It seems like every other day a new article on millennials circulates. No matter the topic, the writer is always trying to crack our code. To actually understand the millennial generation one must first understand the potential this generation holds, which few do. A recent article featured on WashingtonPost.com titled, “Five really good reasons to hate millennials” listed the “right” reasons to hate my generation. Reading the article mainly out of curiosity, the author makes some valid points, but I have a rebuttal in defense of my generation – Five really good reasons to love millennials.
Millennials do job hop
If you type in “Millennial” to the Google search bar, you will find an article pertaining to the millennial generation and their aversion to staying at a job. It’s true, we job-hop, and often. Innately, the millennial generation has a liking to trying new things and finding our niche. Whether that is a new industry, a new product, or a new service, millennials are hands-on learners and always looking for the next best thing. When a millennial finds their something, that niche, we want to immerse ourselves in that and gain more knowledge from it, and then take that knowledge and teach more people what we know. Job-hopping is healthy. As a millennial, we confidently try new things and enjoy taking our knowledge to the next level, while empowering others along the way.
Millennials love their phones
In 1993 the World Wide Web became available for everyone to use. In 2003 we have a legitimate smartphone market with the invention of a BlackBerry device. And more recently, in 2007, the invention of the Apple iPhone, an iPod that could make calls, according to Mashable. So, yes, we do love our phones because most of the millennial generation grew up with these devices and never needed to play catch up when it came to learning how to use them. The sweeping generalization on millennials and their phone usage puts a large target on our backs— not all of us constantly strive for the perfect selfie. Millennials use cellphones to connect to the world, join in on conversations with other professionals, or to watch the biggest fight of the decade. As a millennial, I am patiently waiting for the next big thing from smartphones.
Millennials value the community
According to The Council of Economic Advisers, millennials value the community in their work. Each year more millennials choose to take a gap year after high school or college, and volunteer in the United States or in another country. Millennials see volunteering and providing for the community as their civic duty, not as a burden they are forced to do. Millennials choose to put others ahead of themselves and the interest of others before their own.
Millennials read the news differently
Attention spans overall have gotten shorter, really short, and this applies to Millennials, too. And when it comes to our news we like it quick, to the point, and to our liking, naturally. Fortunately, many news sources have adapted to a digital style with accessible ways to capture the attention of Millennials. This digital style of news now becoming more familiar and relevant, often mistakes Millennials as ignoring the news and simply not caring, and that’s not the case. As Millennials, we still care about the news; we just want to stay more present in the quickest way possible without all the common news jargon. And unfortunately, printed newspapers don’t cut it anymore.
Millennials are not an entitled, lazy, or narcissistic generation
The Millennial generation cannot be defined by one word or category. Multiple attributes that contribute to our success include motivation, thoughtfulness, diversity, and forward-thinking. The Millennial generation stays connected, thrives by constantly learning, and engages with their surroundings. This generation will travel to an asteroid, walk the face of Mars, and return home safely. But who is to say that is the only thing we will do?
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Jess Klimczyk is an intern at WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JessKlim.
(Photo Credit: Facebook)
