Buzz
As per Pew Research, millennials are individuals born between 1981 and 1997. This generation followed Generation X, a group raised amidst a rapid technological revolution. The media often dubs them the 'worst generation in history.'
Even though millennials represent the largest portion of the workforce and may be the most numerous generation overall, they’re highly unpopular, frequently unhappy, burdened with debt, and often portrayed in a negative light. While their experiences differ, here are 10 general reasons why being a millennial feels particularly tough.
10. Constantly Being Told Their Lives Are Miserable
Unlike previous generations such as the Baby Boomers (1946–64), the Silent Generation (1928–45), the Greatest Generation (before 1928), or even Generation X (1965–80), millennials are relentlessly criticized by the media for having miserable lives. Why? According to the media, it’s because millennials themselves are the problem.
The media portrays millennials as narcissistic, entitled, lacking entrepreneurial drive, and accuses them of everything from ruining the economy to even destroying the NFL. The outrageous claims made about millennials often exceed the bounds of satire. For example, one basketball coach recently blamed his team’s poor performance on 'Millennial culture'—and not his own coaching failures.
Millennials are not only blamed for their impact on sports and everyday life, but many critics, like the author of a New York Times article, equate the term 'millennial' with 'hipster.' While many millennials fit the hipster stereotype, just as many would rather avoid any association with the 'flannel-wearing' crowd. Yet, these alternative narratives often get overlooked in favor of negative generalizations about an entire generation.
The media's tendency to overreact is nothing new. For instance, Generation X’s apathy once caused a media frenzy. However, the shortcomings of Generation X were attributed to external influences like satanic rock music, MTV, and drugs. Millennials, on the other hand, are told that their struggles are simply the result of being millennials.
9. Some of the Criticism Actually Has Merit
Not all criticisms of millennials are entirely baseless. While many of the critiques are exaggerated, there is evidence showing that millennials (as a group) do differ from earlier generations in significant ways. Some of these differences can be viewed as negative.
The most concerning criticisms relate to materialism and work ethic, often grouped under the label of 'entitlement.' Studies on millennials who came of age before the 2008 financial crisis revealed extremely high levels of materialism, alongside a notable tendency to avoid hard work. Data from the Monitoring the Future survey, conducted annually in US high schools since 1976, showed that 25% of baby boomers admitted that 'not wanting to work hard' might hinder them from securing a job. For millennials, this figure rose to 39%.
This is a significant increase, and it coincided with another key change. Millennials, along with Generation X, exhibited materialism at historically high levels. Research supports the idea that millennials place greater value on money, image, and fame than on self-acceptance or community. This focus on material gain could explain the generation’s notably low levels of civic engagement.
Much of this can likely be attributed to the dual impact of advertising and economic downturns. One study pointed out that people born during times of economic uncertainty tend to prioritize material goods more. The same study also highlighted that a large portion of the US economy is geared toward advertising, which traditionally contributes to heightened materialism and a sense of entitlement.
On a brighter note, a 2010 Pew Research study revealed that millennials are more confident, optimistic, and open to change than any other generation.
8. Millennials Acknowledge This Criticism
When people accuse your generation of being wasteful, immature, entitled, and basically full of jerks, the usual reaction is to defend your generation by saying, 'No, we’re not.' Most of us tend to stand up for our 'tribes,' whether they’re as specific as a family or as broad as a nationality or generation. But millennials are different. If you tell them they’re awful, they’re more likely to agree with you.
In a Pew Research poll conducted in mid-2015, respondents from each generation were asked to rate themselves on both negative and positive traits. When baby boomers were asked if their generation was self-centered and wasteful, only 20 percent said 'yes.' But among millennials, that figure surged to nearly 60 percent. Additionally, 43 percent of millennials called their generation 'greedy,' while only 36 percent classified themselves as 'hardworking.' Even Generation X, known for their apathy, had more than half of its members describe themselves as hard workers. In contrast, baby boomers and the Silent Generation had an extremely positive view of themselves.
Pew didn’t speculate on why millennials tend to rate their generation more negatively than others, but they did note an intriguing related finding: 60 percent of millennials surveyed didn’t consider themselves to be millennials. Much like how no one will openly admit to being a hipster, being a millennial might be seen as something of a stigma.
