We have all heard time and time again from the older generations that the Millennials are the "selfie generation." That is, we are self-absorbed and selfish. According to them, we concern ourselves with our image and we communicate strictly through our cell phones. We do not know how to hold a conversation and we do not know how to get "down and dirty" when a task calls for it.
Simply put, they are wrong.
We are different; I'll give them that. An occasional selfie on Instagram does not mean we are self-absorbed. Honestly, I am willing to argue that we are a very giving and socially sound generation. We fight for equality. We encourage companies and individuals to give; hence, all of the companies like Toms. We seek others' approval, but that's a human trait, not a generational one. On the opposite of that, we show praise when praise is due, even if it is just a heart-eye emoji on an Instagram picture. We send texts instead of mail, and we add friends on Facebook before meeting each other. It is different but it's not wrong.
If that did not convince you, here are three simple reasons to trust our generation:
1. We are not traditional.
We do not want what previous generations wanted when they were our age. In previous generations, many people wanted to get a solid career and, mostly, they wanted to start a family. That's fine. We do not necessarily think that way, though. Many of my friends are so invested in their career goals, they do not even have time to think starting a family. And, to accomplish these career goals, we are willing to travel. Staying in one place, or even state, does not sound pleasing to many Millennials. We want to see and experience what is out there. On top of all that, we do not aim to work a traditional 9-5, stuffy office job. Containing our undying wanderlust in a cubical is cringe-worthy.
We work hard. We set short-term and long-term goals. We want to experience new things. We want to learn.
2. We are socially sound.
Despite what people think, we think about others. Gay marriage was legalized this past year, in part to the Millennial mindset of "love is love." Most of our generation questioned why gay marriage was even a question. Racism in America is coming back to light due to some awful instances. Given those instances, we are not letting the conversation stop. The #BlackLivesMatter movement brought attention to the problem, and Millennials questioned. We asked "Why?" We asked "How?" We do not necessarily know the answers, but we do know there is a problem that needs to be solved.
We see each other as equals. We bring light to issues. We problem solve.
3. We are connected.
Ah, the Internet. The big scary black hole that all of the older generations want to run from. Well, don't. Millennials know how to use the Internet properly and efficiently. We can find out a random fact in class or at work in less than a minute. As employees, if we have a stupid question, we can Google it rather than making a fool of ourselves. There is a website for everything, and there is someone always talking on Twitter. However, the most beneficial part of the Internet, at least in my opinion, is our ability to connect with others. Older generations find that scary, I find it comforting. Are you a fan of a random theater production? Or, a sports team outside of your geographic area? Or, how about an interesting point of view on recent news? There is someone out there that agrees, and we WILL find them.
We put our ideas out there for interpretation. We find our niche. We are experts in our fields.
We are open-minded, young adults with so much to say. I believe the Millennial generation contains the kinds of people we need in the world today.
