10 Things Millennials Wish The Older Generations Would Understand
niharika nayakBA (Media & Communication) Experience: 4 yearsNiharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... more
It’s often seen that people from different generations have totally opposite styles of approaching and doing things. After all, entire value systems go through change over time and one generation’s thinking might not align with the other’s. One such big difference has been observed between millennials and their parents and older generations. Millennials, born during the 90s, have lived through the transition of technology and the advent of the internet age, which their older generations missed out on. Many of the beliefs of the older generations, like the “boomers”, often don’t resonate well with millennials and at times might even offend them. The same is true the other way around. So, let’s look at some things we wish the older generations understood about us:
1. Comments Ridiculing People, Especially Women
“My dad has this annoying habit of making sexist jokes and comments related to “women driving cars” or “females not being strong enough” etc. Often, he doesn’t even realize that he is being offensive towards others by saying these things out loud. I used to call him out for it earlier, but I guess that must just be his coping mechanism for life, just as cat memes are mine. Now, whenever he makes such comments, I just keep my poker face on and don’t give any reactions.”
2. Working Moms Exist, And You Need To Stop Criticizing Them
“My mom can’t seem to understand the fact that I can hold a full-time job and still raise my kids successfully. She keeps telling me to quit my job and become a stay-at-home mom or work from home, and I am tired of her drama. I shouldn’t have to sacrifice my career to have kids.”
3. Cutting Off Toxic Family Members Is Perfectly Fine
“No, mom, I don’t want to be friends with that cousin who bullied me throughout high school and pulled my hair. Older generations need to understand that just because someone is your blood relative doesn’t mean you need to put up with their poor behavior. I’d rather not keep in touch with people who don’t add value to my life.”
4. Using Our Phones And Laptop Doesn’t Mean We Are On Social Media All The Time
“Ever since my parents discovered Facebook, they think that that’s all we do online. Many of us have to be in front of a screen for our work as well. And, for some, social media is a source of income too. So, when our parents think that we are lazy and just wasting our time chatting with random strangers, I wish I could change their perception.”
5. Being Aware Of Our Mental Health Needs Is Important
“Older generations just love throwing the word “snowflake” and “liberal” around when we start to talk about mental health. Well, we’re sorry we can’t get drunk at the local bar and wreak havoc as you guys did in the olden days. We’d like to handle our life problems more maturely and talk it out like adults.”
6. Just Because You Are Older Than I Am Does Not Mean You Are Correct
“I hate when I’m arguing with an older person, and they feel the need to be correct all the time. Especially when they find themselves losing an argument, they’re quick to play the “older than you” card. Just because you are older than I am, does not mean that your statement is a fact.”
7. Shooter Video Or Violent Films Won’t Turn Us Into Murderers
“It’s so stupid how older folks assume that the reason mass shootings happen is because of the media and video games. Well, mass shootings have been happening for a very long time, and the media can’t be the sole reason behind it. Like any other event, it would need proper study and analysis before we can determine the real reasons. In the meanwhile, I just hope the older generations stop warning us about the dangers of playing our video games.”
8. You Are Allowed To Establish Boundaries
“I don’t care if it is my own sister, I am allowed to have boundaries and make sure that everyone around me respects that. If I don’t want to be touched or hugged, please respect my decision and do not pressure me into getting out of my comfort zone and hugging you. Everyone has a different personal boundary, and it would be best if you respected them.
9. Your Job Should Not Have You Constantly Making Sacrifices
“No, it is not normal to be constantly giving up your weekends in order to answer your bosses’ calls. I’m sorry if you were put in this position during your career, but I will not be sitting down and taking it lightly. I know my rights as an employee, and it’s really ridiculous to push me to the very edge of my sanity in order for me to get work done. Rest and mental health are as important to me as my career and I would not be pressured into becoming a workaholic.”
10. You Don’t Need To Have Kids If You Don’t Want To
“Something that really needs to be drilled into the heads of older folks is the fact that I can decide if I want kids or not. Plenty of them just wants to go back to the olden days when women had no control of their reproductive rights. Older folks, both women and men, need to accept the fact that it is not a woman’s duty to bring new life onto this planet. Having children on today’s date is a matter of choice and if someone decides not to be a parent it’s their personal decision and there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Now, we can’t make the generational gap disappear, can we? But what we can do is have good communication and find a middle ground. Instead of criticizing and holding each other at fault, we can have discussions about what we like and things that bother us. It’s easier said than done but over time you might be able to make them see your point of view. Let us know about your struggles with your parents or other people of older generations, in the comments section below.
