Each generation adds a new set of characteristics to our American culture. “The Greatest Generation” was known for sacrifice, growing up in the Great Depression and fighting and winning World War II. “Gen X” was described by author Tom Wolf as the “me generation.”
The “Millennial” generation, those born between 1980 and 1996, are harder to figure out. Check out the internet, and scores of topics are trending on millennials. Hard to characterize and difficult to describe, millennials seem to be as vast as the internet itself.
That may be the heart of issue: they are the first generation to truly straddle the development of the internet. And their daily lives seem to be intrinsically linked with the world wide web.
“I feel like I grew up with the internet,” Jessica Takacs, a sophomore at the University of Toledo, said. “But sometimes I wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse. I rely so much on technology, and so many people around seem to care more about having a Wi-Fi connection than a conversation.”
This generation was born right on the cusp of the new millennium, which gives them a unique perspective. Most millennials can remember a time before the internet was widely available and easily accessible.
Takacs and her millennial peers are part of a huge group of people. According to the 2015 U.S. Census, millennials are made up of 83.1 million people and represent more than a quarter of the country’s population. Comparatively, the baby boomer generation contains 75.4 million people.
So, are these articles about millennials true, or just blatant generalizations about a large portion of society?
TIME magazine columnist, Joel Stein, described millennials as the “ME ME ME GENERATION” on a 2013 magazine cover. Other generations share the same values, especially when it comes to outward appearances.
Takacs says her Gen X mother stressed the importance of appearance and continues to do so.
“When I was a little girl, she’d always comment on the way I dressed, and it only got worse the older I got,” Takacs said. “Now that I’m in college, she’s way more direct about it. I dyed my hair darker for the winter, and she said I would seem ‘goth’ to other people. Apparently, that’s a bad thing.”
Where industries focus on marketing products that deal with outward appearances and self-image, a youthful appearance is often advertised. A youth-centric culture changes how youth view themselves. This decade has seen an increase in the number of plastic surgery, even in people under 18 (meaning those too young to be in the millennial generation).
Underaged people who get plastic surgery need to have approval from their parent or guardian. Older generations, like Generation X, are allowing an obsession with self-image to persist.
Takacs says her mother’s comments extend past hair color and clothes.
“I got on a new birth control and gained some weight, and she said that there was no point for me to be on birth control; no one would be attracted to me enough to knock me up,” she said. “I look a lot like my mom, so I think she’s jealous of my youth in some ways. It’s like she’s living vicariously through me.”
But it seems like most generations could be described as self-centered and youth-obsessed. For Takacs, her mother’s comments have caused her to focus on her image more than she would like and might hint at another trait millennials are often said to have: a lack of respect.
Lack of respect or inflated self-esteem are traits seen in another generation (if not every generation). The generation that started the hippy movement, the Baby Boomers, had values revolving around a disdain for authority and traditional values.
Theresa Verrier, a 57-year-old stay-at-home mom, often reminisces about her time as a self-described hippy.
“I definitely didn’t respect authority or the establishment. Whatever you want to call it,” Verrier said. “Back then, there were no cameras in stores. I’d just walk out with fancy, stolen clothes and a few handbags on my arm like I owned the place.”
The Anti-War Movement may define some of Verrier’s generation. However, many consider being anti-war to be an act of disrespect.
“I think some hippies weren’t protesting in a way I’d consider respectful. Dropping acid and being naked while protesting isn’t something I’d call respectful,” Verrier said.
It seems like youth culture, the generation currently coming of age, will always be viewed as disrespectful in some way – and belonging to a specific generation doesn’t change that.
Among the hundreds, if not thousands, of articles written about millennials, there are some recurring themes. Google’s suggestion tool illustrates some of the most common assumptions people make about millennials, along with some more niche opinions.
“Millennials have killed” sounds a bit morbid. However, certain industries are concerned millennials will effectively “kill” certain products because of a lack of demand.
One example of millennials “killing” an industry is in a Business Insider article, entitled “Millennials are killing the napkin industry.”
“The Post points to a survey conducted by Mintel (the same company that discovered millennials find cereal too much work to eat) from last month, which highlights that only 56% of shoppers said that they bought napkins in the past six months,” Mallory Schlossberg, a retail reporter for Business Insider, writes.
Diana DePasquale, an instructor of Ethnic Studies and Women’s Studies at Bowling Green State University, says the blame shouldn’t be placed on millennials. She believes industries should adapt to millennial consumers.
“When it comes to the napkin industry, or a lot of other industries, I think those businesses need to rethink how they are presenting their product to the next generation of consumers,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale does agree with some statistics on millennials.
“Millennials are an idealistic generation. Technology makes things easily accessible, and a lot of it doesn’t require critical thinking,” DePasquale said. “Some of my students haven’t had to use critical thinking skills a lot. But when they come to class and finally get to, they really enjoy it.”
However, she realizes some of these faults have been placed on past generations. DePasquale argues that every generation could be described as self-centered, and not by their own doing. It could be due to how youth-obsessed U.S. culture has been and may always be.
“As a culture, youth has always been desirable, and obsessing about youth is nothing. We’ve seen it in media since the last century, and it won’t change anytime soon. Social media just makes that fact more noticeable.”
