The internet’s most obnoxious individuals can all agree on one thing: millennials will bring about the end of society. But don’t give in to naysayers just yet, because the youth have never been better.
It’s common to compare preconceptions based on age because, well, what else is new? The older generation finds it irritating to see us floundering around without any financial backing or an actual life plan. However, they fail to understand that we do think and act in some ways differently, primarily because of our considerably more insecure economic condition and our high expectations for life. Despite our disadvantages, we slay at a number of things boomers suck at. So we’ve listed 7 things that we think millennials have a better shot at than any baby boomer.
1. We Prefer Drinking At Home
Having friends over rather than meeting up somewhere outside has its advantages. Drinking at home is more affordable. Think about it: we don’t need to stand in line, don’t have to struggle to hear our pals over background noise and loud music – not to mention the availability of wifi and possibly, cleaner bathrooms. We can also control our alcohol consumption more easily, which essentially makes us much more mature young adults.
2. We Break The Stigma Of Mental Health
Way before us, mental health wasn’t even a thing. If you were depressed, stressed or had anxiety, it was always because of “something trivial”.
We get that every generation has its own struggle with issues, and millennials are no exception. We face newer problems and worries that possibly didn’t keep our parents’ generation up at night. Yet, we’re making progress towards being a generation that values and understands its own worth. Our ability to normalise mental illness is made possible by social media platforms. By educating others about mental illness and emphasising that it has no face, we may advance awareness of it, foster greater understanding of it, and reduce its stigma. It may have an impact on individuals you least expect it to.
3. We Take Family Planning Seriously
This is something we understood the importance of early, because these days, everything requires cash and we ain’t growing money plants at home!
Not only are we delaying having children, but we are also conceiving fewer of them. How are we going to take care of so many babies while working full-time when the economy is already so grim for us? Growing up, most of us witnessed firsthand how difficult it was for our parents to maintain the roof over our heads. Not to mention other needs they must attend to like food, education, clothing, medication and more. So millennials are more conscientious when it comes to family planning. We tend to not have any more kids than necessary.
4. We Don’t Trust The Government Blindly
You probably know where we’re gong with this. Millennials have recently grown more disengaged from major political parties that are dogged by financial scandals and power abuses, particularly in Malaysia. How, after all these years, could our parents continue to tolerate these behaviours in order to “preserve our race”? Thankfully, we millennials are very much aware of political issues and our rights, and the folly of simply trusting the government.
5. We’d Rather Spend Money On Travel
As the generation that reclaims control, we can prioritie a healthy work-life balance before anything else. We are looking for more exciting encounters to define ourselves and avoid being programmed by terrible routines, as society continues to move away from the direction of old authorities. Also, travelling allows us to get away from our friends, cities, parents, and other people. This helps us broaden our horizons and widens our exposure to the outside world.
6. We Put Off Marriage
Yet another smart move. The minute one reaches the age of 25, you get reminders about getting married. We get that most of y’all are in a serious relationship, but that doesn’t mean you need to rush into marriage. Also, we tend to think of the costs, because we have a fear that a marriage involves not just paying for you and your partner, but a whole fucking town! Luckily, we became aware of this situation early, and are smarter in dealing with it. Most millennials put their marriage on hold until they know they’re stable financially and emotionally. They understand that marriage isn’t happily ever after because you still need to put work into it if you want that bond to last a lifetime. Another reason why we put off marriage is to simply enjoy the honeymoon period in a relationship. Because right after marriage, things are gonna be so different. You’ll play different roles, perform different tasks and if you’re not ready for this, it’s gonna land you in a lot of trouble.
7. We Choose Our Own Priorities
Even when we genuinely care about other people’s opinions, we prefer to come across as frugal rather than flamboyant. Take the example of work. Others have families to support or millions to make; they either work to live or live to work. But since most of us are just trying to survive, we distrust those who are greedy. Hence, if we so choose, we can devote our life to doing good rather than pursuing material success. After all, time and options are two things we have plenty of. We are free to make decisions without being forced to by our peers.
