Millennials Aren’t Entitled–They’re Just Better Than You
thoughtcatalog.com
thoughtcatalog.com
This article is really enlightening in that it puts to words what is wrong with the loudest baby-boomers, but what about the others? HN has an older userbase and why do they dislike Millennials (if for reason different than the article)?
There's always a certain amount of crap handed down from one generation to the next. It's cheap, and self rewarding. Boomers have been given crap continuously since the beginning, by the previous generation, their own ranks (it's a highly varied generation), and generation X. Now that their biggest critics are dying off, they're feeling encouraged to dole this criticism out themselves. They know better than to do it to generation X, because Xers (I'm an Xer) are nearly tone deaf due to the incessant whining by boomers. Plus, boomers are actually starting to go deaf so they yell a lot more than they used to. So they're skipping us over and going straight for the millenials.
My advice is to take it like simple teasing rather than taking it seriously. The boomers' bark is worse than the bite.
I like millenials. They've got a relatively decent balance of idealism and reality check. My only complaints are they spend way too goddamn much of their income, as a percentage, on housing and foo foo bar drinks.
As for claims in the article:
1. "Millennials want to be a part of something they find meaningful. Their work needs to matter, both to them and to the world."
- Hence the spate in "meaningful" startups, like "Yo" and the anonymous gossip and social shaming apps (is it called whisper our secret?)
2. "Millennials want to build deep, authentic connections with people. They want real relationships."
- this is merely the author's opinion. Divorce rates among millennials are Just as high, if not higher, than boomers. Empirically, dating millennials didn't really increase the seriousness of the relationship.
Millennials face a shrinking job market from the outset - unlike the boomers. Robots will make many careers obsolete, and no amount of "against the grain" attitude for the sake of it will hide this fact. Then there's outsourcing, which you cannot run from.
How are millennials any different? Social media is mostly used my millennials to show off to others and to make themselves feel important.
Baby boomers aren't trying to become Youtube stars.
"Millennials want to be a part of something they find meaningful. Their work needs to matter, both to them and to the world."
The problem with this mindset is that they want something that will immediately matter. When you are 20 and with virtually no experience, you will not be given this sort of responsibility and achieving it yourself is next to impossible.
"In 2011 alone, almost 30% of entrepreneurs were Millennials"
So, 70% weren't? Am I reading this statistic correctly?
"Millennials build companies they find meaningful, and are only fulfilled when they believe they’re adding value to the world, not just making the rich richer."
This is actually a reason why many founders fail. Money is the life blood of any company and will allow you to keep creating great things that can help the world. This money has to come from somewhere. If your company can't sustain itself, you are presumably getting money from non-millennial investors.
"Study something you don’t care about in college, because it looks good on a resume."
Most boomers I know gave me the same advice: study something in college that you enjoy, but also make sure you can get a job doing it. If you don't enjoy it, you won't last very long in the work force. If you study something that you are passionate about, but you will never actually be able to pay it back, you are taking a huge gamble (and will be saddled with debt for many years).
"Apply for a safe job with a career path that is clear and structured."
I run my own company. I was in the corporate world for almost 8 years before I quit and started my business. I think it's better to actually see how a successful corporation functions before attempting to create your own and make many unneeded mistakes.
"Give away your twenties, thirties, and forties grinding yourself into oblivion for your company"
How is making it on your own any different? As the old saying goes: I work 60+ hours a week, so I don't have to get a job working 40. Running your own company is more difficult and you will spend many more hours 'grinding'.
I have have found that many people (millennials included) love the idea of starting their own company, but either aren't willing to put in the work or don't realize how much work is actually involved. Unless you start out with lots of money, you will be doing all of the lower-level jobs yourself.
"Their success is 100% contingent upon how valuable they make themselves to their employer"
If you have investors, your value is 100% contingent on how valuable you make yourself to the investors.
If you have customers, your value is 100% contingent on how valuable you make yourself to your customers.
This idea of making yourself valuable doesn't change. It's pervasive throughout life and the most successful people bring a high level of value to the right people.
"They believe that young people should be queuing up for these soul crushing admin positions, because they WANT people beneath them."
Companies aren't out to get you. They hire you for a position where you can bring the most value, based on your experience and skill set.
Do you really think you can't learn ANYTHING from and admin job?
"Millennials are succeeding precisely BECAUSE they are rejecting the system that Boomers built their lives around."
I'm not sure why you think they are succeeding. Living with your parents at 35 with no career, business, or assets is not a success.
"getting in on the bottom of the ladder in the hopes of someone else rewarding you is the opposite of taking ownership"
What get-rich-quick scheme are you talking about? This is how life works. Nobody is going to just hand over power to you. You need to earn it.