Sunday, September 4, 2016

What’s the Deal with the Millennial Generation?




by Michael S. Russo


I’ve just finished reading an article in the New York Times by Ross Douthat that left me more confused than ever about the millennial students that I am currently teaching.

To sum up just a few of Mr. Douthat’s points, members of the millennial generation seem to be living much more prudent lives than those in previous generations:

  • They are drinking, smoking and using drugs much less.
  • They have fewer sexual partners and a lower rate of teenage pregnancy.
  • They are less violent and less prone to suicide. 

But in other ways they are also much less responsible than other generations:

  • They are more likely to live longer with their parents.
  • They are less likely to get married or have children.
  • They more likely to drop out of the workforce.

I found these statistics to be interesting and they seem to support out my own impressions of millennials (which I admit are completely anecdotal).

On the positive side, I have found my millennial students to be more tolerant, more appreciative of diversity, more open to unconventional ideas, and less prone to racism, sexism and homophobia than students that I had taught in the past. They also seem much more ecologically concerned than older generations. I find these changes to be welcome, indeed.

But, I’ve also found that my millennial students have shorter attention spans, less intellectual curiosity, imagination and cultural literacy, and less ambition, drive and stick-to-itiveness than students that I had once taught. They also seem to have more trouble relating to other human beings in an intimate and personal way than earlier students. These negative tendencies, I believe, might have something to do with the overuse of technology on the part of millennials, but this is just a hypothesis. (I can’t tell you, though, how many times during the past five years I have had to use the expression, “Put away your damn cell phones and pay attention.”)

Like many members of my own generation (late baby boomers), I’ve been wondering what it will be like to have adults with these sorts of tendencies running the country in the future. On the positive side, we may have a much more open and tolerant society when millennials are in charge. And that would be a very good thing.

But I admit to also being concerned about having people running things who seem afraid of—or at least uninterested in—long-term commitments and taking on the tedious responsibilities of adulthood. Are we condemned to be governed in the future by selfie-taking, hyper-tweeting, self-fixated, overly-sensitive, perpetual teenagers?

Or am I just being overly pessimistic, like members of all passing generations have been? As Cicero once said somewhere: “Our father’s race more versed in wickedness than were their sires have begotten us, a race more wicked still, duly to beget a even more wicked race.”

Maybe it’s just inevitable that older generations find younger ones to be incomprehensible.  I'm sure that millennials find me fairly incomprehensible as well. 

59 comments:

  1. Wow! How insulting can you be towards the poor millennial generation! Just because college students today can't live without their cell phones doesn't mean that they are incapable of intimacy or taking on adult responsibilities. I think that you are unfairly prejudiced against millennials because you don't really get them at all!

    The anti-Mike

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    1. anti-mike, all though you are arguing against the generalizations that Mr. Russo is making, you yourself are making generalizations! Shame on you my friend! I don't know about you but if prompted to i can sure live without my cell phone!
      - Ryan M.

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    2. MakeMillenialsGreatAgainSeptember 21, 2016 at 12:20 PM

      Ryan, you mention the generalizations that Mike makes, yet you fail to identify what they are and why they are problematic.

      And why do you have to be prompted to live without your cell phone? Can you not do it of your own accord?

      Delete
  2. Yes, I agree that occasionally students are tempted to use technology more often than previous years may have, however most students, with the ease of use at all times of the day, it could be considered more common to wait until after class. If it takes a student lets say twenty seconds to answer a text, they will have more time to get to their next class, whereas a student from years ago with a nine key keyboard would be hesitant to answer a message between classes because it would take longer. In fact, I have noticed that in sixth grade when I had received my first cell phone, I was more likely to take out my phone than now, with my Iphone.

    -Matt G

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    1. I disagree, I feel like people spend more time looking at their phones than they did a few years ago, especially if they have a smart phone. Smart phones have more features and things to stay updated on which causes more time spent on them.
      Michael V

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    2. MakeMillenialsGreatAgainSeptember 21, 2016 at 12:32 PM

      Matt, let's be honest, here. When you receive a text in class, is your instinct to leave it until after/in between your classes? I'd wager not. Therefore, how "could it be considered more common to wait until after class"? In fact, your final point (that you are more inclined to take out your iPhone now more frequently than you were to take out your first cell phone in sixth grade) just further demonstrates:

      1) The invalidity of your first point because students do not wait until they're not in class to check their phones.
      2) The millennial mentality of instant gratification that informs a shallow, easily addicted culture.

