Millennials......WTF?

As reported by Morley Safer, I along with about 80 million people of the U.S. population fall into the category of "Millennials". Millennials are defined as people born between the years of 1981 through 1995. This group is supposed to be "tech savvy", narcissists, and a group that has to be constantly pampered and accommodated by both their employers and parents.

According to Mary Crane, who was interviewed for Safer's "Millennials" segment which aired on CBS's 60 minutes, much of the blame has to fall on the parents for raising their children in an environment that was filled with trophies and excessive admiration. The result has led to many of these children, who are now grown, unprepared for the workplace.

Well, based on my experiences, I would have to disagree. My parents, who came to this country as immigrants from El Salvador, a "Third World country", instilled a “work hard” mentality. They taught me the importance of working hard in both school and work is necessary but at the same time I should not expect praise or admiration. Since this was expected from everyone else. The phrase, "you only get what you put in" holds true and much of my childhood was not filled with trophies or this adulation that Crane claimed was present for Millennials. Furthermore, I have had substantial experience in the workplace that predated my completion of high school and my time during college.

In Brooks article, which was published in the NY Times at the beginning of this century, it states that Millennials were more likely to be non-cynical and would favor a "team first" mentality. I beg to differ and would agree more with Safer’s opening statement during his segment that Millennials are more concerned with themselves.

In this capitalistic society, where people are constantly trying to move forward and the main concern is to secure financial success, it is only natural that our generation is more concerned to fulfill their needs. Furthermore, this motivation is fueled by an uncertain future and by companies that are outsourcing. Bob Herbert's article, "Here Come the Millennials", focuses on the Millennials' employment future which is filled with uncertainty. The prospect of jobs offering perks such as paid vacations; health coverage or pensions appear to be dwindling. I am in accordance with Marian Salzman's comment in which Millenials view themselves as "merchandise on eBay". As an employee, I am not willing to show loyalty, when at any given moment I could be deemed as expandable.

For the most part, I would agree with this generalization of being classified as a "Millennial". I am "tech savvy" because today's society is geared towards new media and technology. At the same time these skills are extremely necessary in order to succeed. I am a narcissist because I want the best for myself because the future is not guaranteed and does not look favorable. No one will give anything to me or anyone else for free. Finally, in the present I do view my parents as a safety net. Only because they are willing to support me during my time in college. Yet, I do realize that I can't always rely on their support and must move on to really obtain adulthood. However, I would have to state that not all of us were subjected to "trophies" or the constant adulation from our parents. I think that depends on the "Millennials" class when they were growing up. At least, in regards to my parents, there was always that "tough love" and money has always been tight.