I've Been hearing a lot about "millennials" and how "messed up" they are lately. I've come across a lot of articles and blogs talking about the "millennial problem." A lot of what I'm hearing is that millennials don't have a good work ethic, they are untrusting, they don’t form lasting relationships, and they are perennially depressed. I find myself digesting this information from a unique standpoint. Depending on what research firm or data farm you get your information from, I am either an early millennial or a late gen-x'er. Most researchers would say that I am an early millennial. I often feel like I'm teetering between two generations. So, I can see things from a millennial stand point and a pre-millennial stand point (at least I think I can, hah). But, upon reading these articles I've noticed something that I find is disturbing, not just with a specific generation, but our culture as a whole. So this blog isn't so much of a "defense" of millennials, but observations that affect all of our society. So, please take that into consideration when reading. Here's my response to the "millennial problem."
Thought not related to my main point.
(This is a tangential thought I had while writing this blog)
I want to start off by saying," have you noticed that those who are identifying and voicing the 'millennial problem' are people of an older generation". And the arguments against this "younger" millennial generation have been used to the point of social cliché. Millennials are entitled, selfish, and aren't willing to work. Skip back a few decades and you'll see articles about the dreaded gen-x'ers. Skip back several decades and you'll see similar articles about the boomers; the infamous "ME" generation. So, all of these gloom and doom articles bemoaning the future of our world once the "millennials" get control sound more like an old man, shaking his finger and saying, "These dad-bern kids today!" Have you noticed many articles written by millennials about the dreaded "boomer problem?" Me either. Now, back to my main point.
The sales pitch
Here are my thoughts on the greatest hurdle facing millennials and how it has affected us so far. If you look around our country and society you'll notice a common thread that weaves through every aspect of our daily experience; everyone is selling something. Think about it, we live in a consumer society. The value of a human isn't in what they can produce anymore, but what they can procure. We produce so we can procure. Everything in our society is a sales pitch. We are constantly surrounded by commercials. When I say commercials, I don't just mean 30 sec. blurbs with music underneath . I'm speaking more generally to alterior motives or hidden agendas. As I look around my life I can't help but wonder how many hidden agendas I come across each day. When everything is for sale and when everyone is trying to sell something; everyone becomes a target.
MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT
I'm not going to spend time on the commercials on tv or radio or in apps and all the the other avenues where corporations buy time. That I don't mind because we know we are dealing with a commercial from the get go. It's the sea of subtle product placement that gets me. The "under the radar" plugs and sales pitches in the middle of other content are what wear on us. But, once again, I expect a certain level of "salesmanship" in television, movies, and music. The problem isn't necessarily the amount of commercials, but the philosophy they are selling. It's the philosophy that fulfillment is something that can be purchased. We have been told that the only way to truly be happy is to have the latest/greatest (insert product here). So we have been trained to live in constant dis-satisfaction with what we have. Commercials are even going so far to tell us that having the latest and greatest of a product is not enough, that product has to be better/more expensive than others. Just look at the car commercials we watched during the holiday season of 2016 where two neighbors would talk about their "holiday finds." One would be something small, but nevertheless exciting. The other would show off his/her NEW car. The first neighbor would immediately begrudge their previously exciting purchase. But that's just the tip of it. We are programmed to "need" what we don't have; to need the unobtainable. We are a collective horse chasing a collective carrot.
NEWS
Let's talk about areas of our lives where commercials are not expected or welcomed. How about the news? Let's get real. The news isn't news anymore. There no such thing as an unbiased news source. No matter what your political leaning, ALL news sources are biased. They are ALL pushing a political agenda. If you don't believe me, pay attention to the pictures they use of prominent figures. If they like them, the picture will be flattering; if they don't, the picture won't be flattering (i.e. shadows under the eyes, a combative look, a bad angle). Our news segments are editorials wrapped up as news. It is rare that a news broadcast can be taken at face value. I find myself saying, "yeah, but they're conservative" or "Yeah, but they're liberal."
