The ‘M’ Word and How to Overcome It

So let’s be honest. Do you really call yourself a millennial? I can’t say that’s the first (or any) word I use to identify myself.

No matter whether or not you and I consider ourselves millennials, though, the rest of the world does. Which shouldn’t be a big deal. Am I right?!

Unfortunately, I’m not (which hurts me a bit to admit).

In reality, the millennial generation describes people born between 1980 and 2000 (the dates are hotly debated, so bear with me). Unfortunately—like a lot of things in our society—the word is completely loaded.

Today millennial can mean a variety of things, and most of them seem to be negative. Society views millennials as entitled, inexperienced and even lazy. What can be overlooked is that millennials are also innovative, tech-savvy and focused on social justice. 

Now which (if any) of these do you use to identify yourself? Does millennial really fit? If so how can you overcome the negative stigma to exemplify the great things a millennial can be?

Work Hard

The biggest negative stigma is that we rely on the internet and don’t do any actual work. As I write papers at 5:00 a.m. before work, I know that’s just not true. Our work might look different. It might look unconventional, digital or interesting. But it is work, and we definitely need to keep doing our best. 

Be Personal

We’re the generation that’s grown up with the digital age. Personally, I think that’s pretty cool. We’ve literally got information at our fingertips whenever we need it. On the flip side, we’ve sacrificed a bit of the personal communication that’s necessary for..you know..life. So be personal, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Be Creative

Like I said—information at our fingertips. How cool is that?! It’s so important to use that information. We have the potential to be the smartest, most innovative and developing generation yet. Think outside the box.

Millennial might have a negative stigma in our society. It also has some potential for awesomeness! So let’s grab the bull (or the word, I guess), by the horns and magnify all the positive things that can come with being (or being told that) we’re the millennial generation.