Introducing The Next Generation Of Leaders And Thinkers

The “Triggered Millennial” Stereotype

fox_screamqueens_1ayd11_huluWe all know the joke. The stereotypical fragile teen who seems to find everything offensive and constantly gets ‘triggered’ by everyday events. The kind of person who can’t seem to “take a joke” or makes “a big deal out of nothing”.

This was a stereotype that became more introduced in the 2010s and is more commonly known as ‘generation snowflake’, due to the fragile nature of those it mocks. It came from a building frustration of the older generations after observing the way millennials behaved, such as by creating ‘safe spaces’ and constantly protesting events viewed as unfair. It’s a stereotype and joke that was created with a lot of resentment behind it by those who are under the impression that we, as a generation have had it easier or are complaining too much about certain issues that older generations have been conditioned to accept.

A photo posted by @marinadiamandis on Nov 4, 2016 at 3:35am PDT

 

Yet while the whole joke is built on the foundation that we grew up sheltered and without the same ‘suck it up’ attitudes as the generations before us, we still seem to be suffering more financially than our parents ever did. Unemployment rates are high, wages are still low, and student loans are becoming more demanding than we’ve ever seen them.

Millennials are living in a time of financial and econmic instability in a way not seen by the generations before them.

And though there’s plenty of information to prove that millennials aren’t the sheltered generation we’re being made out to be, the complaints being thrown are way are at an all time high. An alarming amount of time seems to be being spent on criticizing the activities of millennials when in reality, we haven’t even had the chance to prove ourselves yet. Time can only tell what the results will be from the way we raise our children, vote, and behave in our workforce. But until then, it’s like we’re under a constant microscope study.

 

One of the most bewildering thoughts from the entire ‘generation snowflake’ debacle has been the reason for its existence in the first place. Are old generations truly getting mad at us for standing up for issues such as feminism, racism, LGBTQ rights? Is there really a belief out there that we should be silent on issues like these simply because we are supposedly being brought up in a more fortunate society?

This isn’t a competition of which generation has it harder or which one deserves more sympathy. It’s not a topic where one side should be discrediting the hardships of the other. It’s an issue that needs to be viewed from a very leveled perspective. Every single generation goes through its own struggles and was brought up in a different world in regards to technology, economy, and law. People who were around for segregation are barely 60 years old today and gay marriage was only something that became legalized in the USA last year.  We’re all still living in a world without equality, and there has yet to be a generation to come that hasn’t experienced or witnessed it. With that in mind, the whole ‘millennials complain too much’ argument seems to lack substance. The amount of valid reasons we have to complain seems to be substantial enough considering the world we live in today.

If one of the worst things people can truly say about our generation is that we speak up when we’re affected by something or view something as wrong, then that’s a stereotype that we should be more than happy to stand by. Because no matter what others think of us or how annoyed they get if we call them out of the time, in the end, we’ll just be creating a better world for the future generations who come along. The kind of world that tells boys that it’s okay to cry, or for a girl to like a fandom that is predominately male. The kind of world where we don’t dismiss the concerns of people who are a different race or culture to us because we want to act ignorant and keep doing things like blackface or wearing cornrows. We’re slowly getting there and still have quite a while to go – but at least we know we’re on the right track.

So let’s own up to being generation snowflake. Let’s be incredibly proud of it. Because name calling like that can only affect us if we choose to view it defensively. If we instead choose to own it, then we take back the power of a phrase like that and turn it into something great. Be proud of the fact that you stand up to things you consider wrong and keep speaking out against any injustices you see. Because we all deserve to grow up in a world that treats the feelings of others with seriousness and respect – and no one should be able to discourage that and succeed.

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