by Agrima Thakur
The world is falling apart. Picture this: fascist governments are rising in important democracies, the freedom of speech is being curbed, poverty is rising, education is still a dream for many, and those who are educated are unemployed or under-employed. A human-made monster called the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ continues to grow, every now and then an oil spill occurs in some part of the ocean and forest fires continue to endanger what limited flora and fauna are left on the planet. Sound familiar? Let’s dive in further. A pandemic has wreaked havoc; homophobia, patriarchy, and racism still prevail and the divide between the rich and poor continues to grow. In darker news, reports of ‘concentration- camps’ like establishments from one of the most powerful nations on the globe are coming up. People from war-torn, unsafe countries, wanting to escape their homeland for refuge, are being imprisoned and put in cages, having illegal hysterectomies being performed on them. This isn’t the plot of a dystopian novel; it’s the current reality of the world. There’s no silver lining in the cloud, and the world, indeed, is falling apart.
Who are the millenials
The above is what the average ranting millennial sounds like. Depending upon the reader’s age and level of social awareness, a prior question, ‘What is a millennial?’ becomes relevant. People born and living at about the same time period are grouped as a ‘generation’. There aren’t specific dates to distinguish between one generation and another, but mostly those people who can relate to each other in terms of experiences, ideas, problems, and attitudes tend to be from the same generation. The Millennials are a generation comprising of today’s youth, ranging from the early twenties to mid-thirty aged individuals. Relatively new in the workforce, they have arrived with noble thoughts and fresh ideas, but unlike previous generations, who wanted to cause ripples and win everything, millennials just want to survive.
Some facts to begin with- millennials, in general, are the better educated and empowered generation. Women and minorities share a fair amount of the workspace, and these groups are actually performing better than their upper class, heterosexual male counterparts, according to a report by Goldman and Sachs Inc. They are the first-ever ‘technological natives’, having grown up around gadgets, but also remembering a world before them. As a result, they have a much larger social network. Either due to lack of time or will, millennials are getting married and starting families much later than the previous generations. The priorities of this cohort are very different from others, and this is reflected by the fact that there are more ‘renters’ rather than ‘owners’ amongst them. They are chasing an ongoing trend of healthy eating and physical fitness, but are increasingly experiencing the deterioration of their mental health.
The world before
As a twenty-something-year-old person in the 21st century, listening to grandparents or elders talk about their days as young boys and girls can be fascinating. They grew up without screens, they walked to get to places, they entertained themselves with the radio, and they communicated via letters. The school was something optional, fun, and without stress. Food was organic and fresh, diets were healthy, jobs required physical labor, and small businesses actually thrived. Times were simpler.
But were those times really so simple? Many of our older relatives grew up during one war or the other, which affected their quality of life drastically. Jobs were tough to finds since the economic condition of the entire world was poor, the wage was meager, families were bigger, and sacrifices even larger. A woman’s opinion was of no significance and the concept of ‘gay rights’ was simply absurd.
Stories of our parents in their young days became a little more relatable. Education became important, and a degree almost assured you of a comfortable existence. As global communication improved, the world became smaller and more accessible. Women began to be recognized as valuable assets outside the domestic setup while conversations about race and patriarchy slowly reached middle-class households. There weren’t actual world wars, but quite a lot of people were suffering at the hands of dictators or other countries’ interfering armies. HIV spread like the plague, but it was still regarded as ‘a disease of the gays and druggies’.
Today’s world in comparison is something that a 90-year-olds’ fever dream would look like. Grandmother would never have imagined that phone calls could be made over a watch, a machine could suggest to us the best way to cook our lunch, and a stranger could actually carry some couple’s child in her womb. What we realize as the stories go on is that change is the only constant. There could be trains going across the ocean or an army of robots safeguarding our borders in the future and it would only be a matter of time.
Millenial Culture
The transition of two centuries marked the prime growing years for the millenials. We studied the greenhouse effect in their science textbooks and issues such as the depleting Ozone layer, deforestation, and extinction of species were plain facts rather than speculation. A millennial would claim that they were handed a world poorly managed with regard to energy resources and are the ones expected to ‘bring about change’ since we have already been educated about the cause.
A huge factor that sets millennials apart from previous generations is social media. While it started simply as a platform for staying connected with friends, it has become a place where anyone can discuss issues and events with strangers from all over the world. The internet has given people a whole new part of their personalities, and millenials were the first ones to grow up balancing this new world of social media with their regular lives. While staying connected via this ‘virtual space’ has brought us closer than ever before, it has also distanced us from our immediate surroundings and has become a big reason for the prevalent mental stress amongst our generation.
De-colonization of the world was again part of the school curriculum for us millenials, yet like the earlier generations, we were taught that the better our English (read any European/ colonizer language), the higher we’d rise. Despite not growing up during any of the World wars, we sure have witnessed similar economic crisis and civil unrest in a number of countries across the globe to understand that war is an unnecessary commodity whose price is currently unaffordable for any nation.
