Opinion: every generation has slagged off their successors, but calling millennials lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow is harsh
In 2013, Time Magazine ran a cover story with the title "Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation". The article pulled no punches in describing all the negative stereotypes associated with the millennial generation, commonly identified as young people born between 1984 and 1993.
Some of the labels tacked onto this generation include lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow, which may seem a tad harsh. But throughout the course of human history, every generation has looked upon their successors and feared for the future of mankind.
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 B.C.) once lamented the state of the youth, saying "the children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ 2fm's Chris & Ciara Show, Blindboy Boatclub talks about millenials and the realities of this generation
Despite this glum appraisal of the youth in ancient Greece, the human race is still somehow knocking around so it is a safe bet to think that we will survive for a while to come. That being said, there is one accusation against the millennials that does have a ring of truth: the one about being entitled. Yes, they are entitled, but not in the sense that is often levelled against them.
It is often suggested that millennials are entitled in the sense that they expect everything to be handed to them on a plate. This is because they are seen to be the result of the "everybody wins" generation where they received participation trophies and were praised for minimal achievements.
But here’s the thing: we are not entitled in that we expected everything to be just handed to us and to live smooth, stress-free lives. Ask young people trying to afford rent and compete with thousands of other college degree holders for menial jobs about easy living. We are entitled in that we at the very least expect our efforts to be meaningfully considered.
Millennials find themselves in a situation that is drastically different to the one that they were taught would be waiting for them
We were taught from a very early age by our parents, the shows we watched on TV and our teachers that we could be anything we wanted to be once we got older. We could do anything we wanted provided we worked hard and were dedicated to our tasks. Go to school, get good grades, become involved in the community and we would be economically secure, living happy lives.
This is what we did. We performed well in school and many young people volunteered and became active in both local and online communities. And all for what? We are now in a situation where we dedicated our lives to education only to discover that having good grades does not automatically qualify you for a good job anymore and a bachelor’s degree is not enough for entry level positions. Even with a master’s degree, there are slim pickings to be had with stiff competition across all professions.
In our political system, young voices are drowned out by older ones with the results of such events as Brexit and the US presidential election pushed through by older voters. Gun violence in American schools reached breaking point and there are now youth protests being held across that country to force change that is clearly needed but ignored by politicians scared of alienating entire voter bases.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio One's Ryan Tubridy Show, clinical psychologist Dr Keith Gaynor discusses millennials differing attitudes towards this generation
This is not an attempt to ignite an age-related argument or an attempt to garner pity for millennials. Instead, it's an observation about a situation millennials find themselves in that is drastically different to the one that they were taught would be waiting for them.
We were promised an age of opportunity. We were born at "The End of History" where we were going to build a new world. Yet here we are, having a hard time establishing our foothold in modern society and making real positive change decades later. We have spent years building our human capital and now have a hard time leveraging it and making the positive changes we want to see in the world.
We were promised an age of opportunity
Many millennials are forced into unpaid internships to gain recognition for their achievements. They are unable to get onto the property ladder because when it comes to buying a house and living a decent life, they can’t afford both. As a result, huge chunks of their wages go into renting overpriced rooms in house shares preventing them from building up savings.
They take to social media to voice concerns politically, as it is the only platform on which the voices of the youth are listened to. Large parts of the older generations are more concerned about global terrorism than global warming and important issues are being brushed aside despite protestations from a generation fearing for the future of our planet.
So yes, we are entitled. But not because we want the moon; we just want what we were promised.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
