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Our generation gets a lot of shit from older people. This is fine, as being told that your age group is worthless by the people ahead of you is sort of a rite of passage. Every generation for thousands of years has been told by their elders that they’re lazy, entitled, and morally broken. I’m not going to complain too much about this. What I will say, however, is that I think our generation has the makings of the best generation in modern history. Read your hearts out, geezers.
1. Tolerance
It seems like each consecutive generation in the last few hundred years gets better at being decent to people. We went from slavery to Jim Crow to blatant racism to the Civil Rights Movement to “Blazing Saddles” to Barack Obama in not all that much time. And it’s not just racism. The general outlook of our age group is that you can be any race, gender, or sexuality, and it’s all fine as long as you’re not a douche. I obviously know that we still have to deal with some discrimination issues, but Millennials are significantly more likely to not concern themselves with things that were viewed as “the other” by previous generations. This is great, because you know what’s cooler than hating groups of people for ugly, stereotypical reasons? Being friends with them. Weird, I know.
2. Relationship With Technology
Every decade brings along new technology for young people to embrace and old people to reject. However, in the last 20 years or so, the advancement of technology has increased markedly. In my own memory, we’ve gone from cell phones being exciting things that only rich people had, to my dad impressing us with a car phone, to getting a Nokia brick at 15, to the iPhone coming out while I was in college. Now, just about everyone–even technology dummies–has a massive touch screen device that can surf the web, send emails, reserve a limo, track movements, and, oh yeah, call people. It’s like that big screen thing Tom Cruise used in “Minority Report,” only we don’t look nearly as cool when we use ours.
3. Love Of Learning
Don’t get me wrong. We all hated school just as much as our forefathers, but it seems like we enjoy knowing things. I find it strange that people older than us complain about how young people don’t read anymore. We read 10 times more than any generation before us–it’s just all online. Sure, we don’t read as much fiction, but it’s not like my aunt, who reads a new Agatha Christie novel every couple weeks, is expanding her mind. How many times have you gone to a Wikipedia article to look up something specific, only to emerge three hours later wondering what the hell happened? The Wikipedia spiral is the result of our generation’s curiosity. We actually like finding out new things. Everything is like this. It used to be that, if you liked sports, you just needed to know your team’s roster and have a decent understanding of everyone else in the league. Now we have advanced metrics, “off the court issues,” and 24/7 networks that discuss everything. And guess what? We can handle it, because we’re fucking champs. Am I wasting too much brain space reading Kirk Goldsberry’s Sloan Conference paper on EPV (expected possession value) and how it relates to NBA offensive schemes? Absolutely. But it’s not like I’m sitting around watching reality TV like everyone in his or her 50s thinks I am.
4. Music
“The crap young people listen to that they call ‘music’ is awful. It sounds like noise,” said every middle-aged guy with a slight buzz in the last hundred years. But guess what? Our music doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s awesome. Sure, most of the stuff that gets radio play is garbage, but my generation doesn’t even listen to the radio, so I’m not sure that’s on us. Because of music blogs, Spotify, and yes, our history of illegal downloading, we’re more music savvy than anyone ever. Let’s say you’re a 20-something reading Spin magazine in 1995 and the writer mentions that this new band sounds like they were influenced by a combination of The Replacements and Elvis Costello. Well, you’ve never really listened to either of those artists, so how do you track those two down to see if you agree with the writer? You have to go to the record store and pick up some of their music. And what if you buy the wrong album? What if you were told to check out Bob Dylan and you pick up “Down In The Groove” instead of “Blonde on Blonde”? You’re screwed. Now, if I read a reference to a band or want to track down an artist’s influences, I just hop online. Easy.
