Millennial Me

Ongkingco

That’s because they’re millennials, Father,” my friend shrugged his shoulders. He was simply expressing his resignation about how some young employees in his company are unable to face and resolve professional challenges.

“But are we just being too quick to brand them?” I asked.

“What do you mean, Father?”

“I mean, are we going to be resigned with their being millennials?”

“How else should I look at them, Father?”

“Maybe it is more of how we should understand and help them.”

“I’m all ears!”

“I personally believe that the downside of their generation isn’t entirely their fault. Every generation is a product of a previous one. Naturally, not everything handed down is positive and valuable.”

“So, you’re actually saying that we somehow made them what they are now?”

* * *

So how are millennials or a similar behavior forged? Here are some important factors.

a) Family matters – everything begins in a family.

One’s character, convictions and personal ticks originate from the seedbed of family.

Parent’s today, however, are raising and educating kids for profession more than for life.

Their genuine desire for their children’s secure future leads them to emphasize on individualistic technical and practical skills geared towards excellence and success.

Often, failure is no longer seen as a window to grow in other important personality-building virtues: humility, accountability and teamwork.

b) Tech Glitch – technology has its ups and upside-downs.

I believe it has three glitches: it is easy to acquire – it delivers services and tools in an instant.

The drawback here is that people cannot sometimes appreciate the value of things (e.g. instead of working and caring for material belongings, one develops a ‘disposable’ mentality’); (ii) it delivers fast – information and items we seek are given to us rapidly.

This may be service, but it also foments easy gratification and entitlement syndromes that are lacking in virtues such as patience, fortitude and magnanimity; (iii) it prefers single-player mode – technology (especially in gadgets and social media) foments a sense of autonomy and individualism that may hamper social skills and relationships.

c) Small-world economy – we are witnessing a vortex of consumerism everywhere.

What we couldn’t afford, acquire or share some years ago is now attainable today.

But the players are no longer the usual big corporations.

Sometimes, one could make a break just by selling things over the net.

But this takes a toll on traditional work ethics, productivity and goals.

Perhaps, this is why millennials cannot persevere long in a job.

Addressing these all goes back to the family.

It is here where children can be taught, early enough, on ideals, values, relationships, work and service that surpass individualistic material and digital concerns!