If you read anything online anymore you’ve learned — everybody hates millennials.
The media boldly claims millennials are entitled, lazy, stupid and mixed-up. Maybe those are good reasons why no one likes millennials.
I recently had a conversation with a successful tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist who in reference to the millennial generation asked…
“When will all the millennials die and leave the workplace? Do you think my business can survive long enough?”
Reading from any of your favorite publications you hear the same sentiment… millennials are the worst generation ever. EVER
Recent Publications (the media can’t lie right?)
So what does the media say exactly on major publications? Read for yourself below:
Millennials are pretty terrible, according to a poll of millennials (Huffington Post, September 3, 2015)
Millennials need financial help and quickly (The Christian Science Monitor, October 8, 2015)
3 Reasons Millennials Are Getting Fired (Inc., August 4, 2015)
Selfie Obsession: Millennials Are Seeking Plastic Surgery For Ego Boosts(HNGN, October 13, 2015)
Half of millennials can’t define deductible (Benefits Pro, October 16, 2015)
Snapchat? Twitter? Millennials aren’t that interested (L.A. Times, September 29, 2015)
Some Millennials Would Rather Clean A Toilet Than Understand Their Health Benefits (Forbes, October 11, 2015)
Millennials: Don’t call us Millennials (TIME, September 3, 2015)
The super secret trick to connecting with millennials (Fast Company, October 23, 2014)
Millennials New Drug Of Choice: Fantasy Football (Forbes, October 11, 2015)
Millennials Not Thrilled with their Bank or its Services (LowCards, October 13, 2015)
How Millennials Are Traveling Better Than You 😉 (Conde Nast Traveler, September 25, 2015)
Millennials Want Work Computers Personalized (eWeek, October 13, 2015)
New Report Shows Millennials Don’t Like The Term — Or Themselves (Yahoo, September 3, 2015)
Millennials: The new victims of age discrimination? (BenefitsPro, September 30, 2015)
Millennials need financial help and quickly (The Christian Science Monitor, October 8, 2015)
Report: Millennials aren’t big on paying for news (Poynter, September 25, 2015)
BofA: Millennials ‘chronically’ stressed about money (The Charlotte Observer, October 19th, 2015)
Are Millennials To Blame For A Slowdown In Handbag Sales? (Benzinga, September 24, 2015)
Millennials Are Destroying Banks, And It’s The Banks’ Fault (TechCrunch, May 30, 2015)
A Millennial Named Bush (New York Times, July 25, 2015)
New Jersey millennials are stuck in their parents’ basements (New York Post, October 18, 2015)
Why Millennials Just Aren’t That Into McDonald’s (Yahoo, August 7, 2015)
Millennials Call It Sharing. Wall Street Calls It Stealing. (Money, Oct. 9, 2015)
Fitness Selfies Are Seriously Stressing Millennials Out (Observer, September 29, 2015)
Millennials Are Old News (GlobeSt.com, October 15, 2015)
Passing on Wedding Gifts, Millennials Prefer Cash (New York Times, July 25, 2015)
1 in 5 millennials think vaccines cause autism (Vox, January 31, 2015)
How Broke Are Millennials? This Broke. (Slate, December 8, 2014)
American Millennials are among the world’s least skilled (Forbes, March 10, 2015)
It’s official: millennials are the most stressed-out generation (Business Insider, February 6, 2015)
Do millennials think they are financially screwed? (Mashable, October 1, 2015)
Jon Stewart Knows How To Beat ISIS: Send More Millennials (Huffington Post, December 12, 2014)
Millennials Really Don’t Think Everybody Should Vote (Huffington Post, November 21, 2014)
This is the one change by millennials that will change absolutely everything(Salon, October 18, 2015)
Please Do Not Leave A Message: Why Millennials Hate Voice Mail (NPR, October 23, 2014)
Are Millennials progressive ‘anti-capitalists’ or just misrepresented? (Red Alert Politics, October 18, 2015)
Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z (New York Times, September 18, 2014)
A different perspective
If you are a millennial maybe these things are true. It doesn’t mean millennials are the worst. Every generation is different and yet the same.
We all struggle to find our way. We struggle to answer life’s most important questions. We wonder if our work and our life has meaning.
Those aren’t the struggles of millennials alone. Those are life’s struggles. What is interesting is the environment and education we have received which guides us through how to answer these questions.
A friend of mine, John Schnettgoecke, recently wrote a book about mixed-up millennials and the 12 questions we all must ask ourselves. It’s worth a read.
The book is a response to a growing trend of quarter-life crisis for millennials. The feeling of being mixed up. Having to face the contradictions in our life. It’s not a sign of weakness or proof millennials are the worst. Just an acknowledgement that what we’ve been told by parents and society and what we are seeing doesn’t seem to match up.
Every generation has this dilemma.
My question is, “What do you think?” Are millennials really the monsters the media and older generations claim them to be? Will millennials every grow out of the stigma they face? Or are millennials just expressing themselves differently in response to the struggles every generation faces….
Who am I?…
What do I want?…
———
Originally posted on LinkedIn
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