Since the only working definition of the modern day meaning behind "millennial" I could find was on Urban Dictionary, I'll just give you the general overview of what people tend to define us as underachieving, lazy, know-it-all, entitled kids who don't know how to do anything useful, are constantly offended, and think we're amazing because our moms told us so.
Right?
I mean, that's what you're all thinking from what I've read.
I wonder what it is about millennials that makes "adults" nowadays get all red in the face and start yelling? Growing up it's safe to say that my mother did, in fact, tell me I could be whatever I wanted. I'm sure it's been that way with a lot of my friends as well (still not sure why this is a bad thing, but oh well). A lot of us were lucky enough to not have to worry about working until we got older, and the money we made went towards buying our first cars or for spending at our own leisure. We got to participate in more extracurricular activities, and focus on our grades since we didn't really have to worry about contributing financially for our families. When the time came, we discussed college and other possibilities for our futures. Now that we're older we understand the privilege we had, and still have to believe endlessly in our potential.
I just want to know why you're so angry with us? Why do you insist that we're "snowflakes" when I'm friends with people who are ready and willing to lay their lives on the line for our country? When millions of us gathered to march for the protection of human rights, you called us "entitled" and told us to "stop whining it could be way worse." So we gathered again to march for people fleeing their countries who definitely have it far worse than us, and you told us we needed to "check ourselves" because we had problems in our own country to fix first (these specific critics are the same people who want to go kill everyone in ISIS, but refuse to recognize that the KKK is a terrorist organization in the U.S. that is alive and well, just saying). How can you call us "lazy" when I've seen my friends pull all-nighters to make sure they get an A on their final exam, work double shifts in order to pay their rent that month, and volunteer at local shelters to help out whenever they can for those less fortunate? Men and women who have committed themselves to years of school, part time jobs, living pay check to pay check, and digging themselves into debt just to be considered for jobs that you seem to think have been handed to us.
The parents you've been openly criticizing have managed to raise the most accepting generation of human beings in this country. A generation of human beings that can accept people for who they are and not let race or gender identification divide us. A generation that has learned from their predecessor's successes and mistakes. A generation that continues to speak up when there is injustice and prejudice being practiced against anyone even when being met with violence and hate. Sure we may have "safe spaces," but that's because we understand the need to protect those who are categorized as "different" since you statistically, haven't been doing a great job of protecting them thus far.
Why does our intolerance for ignorance make you so defensive?
All of this being said, I've met those that fit the stereotypical millennial ideals as well. People who think that they should get an award for existing and wouldn't know humility if it hit them in the face. But I also know entrepreneurs, and civil rights activists, and nurses, and doctors, and musicians, and teachers. You're trying to tell me that those aforementioned intolerable types of people only exist in my generation? That you didn't grow up with a few of them, too?
Being an a**hole isn't a new concept my friends, and it wasn't born in the 90s.
