeaway is that people are pretty incredible at carving out a place for themselves despite adversities. I think this is a message that people are in desperate need of right now. You won't catch me saying stuff like this regularly, but it is a lot harder to make progress when people are telling you why you shouldn't or can't do something than when people are encouraging you to go for it. It wouldn't be a bad thing for there to be a little more positivity surrounding our generation. Now I'm supposed to say something like "swag", right? Ok go listen to the podcast here.
Just to be clear, I have no affiliation with the hosts of the show, I merely stumbled upon it by chance and decided that what these guys are doing is deserving of at least some of my attention. I’m pleased I found their podcast, and I hope that the people who read this article and check it out enjoy it too.
