Millennials Aren’t Lazy – They’re Just Defying Stale Expectations
Millennials Aren’t Lazy – They’re Just Defying Stale Expectations
It’s a popular societal delusion to label millennials as entitled, selfish, over-emotional, and lazy. It seems every second-day multiple think pieces are released questioning not only the value Generation Y brings to society, but their capability to navigate the adult world. In actuality, Millennials aren’t lazy – they’re just defying stale expectations.
The downfall of American cheese, diamonds, and mayonnaise have all been attributed to changing millennial buying habits (all the more reason to hate young people, it seems!). Supposedly, are indicative of a rapid decline in moral and social decorum.
Those critical of Millennials
Many of the pieces opening simpler times before millennials were born don’t even properly categorise them. Failing to correctly define the age group as those born between 1981-1996. It appears that the word itself has become buzzy, umbrella-term of sorts, utilised to refer to anybody who fits the profile of “young”. Criticism is generally characterised by descriptions of whiny narcissists who no longer respect the natural order of things, rather than say, portraits of young people seeking to challenge inequality and unfair power structures. These pieces become a little exhausting, and it’s any wonder young people are tired of their negative image.
Those appreciative of Millennials
Despite how it might seem, not everyone over the age of 37 is waging a war against young people. Opposing the widespread derision for Generation Y are a growing number of people that can appreciate and value the contribution they bring to the table. This sympathetic appreciation produces thoughtful content that debunks the myths surrounding the millennial image, and that intelligently identifies both the good and the bad traits of their generation. If you’d like a little evidence to back up just how efficient and attentive the “me generation” can be, they are the age group that mows their lawn most frequently, sticking it to suburban dads everywhere.
Millennials are achievers
However, there’s hope yet for the millennial image. Let’s not let the old-fashioned opinions of the establishment take away from the fact that these young people are flourishing. For every news piece labelling them as crybabies. There’s one wherein the incredible achievements or ideas of young people are celebrated. From Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad to any of the World Economic Forum’s Young Scientists: Class of 2018, there are myriad of talented millennials defying society’s damning stereotypes.
Millennials are shaping the new world
Furthermore, Huffington Post proposes an interesting question. Megan Brame, in her article titled Are Millennials Really Lazy Or Has The Paradigm Just Sifted?, considers whether the labelling of Generation Y as lazy is a reaction that stems from shifting societal expectations and needs. She points out that, “throughout the ages generation after generation believed that living to work was the true essence of life”. She also argues that those growing up in the 80s and 90s were raised to view things differently, and were imbued with a different set of priorities. Or rather, millennials are just as hard-working, but this time they’re also interested in creating jobs that excite and inspire them and discarding the ones that are no longer useful or productive. Within the context of our changing, dynamic world, is this really a bad thing? As Brame puts it,
“What’s wrong with phasing out those jobs and creating new ones in their wake? What’s the harm in looking and feeling excited about the future? And what’s wrong with wanting to help define it?”
Brame’s article also begs the question, why is it a negative thing that millennials are redefining our world? Is that not the reason children are sent to school, and then to university? Is it not the goal of education to prep and prime kids to lead and create their own worldview? It seems that this generation is doing just that. Constructing and re-working society and the status quo to better reflect their ideas and perspective. Which, when you think about it, is what the previous generations have been doing for years.
Overall, it appears that younger generations are changing and adapting for the better. Not only are they staying on top of their lawn maintenance, but they’re also drinking less, are more socially responsible, and better educated, all while finding the time to write some self-deprecating poetry. Lazy? I don’t think so.