Millennials

Age is not an excuse for extreme selfishness.  It seems to me that whenever someone doesn't like or needs to excuse whatever is happening in society that the excuse is "it's the millennial generation."  Technically, I am in Generation X by three years and most of my life is lived the "millennial way."  I'm not stuck locked up in a specific church, I use public transportation, and spend more time simplifying and streamlining what seems puzzling.  My life is more technological than anything else, and I know what a typewriter is.  Not everyone shirks technology.

It seems to be that the way Millennials are looked at is as babies still.  Maybe it is because I don't have children that I think they are able to succeed.  I think that Millennials are just as capable of working and succeeding in the world.  Sometimes, I think the generations' use of technology makes them more capable in the global society we really have.  While at the same time, dear Millennial, I don't need to bribe you with a toy to get you to eat your lunch or show up to class.  I want you to be functional throughout your life and not completely dependent upon another person to do everything for you.

I am going to be spending more time directly writing about this generation.  It seems to be that it is okay to be a shallow Millennial and the whole world needs to bow down to a superficial need to like everything.  Millennials have been stereotyped in ways that are socially self-defeating for a functional global economy.  While consumerism is on a rise, Millennials didn't cause the issues that they are being stereotyped by.

I've taught face to face, hybrid, and fully online courses in higher education.  The vast majority of Millennials are used to school.  They are able to highly function inside and outside of the classroom.  Some, from time to time, can't handle the classroom environment.  Those students need to accomplish everything at their own pace when they want to do the work and changes are that they want everything up front so nothing changes.  Some people have an incredible need to control change.  These Millennials need online classes. 

Distance education requires a lot of personal responsibility and discipline to be able to really thrive in it.  Most Millennials are able to run their lives online.  Some can't do it any other way.  The more that I am told that the problems in the world are due to Millennials, the more that I am convinced that it is the way that an entire generation is being told that they are that is causing the problem. 

People are people.  Ultimately, deciding that someone has to learn a certain way due to age is self-defeating within scholarly communities.  All of us use technology.  Some of us like it and thrive with it.  Some need it.  Some people want to click what they don't like away regardless of generation. 

I like the Millennials I work and learn with.  Most of them are not shallow and can handle things like books, pens, and tablets.  To most of them, thinking outside of the box is an old concept as global society wasn't ever packaged for them in one.  Global citizenry and education has brought more people together than split them apart.  Millennials are thriving in it.