      Delete
    3. MakeMillenialsGreatAgainSeptember 21, 2016 at 12:35 PM

      Michael, I also agree with this observation but your comment leaves me wondering where you stand on this issue. Is the increase of time spent looking at phones a good or bad thing?

      Delete
    4. It can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing, depending on the situation at hand. But generally speaking, I would say the increase of time spent looking at phones is a bad thing because it is a distraction from what is going on at that moment.
      Michael V

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  3. Although millennials are known to be less engaged in the present moment, every generation has had negative characteristics used to describe them. Every generation will have positive attributes as well as negative attributes. I believe this article is overly pessimistic and that at the end of the day our government will continue to move forward just as we have over the course of our entire history. Michael V

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    1. I agree, most generations, as they begin to see the changes of new generations, would consider them to be negative changes.
      -Matt G

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgainSeptember 15, 2016 at 11:51 AM

      To your credit, you identify that there are strengths and weaknesses of all generations. But that’s about as good as your comment gets. You have stated that you believe “this article is overly pessimistic and that at the end of the day our government (which isn’t even the issue at hand) will continue to move forward,” but you have not stated WHY you believe these ideas. Simply stating that progress will continue because it always has is either a fallacious appeal to tradition or the fallacy of begging the question. In the case of the former, you’re either saying that things will improve (which is a vague statement) because they historically have, or as in the case of the latter, you’re saying that things will improve because they will improve (which is a pointless redundancy). Perhaps it’s a bit of each. I don’t know. I’m tired. Take your pick.

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    3. Mr. Russo stated, "I’ve been wondering what it will be like to have adults with these sorts of tendencies running the country in the future.", so the affect of the characteristics of millennials on society is very relevant. The way that the government is setup is one of the reasons for its success, not necessary the people running it. That is why under poor leadership the US has thrived as well as under great leadership. Our past performance in that area can be used to project future success. As times goes on the strengths and weaknesses will change just as they have over the course of history.
      Michael V

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  4. Mr. Russo while the article itself is well written, i believe you are making many stereotypes about my (also your own) generation. I myself do not "take selfies" and "hyper-tweet" and i'm sure many of my friends don't. In your own words you've made a "hasty generalization" which in many cases is incorrect. Us millennials are unique and don't fall into any sort of category. But to your generations credit, we are the way we are because of your generation's careful raising
    -Ryan M.

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    1. I totally agree, there are individuals in every generation that refuse to work and are unwilling to make connections with people, instead relying on other mediums of communication. I think Mr. Russo allowed the bad apples to define this entire generation. Keenan

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    2. First off, I believe you should probably be sure you capitalize your I's. Second, a hasty generalization is not entirely incorrect because it may provide insight into another point of view. While there isn't much evidence to support it, a hasty generalization may be useful, and they are logical fallacies.
      -Matt G

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    3. I agree that us millennials are unique and don't fall into simple categories.

      -Marsha

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    4. Ryan I agree that he may be generalizing and I myself do not "selfie". I do believe though that these generalizations are warranted. While neither you or I do not "selfie", I would argue that at least 75 percent of our generation does. While there are a few people in our millennial, similar to you and I, I do believe that the statements are true for at least 75 percent of our generation.

      Delete
    5. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      @Anonymous,
      1) How is Mike making stereotypes about his own generation? His bulleted points were from Douthat, not merely his own observation.
      2) “Us millennials” (your words, not mine) is a phrase that you just used to categorize yourself as a member of (and perhaps spokesperson for) the millennial generation. So you quite plainly contradict yourself in your expression of the idea that your generation does not fall into any sort of category, which is false nonetheless.
      3) Blaming the generation which preceded yours does nothing to address the innumerable problems of the millennial mentality. In fact, it only serves to demonstrate the uncanny proclivity that millennials have for passing the buck.

      Delete
    6. Dear MakeMillenialsGreatAgain,
      You sir/mam, have it all wrong. I may have faulted in saying that Mr. Russo is "making" these generalizations but he is still playing into them which is just as bad. Just because Ross says these things does not make them true. Yes, I did say "us millennials" because we are still a group. A group in which you are un-able to categorize. Kinda like the miscellaneous category on Jeopardy! And lastly, I am not blaming Mr. Russo's generation, I am simply thanking him for the wonderful characteristics his generation has passed down to some of us. Great name BTW.

