Welcome to the Snowflake Generation, ladies and gentlemen. Please, step into a world of loudmouthed, self-absorbed couch potatoes with a fierce passion for Insta and Netflix. Welcome to the land of Those-Who-Cannot-Think-For-Themselves, and the valley of the “I have a right not to be offended!” clan, where “safe spaces” are the only spaces, where your opinions are the only opinions, and where work should be synonymous to play.
This cultural phenomenon begins with the currently 20-something-year-olds, who are intrinsically linked to social media due to a recently developed human appendage called the “cell phone.” Other traits of the Snowflake Generation are a distinct lack of understanding in several areas, including but not limited to: taking one for the team, respecting your elders, growing a thicker skin, openly receiving criticism, a the form of a proper debate as opposed to shouting at someone until they shut up, etc.
Does those traits sound unreasonable to you? Yes? Then hello there, Little Snowflake. It’s time to learn something new.
My mother told me a story about a guy who worked at the Joanne’s Fabric Store where she used to work. This young man complained one day that he shouldn’t have to do some particular task, a menial yet necessary piece of work to help things run smoothly in the store. My mother doesn’t tolerate that kind of attitude. In a very matter-of-fact way, she turned to him and said, “That’s why it’s called work. If it was supposed to be fun, you wouldn’t be getting paid to do it.” From what she says, his attitude improved greatly from there on out.
I got my very first job when I was twelve; I sorted screws at a warehouse on the occasion to make some pocket change. The air was hot and filled with sawdust, and the guys sang loudly in Spanish. My fingers were always sore. But hey, I made some money. And did I complain about it? Not until just now.
There was an instance at a later job where I had to carry heavy buckets of water a few hundred yards in the 100+ heat and thought, “this is hard. I shouldn’t have to do this.” Then I heard my mother’s voice in my head, “Mija, you’re getting paid to do this. That’s why it’s called work.” So I kept my mouth shut.
I clearly attributed “Snowflake” status to the Millenial generation, and that’s probably a little misplaced. There are Snowflakes in each generation, those who feel that challenging or exhausting work is not good for them, or that they are somehow above the work that they and their coworkers are tasked with. I see it mostly in the Millenials because I am a Millenial, and they are primarily who I work with, so naturally, I’d say it’s them (I’m also predisposed against avid users of social media, because I believe in entertainment that includes going outside or reading a book).
As for silly little issues like self-improvement, they usually require some expanding of your world view: that is, you need to gain a new perspective if you ever want to grow as a person. Sometimes, we’re so stuck in our own heads and our own problems that we forget how important it is to be better than the person we were yesterday, and the only way to snap us out of it is with tough love. No, tough love is not someone screaming their head off at you (usually). Tough love is helpful criticism, a truth that may hurt, but is spoken for your own good. My suggestion to you is to thank the people who give you that tough love, because they care enough about you that they want to see you improve.
In fourth grade, I had a really hard time trying to grow up and fit in. My teacher, Mrs. Fry, noticed my struggle and suggested that instead of being a precious Snowflake and just crying about it, that I imagine my spirit floating out of my body, and then let it turn around and watch me, and the other kids, and what we’re doing, and everyone’s reactions. That was certainly not her exact phrasing, but the message still stood: look at life from another angle. I took that idea and rolled it around inside my head, and began to put it into practice. I spent years learning to strike the balance between pushover and aggressive monster, between boring and insane, and between quiet and vocal. That criticism took years to chew on and swallow. For a while, I thought it had ruined me; I went from wanting to fit in to wanting to not exist, because I thought it would have been easier. But years passed, and I learned who I am. The criticism to become self-aware is the most difficult a child can manage, because the moment you become aware of yourself is the moment you realize that you are responsible for your own actions.
If you feel like you have the right to not be offended, then you’re on the wrong planet. Go to Mars or something. The rocks won’t hurt your feelings there. Your perspective is not the only perspective; every argument has a counterargument. There are some in authority over you who know better than you do. If you disagree, then you, dear child, are a Snowflake, and you need to look at the world from another point of view.
