That age-old stereotype: entitled millennials. For all the stereotypes that exist out there, this one if perhaps the most triggering (at least for me). Particularly when it involves topics, themes or issues that are outside of our control.
“I’m sick of entitled millennials who leave their belongings in other people’s homes rather than buy their own.” That’s a statement, I heard recently from a friend of a friend: A Boomer. It was a close to home dig: because who hasn’t left a few boxes of personal belongings in a friend or parents’ garage as they’ve rented, moved between homes, or travelled? Apparently however, for some older folk, it’s an entitlement issue.
Diplomatically, I say, “Sure, I hear you, I get you and I can appreciate your views – but l will challenge you. Let me break down the reality so you understand what millennials are working with.”
To begin, millennials aren’t entitled: not in a sense of what people “perceive”. We’re a generation who’ve been moulded, conditioned, and shaped by everything around us. We’ve grown up in an era of perpetual challenges – political sagas, economic ruin, world-changing events, acceleration of technology – to name a few. The world isn’t like it was two years ago, let alone in the Boomer heyday 20 or 30 years ago.
Parents and society made us
Millennials grew up with helicopter parenting. Parents who encouraged them to be, do and have anything they want. Parents who mollycoddled, made decisions, and pushed them barely giving them any rope to hang themselves or fail. Then there’s the ‘reward for everything’ aspect – largely fueled by society who caught onto the trend that giving all children a trophy for simply participating, was the right thing to do. This formed a generation who learnt that they could have what they want and have their parents involved heavily in their lives – including the decision-making process (‘snowflakes’ as the saying goes). Add on the fact we’re living in a world of instant gratification – where technology has advanced the speed of everything. Everything is on demand, and we can get what we want with the click of a button.
The economy confines us – as does finances
Did you know that Boomers are the wealthiest generation in the world? And this includes having the largest portfolio of property, pension, and investment portfolios – which they’ve accumulated over their lifetimes. All of this equates to trillions of dollars. (In fact, in the US alone, it’s estimated that Boomers have $156 trillion in assets). There will be no other generation that accumulates the amount of wealth Boomers have.
Conversely, Millennials are associated with the highest levels of debt compared to previous generations. In fact, they’re up to their eyeballs in it. From student loans, credit card debt, mortgages, and the challenges of rising education costs, stagnant wages, and increased living expenses millennials have significant debt burdens. Nothing is affordable; everything comes at a cost.
Different times, different generations, different upbringing. And for those quick to judgers let me ask you: what would your life look like under the same conditions, with the current economic situation and circumstances?
So next time a millennial asks for a place to store a “few belongings” remember that alongside the issues that have both shaped and barred certain “privileges” (like a home), they might also be the only belongings they own.