      -Ryan M.

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  5. Although I think it is valid to say that millennials rely too much on their cell phones, it is important to point out that they can be used to access and share vital information. People nowadays are better connected, which will be immensely important when it comes time for this generation to run this country because they can speak to people across the world instantaneously. I don't think it is valid to assume that this generation would abandon responsibilities just because the going gets tough, there are still numerous individuals who are willing to work hard to make a difference. There are people in every generation who are unwilling to work hard, just because that percentage of individuals may be higher, it is not the entirety of this generation. Keenan

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    1. Cassidy
      I agree with what you say about people being better connected nowadays. This day and age , especially in the business world, is all about networking and who you know.

      Delete
    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Russo cites statistics to demonstrate that in fact Millennials are taking their responsibilities less seriously than other generations. He's using statistics to back up his claim...all you're using is anecdotal evidence, which is meaningless.

      Delete
    3. According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials are on track to become the most educated generation in American history. This fact would not be characteristic of a group that refused to take responsibilities seriously because the biggest responsibility during your first years on this earth is to receive an education. As of 2008, 39.6% of Americans aged 18 to 24 were enrolled in college according to census data (Pew research Center).
      http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change/
      Keenan Loder

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  6. Ryan L

    I disagree with this piece, because of some of the points is presents. The millennial generation uses technology more than the generation preceding them, but I do not believe this is a bad thing, or that this is causing negative tendencies. The phones and technology are new methods of communication for our generation. There are extremes for everything, and being totally out of touch with the world in favor of the phones is bad, but the millennial generation will definitely use this kind of technology for, as this is what is available to us. The generation who has criticisms about us using this technology is the same one who introduced it to us and is selling it to us. As our generation grows older we will mature just as the baby boomers did. We learn as functioning adults how to use things in moderation, like cell phones and technology. No generation of teenagers has ever been enthusiastic about taking on adult responsibilities, but eventually they always do. Every generation has been skeptical of the last as we progress, but the world hasn't fallen apart yet, and I don't believe it will happen because of millennials.

    -Ryan L

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    1. I agree with your response. I believe that we should use the technology that is available to us, but also that we should not overuse it which could cause us to lose touch with society or others around us. I believe that can be applied to anything, as long as technology use is applied in moderation then it is okay.
      Nick

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgainSeptember 15, 2016 at 11:54 AM

      The idea that “moderation is key,” which is almost a cliché at this point, is easy to throw around in discussing the way that things could and should be. But the problem is that millennials lack the discipline to live out these words. If I were to challenge you all to put down your damn phones for a month, (some of you wouldn’t even last a week), and even if, in some extraordinary exception, any of you were successful, that would have only been to prove me wrong. Being motivated by spite, as the immature often are, is not the same as healthfully recognizing that there is a problem and taking the steps necessary to resolving it. Your refusal to admit that there even is a problem only serves to epitomize this generation of excuses and entitlement.

      Delete
  7. I find that the article is extremely bias with only your opinion to back up your thoughts. It would have been good idea to get other peoples opinion's that counter your own and prove why they are wrong. The article has more of a lecture feel about why millennials are inferior to previous generations. You have not persuaded me to think any differently about the way I see millennials.

    Tim M

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    1. Tim, I agree with you when you say that his stance is very bias. He only used his own opinions and thought which makes a very weak argument. His argument could have been improved if he had examples or opinions from other people or facts about millennials.

      Michael B

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgainSeptember 15, 2016 at 11:56 AM

      I’d like to thank you both for your mediocrity. You each correctly identified the noun “bias” yet fail to use the proper pejorative adjective “biased,” but what else should we expect from millennials? Each comment authored by a millennial on this thread clearly demonstrates that millennials lack the skills of (cultural) literacy. This is indeed because they’d rather waste hours mindlessly scrolling through Twitter memes and Vines instead of productively expanding their minds by reading novels or engaging in any other sort of thought-provoking activity. Subsequently, any attempts at argument rarely go beyond a shallow expression of opposition. In fact, millennials here have proven that they are unable to fully develop an argument and sustain a flow of ideas for anything beyond the bare minimum. You both suggest improvements for the author’s arguments, yet audaciously—no doubt, thanks to your false sense of entitlement—provide no arguments of your own. It’s easy to just sit around and point out what looks wrong, or state that you’re not persuaded. But it’s lazy to do only that and not engage with the ideas on an intellectual level of critical analysis.

