“Climb the mountain so
you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”
–David McCullough
This morning I was
reading a TIME Magazine article by Josh Sanburn about the different views of
millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000.) Sanburn talks about the
narcissism and the lack of compassion amongst the millennials, but also praises
us for our innovative and headstrong features. The article talks about how
those born in 1980 and beyond are also known as the “Me Me Me Generation,”
following the previous “Me Generation.” Sanburn says, “What millennials are
most famous for besides narcissism is its effect: entitlement.” As a part of
this generation, I would typically be offended. However, the author is very correct
in his assessment.
Though I consider
myself a little more focused than some other “90s babies,” I do find that I am
almost always accessible and near my phone, especially since I do a lot of
freelance work. Also, I consider myself a little spoiled because I am not necessarily
obligated to work somewhere I dislike. I’m a free-spirited freelancer that
hates being told “no.” Coupled with the fact that I’m an only child, maybe I do
suffer from some millennial tendencies. Depending on the day or hour, I like
the attention; though, I’d like it more on the work I’m doing rather than my
looks.
I reading this article,
I realized that though we are toted as the generation of narcissism and
conceit, we are also pretty darn amazing. Excluding those who live life solely
adhering to the infamous acronyms “YOLO” and “IDGAF,” many members of my
generation tend to use their social network celebrity and platform to support
important causes. Don’t believe me? Google the phrase “entrepreneurs under 30.”
While I’d be more than
happy to do a response essay on the TIME article, “ain’t nobody got time for
that.” Here are some quotes from the article:
·
Not only do
millennials lack the kind of empathy that allows them to feel concerned for
others, but they also have trouble even intellectually understanding others’
points of view.
·
“Peer
pressure is anti-intellectual. It is anti-historical. It is anti-eloquence.” –Mark
Bauerlein, an English professor at Emory.
·
Twixters
put off life choices because they can choose from a huge array of career
options, some of which, like jobs in social media, didn’t exist 10 years ago.
·
The
Internet has democratized opportunity for many young people, giving them access
and information that once belonged mostly to the wealthy.
·
Millennials
are able to use their leverage to negotiate much better contracts with
traditional institutions they do still join.
·
Millennials
are more accepting of differences.
·
They are
pragmatic idealists, tinkerers more than dreamers, life hackers.
Not everything can be
blamed on us 80s, 90s and millennium babies. Many of us are a product of technology,
which can be a great or disastrous thing. I, for one, am proud of my
generation. Most of us were given lemons and we not only made a glass of lemonade,
but many of us made enough for our whole crew.
Do you agree? Or do you think we're just a bunch of unintelligent entitled jerks? (Wait, don't answer that).
♥P.
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