What millenials want
Some would argue that if millenials view everything as a glass half empty, the world has always been on the verge of a breakdown, and things have always worked out eventually. All generations, during their time, had atrocities and hardships which took time and effort to overcome. What other generations are not aware of, though, is the literal impending doom that we have trapped ourselves in, thanks to our irresponsible practices with regards to non-renewable energy sources. The ‘Climate Clock’ by artists Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd, unveiled in Manhattan’s Union Square Park, predicts that ‘there are roughly 7 years until the earth’s carbon budget is depleted, based on the current emission rates’- quotes The Washington Post. The clock is literally ticking, and we have limited time to save the planet, our home, from ‘further turmoil and suffering through more floods, wildfires, worsening famine and extensive human displacement’- according to the artists.
Apart from climate change, millenials continue to fight older battles like patriarchy, religious fanaticism, racism, and homophobia. The Internet has played a huge role in these concerns since support and allies can be garnered from the entire world at short notice. But complaints like the challenge of making a living in a destroyed economy, an endangered planet, and an almost dystopian political setup continue to rise. The only silver lining is the ongoing sentiment of ‘stronger together’ amongst our generation which is the reason for encouragement.
Sure, millenials desire inclusivity. We try to read and inform ourselves, try to fight gender norms, enrage about class differences, and worry about the environment. All this, we do alongside struggling with poor mental health or economic uncertainty, when all we really want, is some personal time to catch up on our favorite anime or web series and deal with responsibilities later.
People claim that millennials complain too much, slack too much, and aren’t motivated enough. The truth is the while we may be the lazier generation; we have incredible acumen and are working the best we can with what resources we have. Our goals range from wanting professional success for some, social justice for others, to solely mental peace for the rest. But considering the current dystopia-like circumstances, the common denominator for all millennials seems to be survival. At the end of the day, we are simply a bunch of unsettled adults, trying to find a way to keep going. Expecting the end close, yet willing ourselves forward anyway.
About the Author:
Agrima Thakur is a Dental surgeon, currently serving duties as an Orthodontics resident at Hyderabad. Apart from her profession as a dentist, she is also an academic researcher in the field of Dentistry/ Orthodontics/ Nutrition and general life sciences; who indulges many- a time in non-scientific writing pertaining to the environment, feminism, or art.
Very good writing
Beautifully written 👏👏
Reality of present day generation. Thought provoking article.
Keep it up
Very well written young lady. I am impressed by your ability to explain your thoughts in a clear, concise and cogent manner. You are right in every word you have written, well done and please keep at it. May I dare to ask you what, in your opinion, should be the way forward? Thank you for the article.
Very well articulated and good observation.
Wonderfully written dr adrima💯:-) millennials also differ in the way they write.. the choice of words is so different compared to someone who is 50 years old! Kudos. Nice attempt
It is indeed a good article & must state you have a good flair of writing sinply!
Well and thoughtfully written.Mature for her age but..unfortunately I found a higher dose of negativity instead of expected positivity.While reading, I continuously was remembering “Future Shock” ny Alvin Toffler which also projected lot of fears for the future.I would like to remind her that every century, generation had their share of problems but every generation lived through with human ingenuity finding some solution or other.Most importantly, today’s generation is very impatient..always in a hurry to reach some goal or other.Corona times is trying to teach the world to slow down.Nothing will be lost by going slow.In fact it will increase the time span of everything including our dear “EARTH”.Just give this aspect some thought.Hope, Positivity should be The Mantras of this Gen-next.
While the overall article though well written, is a commentary of someone playing the victim. If indeed the millennial is better educated (as claimed), it would serve the author better to focus on remedial action rather than listing a long litany of unassailable woes.
The overall trajectory of your writing is predominantly pessimistic with nary a backhanded compliment towards the tremendous achievements which has uplifted the global commons.
A good sketch of millennials, but touching only the borders of their thinking. But of course a good writeup. Congrets! Keep it up!!
Well written ! After a long time I have seen someone talk from the Millennial’s point of view .. although I have seen mostly Millennial bashing ! Write on ….
Very Well thought of article.
Millenials have a very effective way of reaching out to masses. Their thoughts are not just ignored but taken into consideration. Easy communication has got the world closer.
Agreema , well worded article !!
Kudos !!!you have nailed it Agrima !
Would love to read more of your write ups
Much love , laughter and sunshine
Superbly written article, Dr. Agrima. Millennials are also the great hope for many commercial outfits and professional organisations where entire business strategies and marketing plans evolve around considering millennials & their habits!
Superbly written article, Dr. Agrima on a very apt topic! Congrats!
Millennials are the centre of all commercial trades and professional organisations. They form a basis for business strategies and marketing plans!
Great write up Agrima, keep it up !!!
Your way of looking at present scenario is well taken.
“UTTARARDH” awaited…..
How the millennials will provide solutions will be interesting to know
Superb Agrima! I could relate to every part of it!