I need a rant about millennials

[HanG77]

Okay, I may offend millennials but hear me out (and please, millennials, offer me an explanation as to why your generation do this)...I've just had a discussion with a millennial on a thread for a social media post showing the Tartan Army having a blast in Boston, her comment was about how it was "healing the millennials". I replied saying it's lovely for all generations to watch given how divisive the world is, and she said due to 9/11 millennials crave the world healing more. I get this a lot with millennials - like they think every cultural experience is about them or for them - even taking things that are from other generations and claiming it as their era - and they act like no other generation has had any big events to deal with. I argued the Lost Generation (world war) and Gen Z (being children/early adults when the whole world stopped) have had it worse out of all the living generations (in my opinion).

For context, I'm a British Gen X, also I have a lot of close millennial friends so it's not personal, it's about them as a collective. Also, this person was American - I think maybe the American nationalism adds to it (more so than with Brits of this generation).

Yes - it was one of those days when everyone remembers where they were, like Kennedy's assassination for a previous generation

Because the actions of the U.S. that followed had consequences for the whole world. The subsequent military campaign in Afghanistan, 7/7 terrorist attack. 9/11 claimed more British lives than any other terrorist attack. Arguably, it influenced Brexit due to the reactionary approach to security and sovereignty

I don't feel disenfranchised or resentful at all, I'm just a curious person and wanted people's take on why this happens. I don't see any other generation describe things widely as being a Boomer, Gen X or Gen Z thing so I'm just curious as to why it's something I've increasingly noticed Millennials do, that's all. The fact people are taking it personally is wild to me. If someone made a sweeping observation about Gen X I wouldn't take it as a personal attack - there's probably lots of weird shit we do as a generation that others are welcome to observe and ponder. As for the environment, Gen Z and their kids will be the ones dealing with it whilst we're all done, so I do feel mostly for them on that front.

Just wait until the covid generation grows up and start blaming covid for everything.

Because that’s how the media treated us when we were growing up. You can’t blame people for absorbing a message that was aggressively pushed on them through 9/11 and the 08 recession news.

Plus Gen Z doesn’t want the world to heal they want to watch it burn 😂

Yes, Gen Alpha certainly already moan about millenials IME as lots of them teach that generation and Gen Alpha will attribute certain behaviour to millenials, especially with the way they use social media.

They have already become adults, I have one but they don't talk about it.

Same, my niece is Gen Z and I feel for her. I think this is it too, when I was a kid the only time I heard the term 'Gen X' was in reference to the Douglas Coupland book and when I read it I didn't even register it referred to my generation or that it was meant to characterise me. It seems to be so talked about now, like you say, like we're all boxed into feeling or living a certain way based on what era we were born, rather than a collective of humans living at the same time (which is how I like to see it).

I meant the youngest ones.

I have young adults too and they don’t talk about it either.

They say she’s the voice of the millennials because she’s a bloody millenial 😂 She’s 35!

😂I can vouch for Gen Z taking no prisoners if my niece is anything to go by!

I saw someone talking about this the other day and it fascinated me.

Older millenials arguably had the best childhoods. And so far have had the shittest adulthoods.

Its an interesting juxtaposition.

It sounds like you have a particular bee in your bonnet about millennials, because they're the generation that came directly after you.

I don't know about that, I am a very old Millenial and have older siblings, I definitely remember in the early 90s a Gen x voice that felt they were hard done by in that the expectations of their Boomer parents were stuffy and boring. They were the generation that didn't want to be confined by those expectations of this linear experience of live e g. Get a good job, mortgage and settle down. Wasn't Grunge music reflective of that and there was even a book called Gen X moaning on about not being understood and the quite famous film- Reality Bites with Winoner Ryder and Ethan Hawke, it was supposed to capture the struggles of that generation.

