It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to people that the generations that are following the baby boomers aren’t as perceptive of the world as they should be. We live in a time where people put their noses in their smartphones and tablets to learn about the world, see concerts and even travel, instead of having these experiences in person.
Millennials are associated with a lot of blame as to how society is moving. Words like spoiled, careless and lazy get thrown around as easily as the word ‘entitled’. As a millennial, it’s hard to hear these words being chucked at us by the same generation that raised us; it makes you wonder whether millennials can ever live up to the expectations of those before us when we’re set up to fail in every way.
The thing is, like every generation there are struggles. There have been generations before us that had to struggle along without technology; of course, it was the norm and didn’t feel like a struggle to them. The millennials may be blessed with instant information now, but this instant information has created a ‘have it all right now’ attitude which is pretty much why the boomers tell us we’re entitled.
Here’s the thing: the pressure that is on our generation right now is the cause of some self-destructive behavior that are splashing their way across newspapers. Engaging in these habits not only fuels the opinion that millennials are lazy and self-entitled, it pushes more and more people into the very dangerous realm of self-destruction. So, with all that in mind, what are some of the most common signs of self-destruct in the generations of today?
Excess. One of the seven deadly sins is gluttony, and this isn’t referring to being greedy with food. It’s referring to having no boundaries. Excessive drinking, social media addiction, drugs; all of these things are done to an excess now. This is why there is a binge drinking and drug taking crisis that sees millennials being careless with their lives, leading to intentional possession of drugs and an inability to hold a job. It’s a very dark road to go down, and it’s happening more and more.
Getting Into Debt. Being smart with money isn’t the common thing with the generations of today, not when credit cards and loans are being thrown at people on a daily basis. There aren’t any lessons at schools that teach you how to balance your books, and the pressure of going into debt is easy with everything on finance these days. Choosing credit over savings is a lazy option and when you feel that you can never have a mortgage or a good credit rating, you can find yourself wondering what the point in trying is?
Social Media & Tech Pressure. Life is always perfect online and so many people believe in Instagram and Twitter and Facebook that they often forget about reality. The constant reliance on social media for validation is dangerous and it’s a huge reason that people feel pressured to be ‘perfect’.
The D-Day button is something that should be feared, so it’s important for millennials to learn how to back off and stop pushing their own.