We have all heard of the term “millennials,” referring those people also referred to as Generation Y.” They are contrastingly considered on one hand, as those who grow up with a “smartphone” in hand, who differ from traditional norms of living and who bring up innovations to modern life, and on the other, are criticized for their actions that contradict the value and culture of everything.
Millennials comprise that demographic group born in the 1980s and toward the beginning of the new century, and are sometimes also referred to as “echo boomers,” meaning they are the offspring of the baby boomers. This generation is generally marked by the increased use and familiarity with communications, media and digital technology.
As James Lactao and Candice Baluyot said in an article, titled “Ten Things to Know about the Millennials,” in the November 2017 issue of Documentation Service, millenials “grew up in the midst of the exponential development of technology.” At this time, the millenials are around 23 to 27 years old and, by now, are young professionals who are trying to make their mark in the world of work.
While globalization has allowed them to be connected across borders through the Internet and social media, it has led this generation to be deficient in their social skills, as they experience hardly any face-to-face interaction with individuals in the real world, and they are spending more time on online conversations. Thus, they are criticized for having no cultural identity (as they are exposed to various cultures and ways of thinking). This confounds the older generation, who view them as “disrespectful,” for changing long-held practices that they do not consider as relevant.
On the other hand, millennials tend to be assertive and self-expressive when it comes to social issues they care about. They strive to develop their own approaches to solving social problems of our time, and are more tolerant and less prejudicial than previous generations. They are concerned with living their lives to the fullest, and so desire fame and fortune, which are recorded on social media for all to see. Their work ethic differs from that of the older generation as, having entered the work force equipped with technology skills, millennials prefer a more flexible and less formal approach to work and desire constant positive feedback, such that the older “career minded” generation is dismayed by their hopping from one job to another. To be fair to them, however, the millennials realize that, when work is put on their shoulders, they seek to achieve the impossible and make sure they reach the finish line.
Seen to be narcissistic and with an inflated sense of self, and overly concerned with a positive self-image, we have to understand that they are a product of an environment they grew up in, which is shaped by technology and those things that may be accelerating cultural change.
How, then, to “deal” with millennials? It has been found that, despite the temptations of a secularized culture, people’s hearts and minds are more likely to be influenced by family, schools and church—these are the institutions that can have and have had a profound impact on our youth. These institutions are powerful in the so-called culture wars, and are vital to the lives of the youth—and especially to the newer “Generation Z,” who were born in a world that millenials are steeped in and, thus, will carry on the values of our time.