      Delete
    3. @MakeMillennialsGreatAgain, The most ironic thing about your comment is you did exactly what you told me not to do. You suggesting improvements without having an argument. On top of that Michael S. Russo clumped 20 years of people into one opinionated statement. Generalizing is never okay whether it be by age, gender, race, or religion. There are always going to be outliers no mater what group of people you select. Even if this generalization were true, which it is not, there is no set age for the term "millennials." As time goes on they keep increasing the ages of these so called "millennials."
      Tim M

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  8. I think that your view on millennials and younger generations is a very common view by older people of their younger generations. Older people are always talk about how their life was when they were children and they always say that it is much better. But they are very bias in saying this. They are just afraid of the changing world and they wish that our lives would be more similar to theirs. Sure their is many things about our generation that might cause some concern to people but their are many benefits of technology and how connected our world is.

    -Michael B

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    1. I agree with your comment. Every generation has the tendency to judge the generation that comes after them.

      Tim M

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Michael, so if I understand you correctly, you’re suggesting that your professor’s criticism of millennials is due to his belonging to a different, older generation? Is this suggestion made in order to further suggest that the criticism is prejudicial, or otherwise invalid? If so, you have not argued for why that is the case, and you have merely stated your opinion/observation that the members of older generations (whom you generalize) are blinded by fear of a changing world, which is not even a correct statement, anyway. Not all members of older generations are anti-Progressivism. For example, look no further than tweets from Senator Elizabeth Warren or Jill Stein, who are both members of the baby boomer generation, and yet are among the most “progressive” citizens in America today.

      And finally, a few grammar notes (because grammar is important—without clear writing that follows the rules of written speech, and assuming that readers can even make sense of grammatically incorrect arguments, one’s ethos is diminished as (s)he tries to make a persuasive set of statements), and I cannot encourage you enough to proofread before posting:

      There were a bunch of mistakes, so I’ve indicated corrections with brackets []

      1) “Older people are always talk[ing] about how their [lives] were when they were children and they always say that [they were] much better.”

      2) I find myself, once again, correcting a misuse of the noun “bias” in place of the adjective “biased.” Positive: you’re not alone in making this mistake. Negative: Why is this mistake so common among you millennial commenters?

      3) “Sure[, there are] many things about our generation that might cause some [people to be concerned. But there] are many benefits of technology [due to] how connected our world is.”

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    3. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain, I think that my professor is only thinking about the negatives of our society. He isn’t thinking about how easy technology makes our lives and how much more efficient we will be by using technology. Through the use of technology, we can be connected with people all over the whole in seconds which opens the door to many new opportunities. He has many concerns about how people don’t want to grow up and accept the responsibilities of adulthood but this isn’t a new problem. People in the 1960’s didn’t want to accept the responsibility of being an adult. Instead, they decided to be rebellious and do drugs and be free from the world. People from this Hippie generation eventually accepted the responsibilities of adulthood and now they are normal people of society. There are always people of the older generation that have negative views of the younger generation. The reason for this is because they are neglecting to think about when they were younger.

      Delete
  9. I agree with the piece for the most part, especially the aspect of the piece addressing the abilities of students in this generation. Students of this millennial tend to be so focused on specialization and their future careers that they have no need for other subjects that may distract them from this future career. When in fact it may not distract them from this career, but rather a more well- rounded person, who is able to quickly adjust to different situations and problems. Despite the abilities of this millennial to be more understanding of diversity, they seem to have a completely closed mind to anything that challenges their main focus or career. They are also unable to accept any closed mindedness.- Pat Kennedy

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    1. You're not agreeing with the piece "for the most part"; you're agreeing with it entirely, which is the easy way out. So, I'll have to critique your idea that millennials are fixated on their future careers: in fact, millennials seem even confused about their career goals than previous generations. That's why there's a rise in "undeclared" majors in colleges and why they have such a difficult time launching a serious career after college.

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    2. The above is from MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

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    3. You agree with Mr. Russo as well, are you taking the easy way out as well? I would like to see the statistics on undeclared majors.