And that doesn’t even take into account the music being put out right now. Every generation since the ’60s has been dominated by rock and roll–until now. Rock music is no longer the biggest genre, which I think is the best thing that could’ve happened to music. Rock is so much better when it’s created out of the mainstream, for the music, not the money. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true. We have rock, rap, pop, Texas country, neo-R&B, and Skrillex. Sure, some of it sounds like Transformers fornicating in the bathroom of a Denny’s just outside El Paso, but sometimes I’m in the mood for that sort of music. And that’s the point.
5. Attitudes On Dating
You can date literally whoever you want, however you want, for as long as you want. The great thing about the tolerance I mentioned earlier is that you can walk around in public holding hands with whoever happens to strike your fancy, and you don’t have to worry about people murmuring about it. Some people our age want to get married and settle down, and it’s relatively easy for them to find each other now. Most people just want to date, but not commit to anything long term. Others just want to hook up–or as my buddy Watkins puts it, “raw dog some fuckin’ randos.” It’s all on the table, and it’s pretty easy to find someone who shares your outlook on dating, provided you have at least average looks and aren’t a crazy person. If you don’t meet that criteria, you’re just as screwed as you would’ve been in any other generation. That’s fine, though. You’ll learn how to accept it.
Respond
1. Tolerance — Is this some kind of joke?
The majority of millennials are liberal and liberal mellennials are some of the least tolerant people you’ll ever meet. Just tell one, for example, that you believe marriage should be between a man and a woman to see how tolerant they really are for yourself. They will treat you immediately like you’re Satan. So much for tolerance or “the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with” as Mr. Webster defines it, eh?
What a surprise that tolerant people would like you to be tolerant of gay people wanting basic rights such as marriage. Do you also get mad when minorities are “intolerant” towards racists?
You’re both sort of correct. Our generation, I would say, is more tolerant of different lifestyles. However, we aren’t exactly accepting of other people’s opinions, especially when they’re different from our own. It seems to be our way or the highway with us, but that’s true for people on both sides of the issues.
because opinions shouldn’t dictate people’s access to rights. ~everyone is entitled to their opinion~ but, not everyone’s opinion is right. some people’s opinions are dumb as fuck.
I’m not saying to accept someone’s opinion just because they have one. But it never hurts to listen and keep an open mind. That being said, just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you get to keep shoving it in other people’s faces.
agreed.
also people can’t seem to distinguish between their opinions and facts.
To infinity and beyond (way, way, way over your head) and you even threw in a red herring for good measure. Case in point.
Feel free to cool the jets my point flew on with the fun fact that I have nothing against gays getting married, it was only an example.
I know exactly what you meant, but it’s a stupid point to make and you know it. Feel free to continue thinking you’re enlightened for realizing that far-lefties and far-righties are just as annoying as the other, though.
One huge difference: half-drunk survivalists muttering to themselves in their favorite lazy-boys while watching Glen Beck aren’t blowing up my newsfeed by jumping on some Kony2012 style bandwagon of epic proportions every week.
I’m with you one the tolerance argument, but let’s slow down on the Glenn Beck shots. The guy is a genius who works harder than anyone in media/entertainment. What he has created in just a couple of years is nothing short of amazing.
Yeah, the guy is amazing from a zero to hero standard money wise buy you have to sell your soul to pull the shit he does on his followers.
No its an outstanding point. Tolerance is tolerating ALL people. The Phil Robertson example was perfect. Do I think Phil Robertson is anti-gay, somewhat. I think he is a good man, with good intentions, but follows the bible too literally. He never said he wants to kill or discriminate against gay people; he just said their lifestyle was a sin and found it disgusting and people excoriated him for homophobia (which isn’t the correct term). Hell, I find it disgusting. I also support gay marriage. So Maybe you should become a little more tolerant of the other side.
Didn’t he say Hurricane Katrina happened as punishment for gay people existing? If that’s not homophobia what is?
You guys are cute.
didn’t you say you were black once?
5 reasons good things against 1 thousand bad things about our generation. Political correctness, participation trophy generation, technology addiction (I am part of that), etc etc.
