In the Time Magazine article, Joel Stein highlights how this generation has become more narcissistic than past generations. He displays several statistics that help support his claims, such as “according to the National Institutes of Health; 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982.” Stein continues by stating how parents have instilled self-esteem in their children, which ultimately harmed the child’s chances of maintaining a job or relationship. In addition, millennials have also developed a sense of entitlement. However, Stein also speaks on behalf of the millennials and argues, “They’re not a new species; they’ve just mutated to adapt to their environment.” Technology has become faster, more accessible, and abundant. Through the introduction of smart phones and social media, information has become widespread and connecting with people, even internationally, has been made possible. Stein continues to support millennials by quoting Scott Hess, ‘Can you imagine if the boomers had YouTube, how narcissistic they would’ve seemed?’ This indicates that with the advancement of technology in the 21st century was one, if not the main cause, of Millennial narcissism. I completely agree with Joel Stein’s representation and I personally identify with a lot of the traits he put forth. “[…] lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow,” are traits that do or did define me at some point. “They’re earnest and optimistic. They embrace the system. They are pragmatic idealists, tinkerers more than dreamers, life hackers.” These are traits that also represent me. In addition, I definitely have a sense of entitlement as my parents still pay for rent and my health insurance. The article also points out that “millenials are nice” and more accepting of differences, which I identify with as well. However, in the work force, I expect to be in that entry level position for an extended time rather than being constantly promoted in the short span of 2 years, as stated in the article. There was also another quote in the article that referred to millennials not respecting authority, which is untrue for me. Furthermore, I don’t rely on my parents for financial advice and I unquestionably do not want to be “famous,” as the article mentioned.
In the Buzzfeed article, Anne Helen Petersen speaks about how lazy millenials are. Simple and mundane tasks are often pushed aside and often never dealt with, which is something I relate to, as I almost always push assignments, no matter how undemanding they are, to the last minute. Petersen states that, systemically, millenials have a difficult time dealing with similar hardships. Petersen also reveals that millenials are between the ages of 22 and somewhere around 38. Based on this, I would not be considered a millenial. Most millenials lag behind compared to when their parents were their age, “[they] have far less saved, far less equity, far less stability, and far, far more student debt.” Most millenials are focused on school as they are more studious, skip fewer classes, attend office hours, and seek guidance from their professor. “They were, in other words, scared.” This is quite relatable as I also fear that I will not do well in class or in the outside world, so I seek help and make sure I’m on the correct track. Petersen also speculates that,”these students [believe] that their first job out of college would not only determine their career trajectory, but also their intrinsic value for the rest of their lives,” which is true for a lot of people including myself. Since my intended major is accounting, I feel that once I graduate, I’m obligated to find a job in the accounting field. And, like the article states, the job should be steady and decent paying. Petersen also points out that “We put up with companies treating us poorly because we don’t see another option. We don’t quit. We internalize that we’re not striving hard enough. And we get a second gig.” This almost directly addresses my situation when I joined a restaurant business. I wanted to quit because of how miserable I was and the way I was treated there. Maybe one of the reasons I was miserable there was because I could’ve been doing something better with my time, like an internship in my field of study. The article also addresses the complaints to millenials, “But dumb, illogical decisions are a symptom of burnout. We engage in self-destructive behaviors or take refuge in avoidance as a way to get off the treadmill of our to-do list.” This then translates to millenials being bad at work simply because they do so much work. Although I moderately agree, this can also just be an excuse for millenials. Petersen also mentions how millenials’ work habits are also affected by “financial precariousness,” but I would just work harder and longer hours if I was financial unstable.
In short, after reading these two articles, I would consider myself a millenial. On one hand, I possessed most of the “positive” traits stated in both articles, while the “negative” traits spoke a lot of truth and I could relate to them.
Hey Austin! You mentioned that you would work harder and longer if you were financially unstable, which is a great mindset. But do you think you’ll also get burned out if you continue to work more, as Petersen stated? Petersen also claimed that social media directs our lives into what our lives should be like and there is a burden of having to share a “perfect” image to others. What’s your perspective on people having to constantly create a image for others to see? I also am dependent on my parents, but I try best to help them out. I always procrastinate as well. Stein stated that millennials have low political participation. Do you agree or disagree with him?
Hey Austin. I too can relate to pushing mundane tasks off to the side. A lot of the time when I push it to the side, I do something that is probably less important compared to that task and somehow am able to convince myself it’s worth the trade off. I can also relate to the idea of getting a job within your major upon graduating. Getting a job within your major tells you that your time in college was put to good use. And as you mentioned, Millennials are scared and constantly questioning their choices because so much is changing so quickly.
Hey! I realized that you stated on why you may or may not be a millennial, that is exactly what goes through my head when I’m confronted with this question. There are many things in which I can definitely relate meanwhile, there are others that simply seem to not be like me at all. I have agree with the dependency on my parents, although they do not provide me with any extra money, they do pay for my rent, vacations, health insurance, and any small thing in which they are slightly still related to. I still heavily rely on my mom to cook for me and other small things, which is the main reason to why I didn’t accept a full ride scholarship. I realized how dependent I was on my parents. For instance, around thanksgiving I was in a friend’s car, and somehow his car didn’t want to start, I called my dad to come pick us up. If I was hours away, I would be asking a friend and as great as they may be, they aren’t always as reliable and helpful as a parent. In addition, to the constant procrastination, I have found out ways to avoid certain tasks that I don’t want to do. In fact, I have to admit I rely a lot on money. If I don’t want to do one thing, I pay my sister to do it. During the past few days there were days that were extremely cold, it left my wondering why my closest supermarket didn’t have some sort of app delivery service. In relation to narcissism, I have to admit it comes and goes. Just like all the topics that you discussed there are a few that we are and we aren’t. Regardless of whether we consider ourselves millennials or not, we can’t expect to fit into all the categories that seem to represent millennials.
Hey Austin! I can relate to feeling like you’re entitled because your parents pay for your rent and health insurance. Sometimes I feel like my parents taking care of me could make me feel lazy, but on a positive note, our parents are helping us succeed. I disagree with you on Millenials using excuses when it comes to being bad at their jobs, because I have experienced feeling over worked and failing at something simply because I felt exhausted. Although I am not really a millennial, I still relate to the idea of experiencing burnout. Your post highlights that although Millenials are characterized as one group, there are many differences within that one group, and it might almost be unfair to stereotype Millenials.
Absolutely can be unfair to stereotype Millennials! So we have to determine how we can discuss trends while leaving room for the individual.