The thing about generations is that typically, they’re too big to really nail down what it was like to be the people on either end – and no way did those two groups have much in common at all.
People at the tail end of GenX probably have more in common with early Millennials than they do those who were born in the 60s, and those born in the early 80s couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to grow up 10 years later.
These 17 early Millennials share the stereotype that isn’t them at all – and why it really gets their goat.
17. A fundamental difference.
I’m mid 30s and have had a boomer try to use that to invalidate all of my arguments. “Yeah well at least my generation never ate soap” mine didn’t either, and if some of them had, that wouldn’t say anything about me.
I don’t dislike all baby boomers. My late father was one and he was great! The guy from the conversation was trying to claim the fact that he was a boomer made him better than everyone else in the discussion (not in so many words, of course).
I attacked his points, he attacked “my” generation.
16. That they don’t have manners.
I hate that millennials get pinned as being addicted to their phones. Like, always behind a screen and not interacting with the real world.
I for one try really hard to have good phone etiquette and what I’ve noticed is, boomers can be really bad at this. Some of the older people in my office and family are the worst offenders when it comes to texting at the table or just checking out on social media.
15. Kids these days.
Technically it’s like 39 year olds to 22 year olds.
That range needs to be split in two. I’m 35 and don’t know wtf the 26 year olds I work with are talking about half the time.
14. People have the wrong age in mind.
That we don’t take our jobs seriously. I had to sit my peer (55+) down and tell him that the millennials he was bitching about were the same age as the “very qualified and mission focused” person he’s been working with for the past decade.
We’re* upper management.
*me and colleague in story specifically, not a generalization on millennials, to clarify
13. Get with the program.
When people call teens and early 20s millennials. That was like 10-15 years ago.
I’ve seen old people refer to generation x members down to junior high students as “millennials”, it just means “person under 50 who I don’t like”, apparently.
12. They’re doing their best.
The stereotype that a lot of millennials are struggling with money because they’re “lazy and entitled” is ridiculous.
Look at the average wage vs. the cost of rent, health care, and higher education now, vs. what it was a few decades ago. Boomers had it far easier than we did but act like our generation’s struggles just boil down to a lack of hard work.
Also, the “participation trophy” meme, aside from being largely bullshit anyway, raises the question: whose generation was giving out the participation trophies? Why would you blame the kids who received them?
11. It’s really not that hard.
This. It’s so aggravating that people use “millennial” as a slur for any spoiled naive youth. I’m a 39 year-old elder-millennial with back pain. The youngest millennials are in their mid-twenties.
It’s pedantic but it drives me up the wall how lazy people seem to assume anyone younger than they are is a “Millennial.” I’m sure my Gen-X brother doesn’t enjoy being called a “Boomer.”
10. Working from home is a joke.
Like many, I am working from home. I’ll get a call from my mom “hey you are not working now, go do something for me”. Thanks, working from home is waaaay shi**er than going to “real” work, at least for me.
I do fit the stereotype of hating talking on the phone 🙂
9. It’s a new dawn.
I, for one, am tired of hearing about the things we’ve “killed”.
Tastes change all the time, this is not new.
8. We had to teach ourselves.
When we are looked down upon for needing to use YouTube, etc. for learning tasks (e.g. changing a tyre) that our parents were taught by our grandparents but the former never took the time to teach us.
Looking down on someone for anything that they haven’t yet been taught but are trying to learn is just about the stupidest thing I’ve heard.
It’s not their fault that no one had taught them the thing yet, and they are going out of their way to teach themselves. What is wrong with that?
7. The man has a point.
It’s actually interesting, imo. We’ve got to have one of the most discriminating tastes of any generation in a long time.
We just don’t settle for shit we’re not happy with if there are other options that suit our tastes better. And what does that mean?
Sorry cable, streaming is better. Sorry garbage chain restaurants, smaller niche restaurants are better. Sorry napkin industry, I’ve got a roll of paper towels.
Sorry Harley Davidson, I’ve never seen nor do I connect with Easy Rider. Sorry cruise industry…gross.
6. They’re not doing nothing all day.
I’m getting really tired of hearing about us lying around expecting handouts and not working. Especially when it’s a situation where the person saying it is standing in a room with a lot of millennials, all of whom have jobs, which is every single time I’ve heard this said in real life.
Like, who here is lying around doing nothing? Whose your example? Oh it’s your neighbour’s best friend’s cousins son, he doesn’t have a job and lies on the couch all day. Okay.
5. Preach!
We have an unprecedented level of choice and information. In previous generations, what you purchased was limited to what was available in your local area. Now we can search the world, find exactly what we want and have it delivered tomorrow, so why settle?
We’re not picky, other generations were just settling for whatever sh%t was put in front of them cause they had fewer options available. We were raised and became a adults during a time where consumers had more options. Funnily enough my wife and I have switched both of our parents to Roku/Chromecast and streaming services and not cable.
Seeing our Hulu/Sling/Netflix/Disney+ package for ~$80/m vs their cable packages for $220/m was a simple choice. Especially seeing as how the bulk of the channels on cable are filled with BS that you never watch.
4. Their time is coming.
as an american, its basically that we’re inheriting a system that nobody trusts us to run. all the people who represent us are 2-3 times older than us, the older generations are refusing or unable to retire which is preventing us from actually entering the job market.
3. The truth of the matter.
We can’t afford houses because apparently we spend too much on avocado toast.
No, in the 80s and 90s houses were about 3 to 4 times the average annual income. Now it’s close to 10 (at least in my part of the world).
2. This drives me insane and I’m not even a Millennial.
The use of the term “millennial” to refer to the general “young person.”
1. They’re not generic.
When someone makes mention of some “challenge” teenagers are doing like eating tide pods and people are like “Ugg, millennials.”
Uhm, no. Just because 4-5 people did something stupid and then the news decided to take it and run with it and make it sound way more wide spread than it is, doesn’t mean you get to generalize a whole generation.
Secondly, millennials are practically the age of the parents of the tik tok generation. It’s not a generic term for any young person doing something you don’t like.
As a late GenXer (Xennial for life) I can relate.
What’s the stereotype about your generation that you can’t stand? Share it with us in the comments!