#1 is total BS. Our generation makes me think that freedom of speech may literally be hindered in the future. You can’t say anything without offending someone and causing serious backlash.
Randall, that is solid writing. Let all the over opinionated douche bags argue about #1, I knew what you meant.
We couldn’t care less what you are (race, gender, sexual preference, political preference), as long as you don’t shove it down our throats. You don’t think gay people should be allowed to get married? That’s cool, now let’s never talk about it again. You think feminism is about equality? Alright, glad to know that, let’s move on. That’s what it’s about. Don’t be an idealistic douche nugget, and most people will get along with you.
if we never spoke about social inequalities then the most important equal rights movements in history would have never happened.
I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a discussion. But if you fundamentally disagree with someone, then there’s a solid chance that discussion will become a fight where both people regurgitate facts and stats like it’s their job. Which isn’t fun for anybody. My point is, our generation realizes that people have different opinions on subjects, we just don’t want people shoving their opinion down our throats.
Calling BS on #1. Tolerant of what exactly? Race? Sexual preference? Okay, I’ll give you that. Everything else? Dream on. Trying explaining to your 20-something friends you have a concealed carry permit, and see who tolerates your lifestyle.
You need new friends, sir. In my core group of friends, not have a carry permit would make you an oddball; and we’re not backwoods inbreds. Doctors, lawyers, engineers and a banker – hardly the liberal-think stereotype of “uneducated people clinging to religion and firearms.”
Right on sir. Already done so. This is more of comparison between friends I met as a undergrad in an east coast state versus my current coworkers in a midwest state.
lol i seriously keep coming back to this because it’s so ridiculous. so you’re saying gun owners are more discriminated against than minorities and non cisgender/nonstraight people lmao.
It’s not discrimination. But think of it this way, let’s say a homosexual couple expressed an interest to get married or adopt/surrogate/IVF a child. Among millenials hardly anyone would express, “Why would you need to do that?!”
Contrast that with carrying a firearm on your person when you leave the house. Among millenials (especially those located on the east and west coasts), you will often hear “I know you are allowed to own a gun, but why do you need to carry it around all the time?!”
I don’t have ANY friends who have an issue with a concealed carry permit. I do have many friends who believe in a more stringent test for this right than a driving test. Most educated millennials have a very similar outlook.
Seems pretty tolerant to me.
it blows my mind that people don’t agree with this.
I wouldn’t give them race or sexual preference either. see this dude’s comment in the chik-fil-a post
https://pgparchive.wpengine.com/14-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-chick-fil-a/#comments
Are we still okay with sagging?
This country would be much better if this tolerance nonsense were done with. Everyone is tolerant until you disagree with them. Then you’re a racist or a jerk or something. Well I’m a Black Conservative who says Obama is a freaking joke of a President and my freedom of speech isn’t your freedom from being offended.
Your buddy Watkins sounds like a good time.
sadly all the comments just prove #1 totally, totally wrong.
Why? Because you disagree with their point of view?
because it’s showing how people are not “tolerant”…? yes i disagree with people who are radically intolerant and Othering. and i’m not tolerant of bigoted behavior and speech. So yeah, I’m not tolerant either.
also we shouldn’t aim to be “tolerant”, that’s sorry. We should aim for acceptance and understanding.
Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see anyone in these comments throwing out homophobic or racist comments. It seems the tolerance level in this conversation is quite high.
Tolerance is something we should aim for, but acceptance is a completely different subject. For example, I tolerate your progressive political views and stand by your right to have them, but that doesn’t mean I must accept them. Aiming for “acceptance” means diversity of thought and opinion is decreased, which is never a good thing.
lol refer to the top voted comment who believes minorities and the LGBT community has more rights than gun holders.
if “diversity of thought and opinion” equals the eradication or depletion of bigotry, racism, sexism, inequalities in general i’m fine with that.
No way are we the millennials, were the 90’s kids. Get your facts straight.