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  10. Cassidy B.
    Millennials are a new generation that are different than others in the past. This is because of the advancements in technology and the huge influence they play. Influences don't necessarily have to take on a negative connotation like cyber bullying. It can influence one to stay in contact, make new network connections, which without the availability of technology, would not happen. People can be afraid of change especially older people from past generations who think things are the best the way they are. Sometimes change needs to take place. The advancements and the influence technology has and will continue to have in the world and on daily lives is an enormous change. This is a change that is evolving through and at the hands of millennials. People cannot doubt and judge the whole millennial generation on young teenagers who are obsessed with their image and how many "likes" they get. Older millennials and more mature use it to try and help build their image and networking in the work force to advance themselves for the best.

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    1. I agree with what you said, and believe that networking is an important part of our world and phones are a tool to make that happen. Technology will also keep changing as the years go on and will continue as you said.
      -RyanL

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      So you're implying that the critique of millennials simply represents the irrational fears of old people who are just afraid of change. Could it be that these "older people" actually see a problem that is affecting the millennial generation and are trying to address it?

      You also imply that there is a benefit to staying in contact (i.e., connected). But if the mode of contentedness is shallow and actually leads to greater isolation is that really advantageous?

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  11. I don't think that you overlooked the fact that millennials are more appreciative of diversity,are less prone to racism, sexism, homophobia, etc with the fact that some may have shorter attentions spans or supposedly have less ambition to be fair. The factors that the current generations are beginning to overlook were a part of society and hurt thousands of people (i.e. racism and homophobia)for hundreds of years. The current generation beginning to accept others and work more towards unity than any other generation before us have done and the only thing that is being weighed heavily is the way we use technology, which has also aided in medical research and helped save thousands, if not millions of lives. I would rather be a part of a society that may lack some attention span, but we are not preventing people from living their own lives freely as was done in previous decades.

    - Marsha

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    1. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Marsha, your comment was a bit difficult to read. I kindly request that you proofread and revise. For instance, if you think that Mike did not overlook this fact (“that millennials are more appreciative of diversity”), then there was no need to defend it. And indeed, he did not overlook it, he gave due attention to it in a very balanced manner. But if I understand your argument, you suggest that one “con” of the millennial generation (shorter attention-span) is insignificant when contrasted with the con (intolerance) of other generations. I would agree that one offense is more overtly problematic than the other, but I take issue with a few things in your argument:

      1) You chose to focus on this one “con” alone and ignored the others, which you cannot do if you want to address the author with a full, developed response. The problems that Mike states are more than just “short attention span.” What do you think about those others and why did you choose to not respond to them? (I think I know the answer to that last question: you chose to focus on just this one minor aspect because it was convenient to you to ignore the rest).

      2) Your statement suggests an apathy, even an acceptance of this shortcoming with no desire for improvement. This further exemplifies the “bare minimum” attitude that is all too common in millennials. In essence, you suggest that “yeah, we have this bad thing about us, but it could be worse, so who cares?” Do you see no issue with this way of thinking?

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    2. I put majority of my focus on one topic because I thought it was the most important and that it shouldn't be overlooked. I do not believe that my comment exemplified the "bare minimum" attitude that you suggested it did. There is something wrong with that mindset but I don't believe that I portrayed that in my original comment.
      -Marsha

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  12. First off I agree that millennial students have become more accepting to different beliefs and ideas that other generations would never accept. But on the other hand I strongly disagree with you and here are the reasons why? People have always been scared to "pass the torch" onto the next generation when dealing with running the country and world. I disagree that my generation is having more trouble relating to other humans beings in an intimate and personal way. Very few people can say that can relate to their parents or parents generation. Now a days people don't want to give power to people who take selfies, tweet and are oversensitive; but if I can recall no one wanted to give power to people to with mullets and those who engage in free love (hippies).

    Nick

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    1. Although I agree with your first statement that passing down the torch would be scary for any generation (with good reason, they did see us grow up) I disagree with your claim that because the generation with mullets and hippies turned out ok that we will too. Just because a generation that advocated bad haircuts and free love turned into an ok group in leadership roles does not mean that the generation that takes personal offense to everything and has to post about everything they do will as well. More specifically towards being overly sensitive it would be disastrous to put any oversensitive person in power as in any role their view can be challenged and it is up to them to not take personal offense to it(which in most cases they will).

      Matthew V.

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    2. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Nick,
      In addition to Matthew’s reply, your comment left me wondering why you disagree about the millennial inability for relating with other humans. I think (although I am not sure) that your reason for disagreeing was that “very few people” relate to generations other than their own. I will disagree with that claim, not just because it Is vague and unsupported, but also because there has been research done to prove that millennials struggle with interpersonal relation in a way that members of other generations don’t. Mike cited statistics from the New York Times article that began this thread as one such piece.