7. A Significant Number of Millennials Struggle with Mental Health Issues
No generation is exempt from mental health challenges. People from all age groups, from the stoic Silent Generation to the outgoing millennials, experience mental health struggles. However, there are indications that millennials might be facing these challenges more intensely. In 2014, experts started raising alarms about what was termed a 'college student mental health crisis.'
Of course, not every millennial is a college student, but the mental health issues observed in college students overwhelmingly involved millennials, suggesting a generational trend. The most common issue was anxiety. A 2013 study found that 57 percent of women and 40 percent of men on college campuses had dealt with episodes of 'overwhelming anxiety' in the past year. It’s important to note that this anxiety isn’t just general worry, but a debilitating, irrational panic that can significantly disrupt daily life. Similarly, about a third of students reported feeling so depressed that it interfered with their ability to function.
The situation off-campus isn’t much better. Millennials have the highest levels of perceived stress compared to any other generation. Their suicide rate is also rising, reversing the long-standing trend of declining suicide rates among young people. Currently, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for millennials.
It’s worth considering that these findings might be exaggerated. Some argue that millennials are simply more open about their struggles than previous generations. Others question the validity of the statistics. Regardless, there remains a widespread perception of mental health issues within the millennial generation, a perception that seems nearly impossible to shake.
6. Many Millennials Have Unrealistically High Expectations
As we grow up, many of us develop firm expectations about what life will bring. For the baby boomer generation, the belief was that hard work would pay off with satisfying rewards. When the booming US economy exceeded their expectations, it resulted in greater happiness.
Millennials face the opposite issue. Raised by baby boomer parents to believe they would surpass their own parents’ achievements, millennials developed unrealistically high expectations that couldn’t be met, even in a thriving economy. Additionally, many millennials entered the workforce during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
The outcome was that many young people not only failed to meet their expectations, but fell so far short of their goals that they began to view themselves as failures. Part of this is rooted in our culture’s emphasis on individuality and self-fulfillment. As noted by the Harvard Business Review in 2012, the frequency of the phrase 'follow your passion' in books and articles surged just as millennials were reaching adulthood.
Around the same time, the notion of 'a secure career' faded in favor of the idea of 'a fulfilling career.' This shift led many millennials to grow up believing they could pursue any career they desired, enjoy it, and make a substantial income. Moreover, a significant number felt that taking a mundane but stable job was a betrayal of their own values. Many are now facing the harsh reality of how difficult this idealistic vision is to attain.
5. They’re Confronting Intense New Social Issues
Each generation faces its own set of emerging social challenges. By any measure, the issues millennials are grappling with are particularly unique. Due to ongoing social change, many young people today are finding it more difficult than ever to navigate life.
One of the most striking issues has been the merging of traditionally 'male' and 'female' struggles. For decades, women have been forced to contend with unrealistic beauty standards, while men were largely untouched by such pressures. Today, equality has been achieved, but that doesn't mean we've stopped encouraging teenage girls to despise their bodies. Now, teenage boys are also being made to hate themselves.
Male millennials might be the first generation of men to struggle with significant body image issues. A study from the University of West England revealed that men are now more likely than women to experience anxiety about their appearance, though most are reluctant to admit it. This issue often manifests in extreme behaviors, such as dangerously high levels of steroid use, as young men pursue the 'ideal' body.
However, it's not as though millennial women have it easy. There are indications that the wage gap between men and women may actually be growing for the first time in years, even among young, highly educated women. This is particularly troubling because educated young women should be benefitting from the equality movement, enjoying well-paying careers. That they are not is baffling.
And then there’s the issue of online harassment. While research shows that both men and women experience online abuse in similar amounts, millennial women are more likely to face particularly malicious forms of harassment, such as stalking and sexual abuse, than any other demographic.
4. They’re Confronting a Crazy New Job Market...
After the 2008 financial crash, the economy experienced one of its most significant shifts since unions fell out of favor. We transitioned from a world where people were expected to hold just a few jobs throughout their lives, to one where individuals may have dozens or even hundreds of jobs.
This shift is known as the gig economy, and it's incredibly unstable. Instead of holding a steady job at a taxi service, individuals are now more likely to sign up for Uber and work whenever they can. Additionally, they might also be delivering food on-demand using the same car, while renting out their spare room on Airbnb. Though this lifestyle can generate substantial income, the lack of personal days, health insurance, and job security is a frightening prospect.
