Upon reading a Psychology Today article to use in contrast from my first-hand lived experience for this post, I stumbled on one from May 9, 2013, titled, 'Who Are the Millennials?' . I notice a word link tag labeled "Narcissism" above, I had to read this article, as it was grabbing at my undivided attention. Who are the Millennials after all? Do you have a millennial you love in your life? I bet you do! If you're a millennial yourself reading this, you may start to wonder how "on-point" this observation of the millennial generation is. In wanting to understand the author's choice for her title, with its opinion-based introduction, I found myself asking, Are we really a "selfie" generation? If so, it can't be "all bad", could it (already looking to make justifications in my head, am I)? The article made it feel that way, at first. The author of the article, which can be read here, was written by Jean Marie Twenge, directly from Wikipedia, she is stated to be "an American psychologist researching generational differences, including work values, life goals, and social attitudes. She is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, author, consultant, and public speaker. She has examined generational differences in work attitudes, life goals, developmental speed, sexual behavior, and religious commitment." This is not a dig on the author, but rather, context for you the reader. While I of course have my own personal experience of being a Millennial, I also hold a highly observational, and in times past, very judgmental approach, when trying to fully understand my own generation, and those above and below mine. The judgement factor here is not directly linked to the petrifying internal natural need to cast judgement on every little thought we have, it is more antidotal and observational in this context.
Twenge's article goes on to explore and break down another article, one from Time Magazine titled 'Millennials: The Next Greatest Generation?', exclaiming that we (the millennial generation) have "achieved the pinnacle of old-school print journalism: Their own cover story in TIME magazine. Titled "The Me Me Me generation," the story has two seemingly opposing points: Yes, Millennials are entitled and self-centered, but they will "save us all." Professor and Author Twenge immediately addresses us millennials in her article (she was born in 1971, so she IS a "smack in the middle Gen Xer", respectfully) by starting off writing, "Just the selfies might be enough to come to the first conclusion, but there's actual data, too. This can't be dismissed as young people being more narcissistic than older people due to age." Mannnn, it feels like were 2-0 right now! Haha! How are you holding yup millennials? Read on... I promise this blog post ends on a good note! Let's continue, shall we?
As this older Twitter post that I found on Pinterest asserts, millennials aren't about that bullsh** (insert clap emojis)! Before I speak for myself on this one, Dasha the author of the Tweet to the left directly mentions the fact that millennials realized early on that our forced upon us culture was highly normalized and enabled. I myself could easily list reasons why this is in fact true and that for many of us growing up, there was more "availability", or a wider range of options for us millennials. More options can lead to having a wider interest, more to work with, so to speak. We also hold a higher probability to draw a wider community reach engagement, giving us an advantage in todays globalized networking fields, like small business and online entrepreneurial endeavors. Our elders just had it different, okay! While there is always that small Lonewolf group that overlaps two generations, laying on the intercept of two entirely different decades, we can most definitely objectively come to understand that the millennial generation was gifted with extra opportunity. For many like me, we decided to take our adversities, our trauma, and materialized subconscious experiences that seemed off-putting or negative, and turn them into beautiful masterpieces of strength and resilience via detaching from the material world and stepping into a more "divine duty". If you are a millennial without Spiritual evocation, your life's journey, your connections to your loved ones, and your health might be at jeopardy! I know it sounds harsh but hear me out I am almost finished.
Basically, author Twenge goes on to depict the other article like I am hers, saying that she finds author Josh Sanburn's the 'Millennials: The Next Greatest Generation?' stance "intriguing". She claims, "As a generations researcher who focuses on empirical data, I've always thought it was somewhat strange to take a "pro" or "anti" Millennial (or GenX or Boomer) position. Some cultural trends are good, and some are bad, and so are the generations that result. The data are what they are. Yes, there's entitlement, but there's also growing equality."
Well, that's a comforting comment for us, and it seems as though scientific professor Twenge holds onto hope for our generation's future, and that I like. Twenge also mentions, "On the one hand, we know that positive self-views don't actually lead to success, and that Millennials may be lower in resilience than previous generations. On the other hand, maybe the segment of this generation that's confident without being entitled will indeed "save us all" -- or at least themselves." What's funny to me as I write this is that I recognize my internal dialogue and I know I do not fully agree with her statement about our "resilience factor" nor do I see the same things she does "right off the bat", but I am the lived experience and product, not the antidotal professor. I am a beautiful, and yes MESSY masterpiece a millennial enthralled in progressive concepts laced with a passively aware need to protect traditions. We millennials had more available cultural influence, many shiny objects, willingly and woefully involuntarily accepting desensitization via our childhood misconceptions, television programs, cinematic films, radio and music entertainment, and with the on-set introduction and use of the internet and cellphones, our generation was well on their own way to coming to terms with what is and can be!
Before I go "HAM" and offer further heartfelt blogs deconstructing our messy millennials factors and stereotypes, and what I think this generation should focus more on, I hope you enjoyed this post, please continue to show up and spend more time with my content (across socials) with hope finding it relatable, humorous, inspirational, and engaging. I thank you for your time, personally! You being here is not a coincidence, go in good fortune!
Love You, Mean It,
Shawnee
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