      Delete
    3. I still strongly disagree with your accusation. When you said "there has been research done to prove that millennials struggle with interpersonal relation in a way that members of other generations don’t", this is just another attempt of an older generation trying to gang up on a younger generation to make themselves seem better. I can prove that the research is bias with a quote form the late journalism professor Ms. Margaret A. Blanchard who once said “Parents and grandparents who lead the efforts to cleanse today’s society seem to forget that they survived alleged attacks on their morals by different media when they were children. Each generation’s adults either lose faith in the ability of their young people to do the same or they become convinced that the dangers facing the new generation are much more substantial than the ones they faced as children.” I believe that we are just in another vicious cycle and it will never end until we learn how to accept the next generation as being different; and understand it doesn't matter how different they are because we know that they will still turn out to be successful.
      -Nick

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  13. Quite frankly I find the first three statements of this article to be completely false. I believe that if anything this generation has an increase in people that drink, smoke, do drugs, etc. Technology has influenced us, we grew up with technologies that nobody before us had experienced therefore we obtained affinities for it which also became a dependency as we grew up with it. This generation has definitely been more open to new ideas and views and I believe this is due to the access we have to said information through technology. Matthew V

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    1. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Matthew V., so even if you disagree with the statistics presented to you about smoking/drinking/etc., you still agree with Mike’s overall sentiment in authoring this piece? In other words, you seem to think that millennials do, in fact, have these issues (even if they have the tolerance that is afforded by their technological proficiency) and that it may be troubling for society.

      Delete
    2. The sentiment that I would be agreeing with is that his knowledge of this generation is correct, which I do not I believe it is incorrect. I agree with the fact that we do these things but we do not do them to excess which is not troubling to society. Matthew V

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  14. I agree that there were many stereotypes but because so many of us do fall into that, it is fair to make that fight. I feel I am the opposite of those millennials but I see all around me, especially in middle school and high school that too many fall into the phone addicted category. Sami

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    1. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Sami, please develop your comment. Where you stand is unclear. Do you think that these problems which afflict millennials may threaten future progress? And you seem to think that you’re an exception. Why?

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    2. My position is that millennials are irresponsible and technology obsessed. They spend too much time on social media rather than using technology to gain useful knowledge. They rely on communication through text so they have difficulty with small talk. I think these problems will threaten future progress because millennials wont be abl to communicate effectively. They will fail on job interviews and will be to shy and socially awkward that businesses will look for those few millennials who are the opposite. I think I am an exception because I can live without my phone. Many kids arent able to put their phones down and it really hinders them.

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  15. I agree in that millennials today have less personal relationships than the previous generation. I find that for teenagers today, even the mere idea of having a conversation more than "What's up" is a struggle. For this generation, interpersonal contact was never forced on us, because we never had to live in a world without the ability to text someone instead of speaking to them in person. I think an example that furthers my point is birthdays. I found throughout the past few years that every year on my birthday, I would get tweets and Facebook messages from people who I had spoken to face to face no more than once or twice, and vice versa (I would do the same). However, it's rare to receive even phone calls for your birthday nowadays, except from grandparents, much less actually saying it in "real life." The convenience of technology and social media has negatively influenced the communication and interpersonal skills of millennials.

    -- Taylor

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    1. MakeMillennialsGreatAgain

      Taylor, I agree with your comment, but I pose the same question to you that I did for Sami^ above. Do you think that these problems which afflict millennials may threaten future progress?

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    2. I do think that these problems will threaten future progress. If a majority of a generation cannot communicate well with others face to face, how are they supposed to eventually get jobs and even excel in the workplace. The advancements in technology may not be advancements for humans, because it is setting back our communication skills. Taylor

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  16. It is quite possible that you are being overly pessimistic, like members of all passing generations have been. It is also possible that your millennial students have more to their lives than what you see during the hours you spend with them.

    I myself am a millennial and I have witnessed the characteristics you describe of my peers. It is true that most young people seem to lack depth. I connect with people on various levels and find myself to be different from other millennials. However, I refrain from judgement.

    I have hope that at least a portion of my generation is real, full of emotion, and tangible connections.

    In regards to the effects us millennials will have on the world to come - I can not predict the outcome. But if our generation makes you fear the future, what are Trump and Clinton saying about the past?

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