Unique Problems That Only Millennials Have To Deal With
What is it really like to be a part of Generation Y? Well, according to Forbes Magazine, Millennials are “The Me Me Me Generation.” We have been referred to as lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with our parents.
I can’t argue with that last statement considering I still live at home, but I think these facts do little to take into account how much more difficult our lives are than previous generations. Not to say that the generations prior to ours didn’t have their fair share of difficulties, but we definitely have a unique set of problems.
Love
Love isn’t what it used to be. This is a statement my mom recently made to me, which I’ve found a lot of truth in. I think the main problem this generation has is communication. We love to play games, whether we admit it or not, intentionally and unintentionally. We play with each others hearts in so many ways, from taking hours to responds to texts all the way to leading someone on only to realize you’re just not that interested. Then at that point, you simply phase yourself out of the relationship.. one text at a time.
I am no love expert, but I’ve had enough failed relationships to know that one thing Generation Y needs to learn is to be more honest and clear about their intentions. It sucks to get hurt and fall for someone. Both individuals need to remember this before they set out on their missions, which are often titled “going with the flow.” I bet you one of these people has thought far more into the future, putting both people in two different places in the relationship. Avoid heartbreak and communicate.
Passions
I think that most people in this generation are a little lost, or at least that is how they perceive themselves, myself included. I’ve been telling myself throughout my entire college career that I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I’ve been telling myself that I need to find a guy to complete the picture perfect image of what my life should look like. I’ve even been telling myself that I have no passions, which could be why I have no dream career and no guys can fall in love with me. This is not true.
Everyone has a passion, they just need to discover it. I do believe that once you find out your passion, everything will fall into place. A career that you are passionate about will leave you with happiness. Guys love girls who are passionate about things- not that you should ever work towards finding a passion simply because of a guy.
Do it for yourself. Everyone owes it to themselves to pursue the things that interest them, whether it be a painting class or a trip to Paris (both of which are on my to-do list). In time, we won’t feel so lost anymore. It’s just important to remember how young we are in the scope of life and that this is our time to truly find ourselves and figure out our passions.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” –Steve Jobs
Confirmation
It is Generation Y’s confused nature that results in the search for confirmation from others. I don’t think this makes us narcissistic, just a little all over the place. All of these forms of social media like Snapchat, Instagram, Tinder, and Facebook all bring to light our need for confirmation. We are all dying to be liked in one way or another and this has been brought on because of our easy access to social media. Take Tinder for example. Young adults who have this app can literally be talking to 20 people at once, all of whom are complete strangers.
Why waste time doing this, especially if you don’t actually want to meet up with them? And yes, I’ve seen people do that. People do it for one simple fact and that is the need for confirmation. This generation is ADD, and needs to be talking to people at all times. They also need to be constantly reminded that they are interesting, attractive, funny…. the list could go on. Previous generations did not grow up learning that receiving likes could become a game of it’s own.
See, more games that we love. A word of advice though- stop relying so much on social media. When I studied abroad, I had my phone stolen half way through my trip and thought my life was over. I wouldn’t get a new phone for THREE WHOLE MONTHS! But you know, I survived. I more than survived actually. I learned how amazing life can be when you stop focusing so much on this alternative world that we have created for ourselves and actually take a second to look at the incredibly beautiful world around us. You will discover that you no longer need these silly forms of confirmation from others and that the world is so much larger than the last photo that was posted on Instagram.