Kate Marie Buencochillo ABM-D February 3, 2017

Millennials: Catalysts of Change

Labeled as the self-absorbed generation whose smartphones, laziness and deep-

seated craving for instant feedback and gratification all share a fraction of their infuriating
behavior, millennials are a group of people born from the 1980s to the early 2000. Being a
millennial myself, I can attest that we exhibit traits that are rather unconventional,
provoking resentment from generations preceding us. Being more concerned about the
number of likes we gain from a ‘just-woke-up’ selfie post in Instagram than knowing the
facts of our country’s current political situation gives the old fogies more and more reasons
to loathe us. As the article “Millennials Misunderstood” puts it, millennials are the
vulnerable targets of non-stop bashing and branding of false social constructs. But
regardless of these, the author has seen something good in us – attributes that we can take
pride in. Arguably, these faults they associate us with are in fact a manifestation of the
strengths we possess (Tripp, 2016). Although stereotyped as the worst generation to have
inhabited this planet, I believe that millennials, being versatile, ambitious and socially
conscious, are the creative catalysts that will spark change in the modern world.

With rapid shifts from one generation to another, millennials of today have become
versatile in coping to the adversities of life. For one, we have adopted a non-traditional
approach in managing our time. In a world drowning with influx of unnecessary
information, efficiency is at the core of our goals. With technology, communicating via
FaceTime with friends while working simultaneously on a research paper has become
almost as effortless as breathing. Instead of focusing on one task at a time, members of our
generation have learned the countless benefits of multi-tasking. In addition, our inherent
ability to adapt to fluctuating environments is also remarkable. I think it comes with our
capacity to embrace new ideas and create unique solutions to problems. While many are
slowly slipping into the belief that we are feeding ourselves with idleness, I believe the
misconception here rather lies on our dependence on technology. The fact that we are only
responding in conjunction to how the world works is what most people often overlook.
Why stress ourselves understanding a map when we can find our way back with GPS-
installed gadgets? Why burden ourselves searching for World War II’s history in old,
dusty encyclopedias when we have Google to do it for us? Amassing hundreds of
information everyday and being exposed to shifting ideologies and cultures have influenced
us to respond uniquely to an endless stream of social pressures that we face in the real
world.

Besides versatility, it is not surprising to see why millennials have been so ambitious in
a time where everything runs on competition and ingenuity. Self-motivated and goal-
oriented, we are individuals who demand a meaningful existence. If something does not
meet our expectations, we either leave to search for our purpose elsewhere or revolutionize
the entire system. We also oppose conventional practices and chart our own course to
success. This, I perceive to be a huge game-changer. According to Turner (2014), millennial
employees want to feel like they are part of something bigger than just their job.
Nowadays, young people freely choose to abandon one job after another because it either
fails to fulfill their sense of mission or they feel as though their potential is hindered with
the outdated, one-size-fits-all approach of organizations. Furthermore, the self-esteem that
our parents have built up in us has empowered us to innovate despite the risk of failing.
Because of our oozing confidence, which our predecessors appallingly confuse with
narcissism, we are trailblazers who are not afraid to deviate from the status quo. Gone
were the days where we are told to work our way up the corporate ladder; we are a
generation of kids moved by the dropout success stories of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
Leaving a high-paying office job to establish an art gallery may seem a laughable and
impractical decision for others, but for millennials, it is simply pursuing what we love to
do. If there is one thing this generation has taught us, it is chasing our dreams and never
giving up on something that is worth waking up to every morning.

Most importantly, of all the attributes that set millennials apart from their older
counterparts, it is their socially conscious mindset that I find most defining. Given this
nature, we are individuals who think before we act. For instance, when our parents
vehemently oppose the idea of marijuana legalization and we want to disagree with them,
we make it to a point that our words are filtered out so we do not sound too blunt. We
respect their opinions even if it will mean sharing conflicting viewpoints. Because of this
characteristic, we become more accepting of difference and more open to change because
we have constantly been in it (Romero, n.d.). Moreover, our acute awareness of the things
happening around us is primarily driven by the strong influence of technology in our lives.
Just by scrolling through our Facebook feed, we are outrightly welcomed by the latest
updates about same-sex marriages in the United States. Likewise, opening our Twitter
application welcomes us to heart-wrenching news concerning the plight of Syrian refugees
affected by the war. Consequently, we feel personally responsible for promoting causes
such as gender equality and racial diversity, or even involve ourselves in environmental
reforms like combatting the effects global warming. The Internet sheds light on important
issues plaguing the world and awakens our inner drive to make a difference and contribute
a positive impact to society.

The millennial generation has long been a victim of unfair biases and labels from
self-acclaimed ‘millennial experts’ who barely even know us. But despite the crippling
criticisms, what makes us thrive is our resiliency to bounce back no matter how many
doors get shut in our face from every angle and our firm resolve to keep going down the
road of continuous learning and improvement. No longer are we a system that adheres to
fixed principles and is shackled to the norm; we consider these as but a thing of the past.
Needless to say, growing up in the digital age has molded who and what we have become.
Several years from now, it will be the versatile, ambitious and socially conscious millennials
who will take over the spotlight - the generation that will transcend barriers of false
stereotypes and usher the world through the next levels of change and transformation.
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References:

Ellin, E. (2014). The Beat Up Generation. Retrieved from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201403/the-beatgeneration?
collection=146576

Stewart, E. (2017). Most Popular 2016: Millennials Misunderstood. Retrieved from

https://thesocietypages.org/trot/2017/01/11/what-we-know-about-millennials/

Taylor, N. (2014). Solving the Mystery of Gen Y Job Hoppers. Retrieved from
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7012-millennial-job-hopping.html

Fisk, C. (n.d.). Appealing to Socially Conscious Millennials on Social Media. Retrieved from
https://boogie.co/why-you-should-be-conscious-of-socially-conscious-millennials-on-
social/