The Millennial Curse

Illustration by Jon Ahmed Durano

Nobody is perfect. It‘s a universal truth.

One of these rights is to express one’s opinion or ideas. Thus, one can critique another person’s qualities, classification or lifestyle. Judgment as we know it.

Now, it can’t be avoided that one can be subject to criticism, especially if their lifestyle contradicts with another person’s ideology. One clear example is misunderstandings between generations, particularly our generation, the Millennial Generation.

According to Howe and Strauss (2004), the Millennial Generation consists of those born from 1982 to 2004. We are known as the generation for whom .

Due to the generational gap, our predecessors, Generation X and the Baby Boomers, tend to disagree with our lifestyle and identity. The differences are so distinct that somehow it becomes a namesake and sometimes, even a burden to us.

“The dumbstruck generation,” as others would say. Since the early 2000s, the rise in technological advancements triggered a number of these misunderstandings between the generations from that change. Thus, our elders think of us as “indifferent and insensitive,” among other things.

According to them, “we are too attached to technology.” We are too immersed in the web that we forget to focus more on our studies. We look at our phones all day without doing something worthwhile. We tend to escape our responsibilities, and go to social media instead.

“We don’t respect the .” As they explain it, we are ungrateful for our situations in life and tend to rebel against their will. Ever been in that situation where your parents or grandparents are mad as hell at you for not doing your best in class? Then, they go on relaying their hardships in having to climb a mountain or something just to go to school? Afterwards, they use the patented excuse above? It’s not fair to some extent.

We are LAZY. We are always too tired for everything and complain all the time. We aren’t motivated enough to give our 100 percent in everything we do. We lack creativity and tend to turn in half-done homework and projects.

“We are the worst generation yet.”  We’re accused of being apathetic to what’s happening to the world. As they put it, we care for nothing but ourselves. We talk as if we know everything. We’re impatient. We are too revealing, rebellious and atrocious. Ladies are criticized as unladylike and immodest in their lifestyles. Guys are too focused on impressing chicks. What the hell?

“We don’t know how to be in relationships.”

The list could go on and on. As hard as it may sound, this is the reality of society. This is our curse, our Achilles’ heel. Doubters feed off of criticisms to feed their ideals and egos. Criticisms are there to make or break you, but remember, not all criticisms should be negative. No matter how many haters are out there, we can still be proud as a generation. Why?

Because we are confident. We have faith in our abilities and strive to reach the furthest star, to make the impossible look like a feat, to turn doubts into motivations. We make the haters eat their words. Nothing can stop a millennial from getting what he wants. We have guts and the ability to grit and grind through our problems.

We are self-expressive. We find new ways to express our thoughts and ideas. Want to talk about trends? No matter how stupid or great our ideas are, it makes the world turn, and culture evolves into something no one has ever seen before. We boldly express ourselves to society without any regrets and doubts. Top that, haters.

We have our priorities straight. They say we lack focus, we say look again. We’re so focused on our future goals that we have plans from A to Z, or we make do with what we have. Most of us are working our butts off on our theses, plates and case studies to the point that we even forget to sleep. We substitute it for our dear friend, caffeine, to get by with passing scores. Why do we do this? It’s because we dream of a better future for ourselves and for our families.

Lastly, we’re becoming the most educated generation. We know things that weren’t there before, try things that are alien to older generations, and create stuff out of old people’s imaginations. We’re creative. No matter how cheesy this sounds,

You see? Despite harsh comments, our generation has accomplished much. Yes, , but nevertheless, it can’t break us apart. In fact, it only makes us better and stronger.

The point is, we can’t avoid being misunderstood by the ones who came before us. Somehow, there will always be harsh criticisms directed at us. In fact, the pressure they put on us may even break us in the long run. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Are we a cursed generation, or are we a generation that will revolutionize society? Perhaps both?

That, my friends, lies in us. The Millennial Curse: do you have the guts to break it?