‘Adults’ have had a good go at us millennials, they’ve called us everything from narcissistic to couch potatoes and entitled, in a short summary we’re basically the worst. And as an insider I can say that yes, we’re all this and a side of kale chips. But at the risk of sounding like a cliche, we’re just really misunderstood. So here are 5 things millennials are tired of hearing and why:
- “You’re lazy”
Yes I have the superpower to watch an entire season of Criminal Minds in one day and yes I’d rather spend my weekends sleeping in than cleaning my bathroom. But millennials are more likely to work late to impress and go above and beyond to reach success. Lazy? More like recovering from a week of slaying.
- “You have no job loyalty”
Millennials want more than a salary at the end of the month. So you know why we move around so much? Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. We want growth and learning experiences. We want challenges and chance to shine. If there’s no chance of a promotion, constant learning and a good vibe, why would I stick around when I can try somewhere else. After all, we are still young.
- “You’re so sensitive”
Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know me calling you out for that racist/classist/homophobic/sexist comment was me being sensitive. Along with moving jobs so often we’ve learned from different thought leaders within different sectors and we’re now open-minded. Maybe these older folk should try it sometime.
- “You’re full of yourself”
We’re told to be confident, but shushed when we disagree with seniors. We’re told to believe in ourselves but we’re then asked to conform when we’re ‘too different’. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re strong, we’re independent and we’re opinionated. Deal with it.
- “You need to invest more in your future”
So what if we spend thousands on concert experiences and weekends away? So what if we eat 2-minute noodles all month only to blow our savings on 7 days in Thailand? We’re living our best lives and loving it as we go along. We’re happy. We’re content. At the age of 25 some of us have experienced things our parents only dreamed of at our age.
So no, I do agree we’re not the best but we’re getting there, and along the way, we’re happy with the way things are going.
Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you’re tired of being labeled. I’d love to hear from you.