The Kids Are Alright: Understanding Millennials

The Kids Are Alright: Understanding Millennials

A Feature Story by Elizabeth Marion

"If you had minutes on your cell phone, you're a millennial," joked Dalhousie grad Emma Stoplmann as she sipped a Palm Bay at her desk. The Canadian encyclopedia defines the millennial generation as gen Y and refers to those born between 1980-1998. The Ottawa Citizen reported that in 2019 millennials make up 27.5% of Canada's population.

However, if you type the phrase millennial into any search engine, this upcoming generation often receives negative backlash. Millennials, perceived as lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed, have been dubbed the "I generation" by baby boomers. But it is much easier for previous generations and the media to blame systematic failures on millennials than analyze why these issues are happening in the first place.

Millennials happened to come of age when many significant changes were happening to the economy. The great recession in 2008 led to a decrease in jobs for graduates entering the job market. Millennials have the lowest employment rate of all time and the lowest salary. They make 20% less than boomers did at their age. Student loan debt is almost 50% higher for millennials than for gen Xers. According to Statistics Canada, the average student debt is close to twenty thousand dollars. In 2020, 30% of millennials still lived with their parents, while only 16% run households. High loans and low wages have made it extremely difficult for the average millennial to meet traditional boomer milestones such as buying houses, saving for retirement, and raising families.

This generation has inherited many sociological and economic problems as they graduate from school and enter the workplace. Their decisions may seem motivated by laziness and narcissism, but this generation continuously adapts to survive an unpredictable job market. Most millennials change their career path two to three times before settling on an area of interest. Technological advancements and the rise of social media have created unique career paths that may not fit the conventional nine to five. Some millennials have chosen to work freelance or start their businesses to develop job security. "Millennials are not lazy. We have a different definition of working intelligently," explained Chelsea, host of The Financial Diet.

Is it fair to compare millennials to previous generations such as gen X and baby boomers? Not really. These older generations experienced life, and the workforce is drastically different from how millennials navigate the present. Even in the age of social media, it is not about who you know; it is about what you know. "You only needed an eighth-grade education to work as a cleaner at the Ottawa hospital," reflected Connie, a housekeeper at the General campus. "You can't even speak to human resources in person. The application process is entirely online."

In the 80s and 90s, a high school diploma could get you an entry-level job. Pierre Poirier, a buyer at Costco, started at the company as a warehouse fork lifter in the early 90s. He had no prior education aside from a high school diploma.

In 2020, most job candidates needed a post-secondary education, precisely a university degree. "To get a job at CISIS, you need a university degree," explained Emma. "They do not care what kind of degree you have. "You can have a degree in fashion merchandising."

Vanessa McLenachan, an Algonquin College graduate, had a similar dilemma upon graduating from the community and social justice program. However, it was not her lack of education that prevented her from finding work in her field; she lacked real-world experience. "When I was searching for a job in my field, employers didn't care about my two college diplomas. They wanted work experience." If a candidate is looking for work experience or is interested in a particular field, they will not qualify for the position if they do not have the education. If a person spends thousands of dollars and years pursuing higher education, they may not be eligible for a starter career because they have no experience in the field. It is hard for millennials not to feel bitter when the system supposed to set them up for success has set them up for failure.

It is easy to criticize millennials for their expensive coffee habits and social media obsession. But, before boomers and Xers get on their soapbox and accuse millennials of being too lazy or unmotivated, perhaps they should consider that life as they know it has changed and is continually changing at a fast pace. "We can not compare ourselves to generations before us," said Emma.

Unlike their predecessors, Millennials recognize that there is no algorithm for success. The boomer mentality is dead. With COVID on the rise and the economy on the brink of another collapse, it is difficult for this generation to stay optimistic. This outspoken generation is not optimistic. In 2020, success was surviving in an unpredictable society.