“I am a millennial. Generation Y; born between the birth of AIDS and 9/11, give or take. They call us the global generation. We are known for our entitlement and narcissism. Some say it’s because we’re the first generation where every kid gets a trophy just for showing up. Others think it’s because social media allows us to post when we fart or have a sandwich for all the world to see.”

-Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery

On one hand, Millennials, or Generation Y, have been deemed the “Me generation”, "the Selfie Generation" or “the worst generation,” and described as self-centered, unmotivated, entitled, and lazy. Others believe that our generation will be the one to change the world. As of now, now one has really made up their mind about us.  There's something about that scares people.

Our generation has completely steered away from doing the things the way our parents did. We’ve decided to play by our own rules and are not afraid to take risks. We have refused to accept things that generations above us have seen as routine. We’re striving for different things; this doesn’t make us lazy, entitled, or confused, but rather shows that we have our minds made up and are looking to find success in the things we love. 

Our generation is living in a time where we are constantly reminded that getting a job out of college is going to be nearly impossible. We’ve capitalized on that; now, more than ever, people are turning to entrepreneurship. We are a generation of optimists looking to make an impact. A Forbes' List study has shown that our generation is more geared towards meaningful work. We want to know that what we’re doing is going to have an impact on the world. Millennials value personal accomplishments more than we do a simple GPA. We value self expression. More than ever, this generation is filled with people who refuse to let their creativity be stifled.

Millennials are constantly discredited and overlooked. We’ve grown up in the heart of changes in technology. We’re a global generation. We’re the first to have a plethora of knowledge readily available to us. Our voices are easily heard and we’ve never failed to speak up. A vast majority of our generation is active on social media, which is often seen as narcissistic but, when used correctly, has the ability to bring major issues to the forefront. We’re able to reach parts of the world that previous generations never could. It’s impossible for us to ignore what’s going on around us, and so we don’t. We’ve impacted a number of social issues and educated the public on a large scale through things like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, #BringBackOurGirls, and #BlackLivesMatter, to name a few.

Additionally, we’re the most tolerant and progressive generation thus far. Research has shown that 70% of millennials support same-sex marriage equality and rights; where only 49% and 38% of Generation X and Baby Boomers do, respectively. These are beliefs we’ll pass down to our children and, with us as the largest generation in history, it almost guarantees a more progressive future for America. Additionally, 2/3 of millennials are pushing for the legalization of marijuana. Changes on both of these issues are inevitable. We’ve brought about a major shift in attitudes.

Despite the constant criticism millennials receive from older generations, it’s clear that we’re going to continue to make a meaningful impact on the world and our voices will continue to be heard.