There is a category for most generations and the era from which they were brought up. Millennial, a recent term, proposes a generation of technology-driven young adults from 18-29 years old based on most reports. It is assumed I have all the innovation I need around me and therefore lack the true inquisitive nature of those generations older than me. This thinking can't be good for our society. We turn to the explanation that wraps itself around a whole population and then proceeds to cut out the unique aspects of individuality and circumstance.
I have given up in the past when listening to conversations around me in public concerning "people my age" and how our character is portrayed. There are selfish, lazy, and far too dependent people across the globe, but guess what? Their ages are all across the spectrum, from toddler to the elderly. I am so thankful for the opportunities that technology has given to me over the years. Technology has evidently been abused by the powers of the mind and this can cloud the feelings of its' purpose. It can be insightful to learn more about the generation you were born into, but each has problems to face and scars to fix the past. So in the end, it can be hard to think of picking a side in the issues of how far is too far with something such as technology and the younger population.
Individuality is the key to life and how we imagine the world. These key pieces in life are what can help me and others around my age create a better life for ourselves than what we were born into. Things are expensive and some are slowly disappearing that could have helped. These things range from the practice of social security to a higher chance of believing that one can make it work with both a family and dream career in a lifetime. I am not lazy like the stigmas suggest and because of this I have looked for help with mental health, pushed myself to be active in combating social issues not often focused on by political arenas, and looked into further acceptance than generations before me. This doesn't mean that I have decided to forget anything that people in history have done for me to be here today. This means that every time an election comes around I keep the tacky sticker and say a "thank you" in my head for the women who fought for my vote to count. I don't forget that negative past of my country but remember and do better for the future, and this does my ancestors proud.
So how do we combat the stigmas? We accept as the capable generation that we are that we have the power in our hands to do so much more than people before us in history. Technology and conversation, whether online or face-to-face, has given us the benefit so often forgotten. Change is possible with every "millennial" and it doesn't matter whether you accept the term or not but don't let anyone tell you are less because of it.