To be clear, this way of life works well for some people. For instance, most of the writers at Mytour are freelancers, and they enjoy this arrangement. (How many people at the Times newsroom can write articles while lounging in their pajamas?) However, for many others, this lifestyle is less than ideal, and they have little choice in the matter.
By some estimates, one-third of the US workforce is now part of the low-security, no-benefits gig economy. In the UK, zero-hours contracts, where employees only work (and get paid) if their employer needs them that day, are rapidly becoming more common. For young people entering the workforce with no savings, this can lead to an extremely unstable situation. If you break a leg playing football or fall ill with a prolonged sickness, you'll watch your job, income, and future prospects vanish.
3. The Recession Still Haunts
During the peak of the Great Recession, unemployment rates for individuals aged 18–29 soared to 37 percent, marking the highest level in that age group in over three decades. This demonstrates just how severely millennials were impacted by the financial crash.
Although the recession has thankfully ended, those who graduated during that turbulent period will continue to feel its repercussions for many years to come. Studies show that entering the job market during a downturn can lead to long-lasting effects on career growth and earnings, lasting up to 15 years.
These lingering effects are numerous. In terms of wages, graduates who enter the workforce during times of high unemployment tend to earn significantly less over the course of their lives than those who graduate during a stronger economy. Other studies reveal that starting your first job in a recession can severely limit future job prospects. For reasons not entirely understood (perhaps due to a lack of experience in early career years or a tendency to be risk-averse in uncertain markets), those who begin their careers during a downturn often find it difficult to transition into higher-paying roles later on. This can lead to career stagnation and limited earning potential.
The lasting impact of the Great Recession may be so profound that some experts are already referring to millennials as the “Lost Generation,” a term that harks back to the generation that came of age during World War I amidst unprecedented destruction. Whether or not this label holds true, it's undeniable that millennials drew the short straw. Baby boomers and Generation X set the stage for a catastrophic economic collapse, and millennials were the ones who had to face the consequences. No wonder being a millennial often feels like a raw deal.
2. Their Personal Debt Is Out Of Control
In the future, historians might look back on this era and dub it the Age of Debt. Credit card debt sparked the economic boom, while mortgages played a role in its collapse. And now, debt defines millennials to such an extent that the Wall Street Journal recently declared, 'Millennials and debt go hand-in-hand.'
Research suggests that up to two-thirds of millennials are burdened by at least one long-term debt, with 30 percent carrying two or more. Among college graduates, that number soars to 81 percent. While this might not be a huge problem if finances were in order, the same studies show that money is a real concern. A majority of millennials report facing debt-related issues, with 54 percent of those over 30 expressing anxiety about repaying their student loans. This is hardly a foundation for a healthy financial future.
Debt impacts millennials in various ways. Credit card interest, late fees, and high-interest loans are all struggles for today's youth, and nearly a third of bank account holders report being overdrawn. Furthermore, only 8 percent of millennials are considered financially literate. As the Wall Street Journal aptly put it, 'They owe too much. They know too little.'
1. ...And That’s When They Can Get Jobs At All
The Great Recession technically ended in 2009, though it likely didn’t feel that way for many. While US unemployment hovered around 8 percent in early 2013, it has since dropped back to near pre-crash levels. There are now more jobs, more opportunities, and more money... unless you’re a millennial. Despite the overall economic recovery, young people continue to face significant challenges. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, even as other sectors improve.
In March 2015, the unemployment rate for individuals aged 20-24 in the US was 10 percent, a slight increase of 0.2 percent from January. By the end of the year, it was still lingering around 9.5 percent—an improvement, but still far below the national average of 5.1 percent. For certain minority groups, the outlook is even worse. In 2015, the unemployment rate for African Americans aged 20-24 reached 18.9 percent, and for those aged 16-19, it was a shocking 29.6 percent.
The good news is that long-term trends are improving. The bad news is that these improvements may come too late for many millennials. The youngest millennials are about to leave high school and enter college (as defined by Pew, the youngest turn 19 this year). While many will benefit from decreasing youth unemployment, the greatest advantages might go to the generation that follows them—unfortunately named Generation Z.