I don’t really agree with what she said, but I’m assuming she is a younger millennial? Possibly born post 1990. 9/11 is probably the first big big news story that younger millennials will remember. I remember how shaken everyone at school was the next day. It also happened in the early days of rolling news coverage and the internet, so it was broadcast and covered in a way earlier events hadn’t been.

😂on Gen Z (I love that generation). I do remember at the time of 9/11 I had a boyfriend living in NYC (I was in London) and he told me there was so much propaganda and fear-mongering, in contrast when the tube bombings in London followed (admittedly a much smaller attack), everyone carried on the next day like nothing had happened, so perhaps my 9/11 example is a little unfair but its just the most recent example. I couldn't fathom why enjoying the World Cup was a Millennial thing!

Yes, I could see that happening I have a young one who was very young in COVID and I could see the Alpha generation bringing that up in the future!

Why shittest adulthood though?

I was a young child in the 80’s-E.T, Back to the future, freedom, outside all the time. Teen all through the 90’s-Rave, Nirvana, Brit pop, clubs, no social media…Freedom. 20’s in the 2000’s, social media, phones but not an overload, still some good music, free uni, able to get a mortgage

Personally feel it was the best of everything and feel very grateful, life pales in comparison and feel sad for Dd’s future (Alpha)

Exactly, as a millennial, I never even thought about it until it started being pushed by the media and we became known as ‘generation rent.’ There’s no doubt it’s been tough for lots of Millennials but I live in a million pound house with no family help. I know lots of millennials who are doing extremely well for themselves.

My parents were boomers but didn’t have a pot to piss in. I have friends of every generation but definitely have more in common with people born prior to 1990. I am not a fan of tech and the pushing of social media and self promotion. I could sit in a pub with people 30-40 years older than me and have more in common than someone in their 20s. There’s always exceptions of course.

Older millennials born in the early to mid 80s have it better than younger millennials as adults and there’s such a big difference between both ends they could be two different generations.

Millennials born in the early 80s reached adulthood when houses were still just about affordable. Those born in the early to mid 90s did not.

Older millennials experienced childhood and teenage years without the internet (a good thing imo). Younger milennials can only just remember life without it.

I don’t think the millennial group as a whole have had the ‘shittiest adulthood’ though. I think it’s worse for Gen Z - look at the number of NEETS and how hard it is to get a job. Rising student loans, insane house prices, covid disrupting their exams or start of their career etc etc.

Thank-you! Some folks on here seem to be taking my points personally but like you I have Millennials friends who I adore, it's just the cultural stealing (mainly on social media) I see a lot that's a little strange. I've seen the rave thing too! Also someone posted that Topshop was a Millennial thing and I remember going to Topshop as teen and being obsessed. It's silly things but I just don't understand why it happens. I'm reclaiming illegal raves and Topshop 😂

No, neither do I, but it's a trend I have seen repeatedly for years and I also see it within my own family (my elder sister and I are Gen X and the little one is a Millennial). I just decided to post the 9/11 / Millennial / World Cup example today as frankly I thought it was very odd and I was curious.

I well remember Thatchers two recessions. And even the preceding one caused by the Yom Kippur war. Boomers lived through all those recessions, including 2008. But they / we could always find a job ,even a crap one and a cheap place to rent so there was that. But after the last Thatcher / Major recession there was a long boom circa 94 to 2008. This gave Gen X a chance to get their feet under the table at least . While a degree still meant something. Now with AI the future could be very messy.

Yes Top shop! Def Gen X/Xennial-think Kate moss!

Do you think by "millennial trend" they mean stuff lots of millennials do? Rather than stuff millennials created?

Do you think, as well, that you just happen to be one of, and spend time with, those people who are buying into / falling for this intergenerational warfare crap? It's made up internet shite. I don't know anyone who describes themselves as "millennial/ gen x/ whatever". No one in real life thinks like this, surely?

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd be tempted to point out whoever made up this internet trend of tribal labelling for ages groups has done a great job making sure we're not talking about the social divides that actually exist and actually matter. Trillionaires and famines, anyone?