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Beyond the news, our public figures are high paid salesmen. Look at our most current political cycle. It was nothing more than 16 months of info-mercials. The candidates for the highest office in the country fought hard for every vote, and I can't recollect a single earnest moment from either candidate. I could not separate candidate from political agenda-not platform but agenda. Every word was a sound byte. Every moment was a photo opp. The entire process felt like a giant mis-direction while the "real" forces behind the election pulled the rug over our eyes. Everything felt "staged." During the whole process I couldn't help but ask myself, "but what will they REALLY be like once they win the office?" Everything had a façade to it. We heard the sales pitches and we bought; and now, our country is in the middle of severe buyers remorse.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Another complaint I've heard regarding millennials is regarding the work force. I've often heard millennials expect high pay and high position. They expect to enter into advanced levels of leadership in a company. This has often caused conflict in the workplace. But can we blame millennials for expecting advanced pay and placement right out of college. We just bought into the sales pitch we were sold. Millennials were told from an early age "if you want more money and advanced placement in your career, if you want a leg up in the job market; get a bachelors degree!" So we did. We went to college in droves. Millennials are the most educated of American generations with 50% of us holding a bachelor's degree in some field. And what happened once we graduated? 1) The advanced placement and pay were not available. 2) Our college degrees were not nearly as "valuable" as we thought, because everyone else had one. 3) Not only did we not have that "leg up," we were several thousands of dollars in debt from college. A bachelor's degree is to my generation what a high school diploma was to the boomer generation. If you don't believe me, pay attention to what higher-education "opportunity" they are selling now - Master's Degree. You won't hear too many colleges spending advertising capitol on under-graduate degrees. They are all pushing post-graduate degrees. It's the new "leg up!"
Going deeper than societal structures, let's look at the state of modern business and personal relationships. We live in the world where everyone is learning the "art of the sale." We've seen the rise of companies like "The Art of Charm." Which began teaching guys how to pick up girls, but now extends on how to "close the deal" in all aspects of life. Everyone is studying how to "influence" others around them. Rhetoric and sales strategies are not bad in themselves, but when our interpersonal reactions are ALL shaded with salesmanship and gamesmanship; everyone becomes everyone else's target. Don't even get me started on MLM schemes!!! I've ended so many friendships because I'm personally tired of people exploiting years of openness and trust so they can sell me a health smoothie. Think about it, the nature of an MLM is the exploitation of personal relationships for monetary gain. Once again, everyone becomes a target. This leads us to shy away from honest and open moments with others. We don't want to give anyone else "ammunition." We keep things close to the chest, or we open up through less-personal means.
The Millennial response
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media would naturally seem like an easy problem facing the millennial generation. But, considering it is a millennial invention (or at least millennials are the ones driving the medium) I view social media as a millennial response. Social media is the millennial generation responding in kind to a world where they are constantly being "sold" something. Social media is all about selling yourself. Millennials have created a platform where everyone can use the language they've heard their entire lives. The language of "the sell." We sell our lives and how amazing they are. We sell our looks. And why not? We've been told how fulfilled we'll be if we buy (fill in the blank). So why not try try to be the thing that brings fulfillment. Why not be the thing everyone desires to be like. We sell everything about ourselves, hoping the world will buy into the façade we put up. Here's the crazy part! We don't buy what we are selling, but we buy what others are selling, thus perpetuating the problem. We see what others are selling and immediately feeling that we can't measure up. We feel like our lives are inferior. And we think "If only I had what they had! If only I could get this or that! Then I'd be like that person." There are a lot of people who look down upon or don't understand social media outlets like instagram or snapchat or twitter. These outlets are simply millennials responding and communicating to a society in the way we've been taught to communicate-through salesmanship.
CYNICISM AND LACK OF RELATIONSHIP
When you constantly feel like a target you get very unsure of the world around you. There's a distrust that builds up in your heart. It's almost like a film that surrounds everything you encounter. You are much more likely to poke holes into what you are hearing. Millennials are a very snarky generation. Our comedy love-language is sarcasm. I know this frustrates non-millennial. I've seen countless gen-xers and boomers scratch their heads and walk away from a millennial after giving their best motivational speech, because their response is a "I don't give a crap" shoulder shrug. It's a defense mechanism. Millennials have lived their entire lives surrounded by people whom don't live up to their word. When you distrust, you don't form deep relationships. You keep people at an arm's length. If you grew up in a used car lot, surrounded by people giving you the "hard sell" you'd be cynical too.
But let's be honest. Aren't we all a little cynical. Aren't we all a little weary of looking at our world through side-ways glances…constantly feeling like everyone is trying to get something from you or pull one over on you. I can't blame millennials. Can you?
