Aging Generations: The Millennial Generation

Nowadays, younger generations are often criticized by older generations. This cohort of 20-somethings is called “The Millennials”, which are young people between 20 and 30 years old. This generation is used to hear the criticism of older people, who say that millennials are disrespectful, reckless, lazy and narcissistic. Although some of these facts may be true in some individual cases, when speaking in general terms these facts are not one hundred percent true. On a daily basis Millennials are asked the same type of questions, such as: “When are you going to get married? Or “When are you going to get your degree?” and also “When are you going to have children? This questioning never stops. Some people may judge them and say that they are the

However, Millennials´ parents perform a crucial role in Millennials´ ability to mature. In other words, their parents´ patronizing attitudes are of a much heavier weight on Millennials´ maturity stages than that of their generational peculiarities. To begin with, it is possible to discern why it that this parents´ generation feels is threatened by the personality of Millennials. In truth, the answer is at plain sight. According to the article ´The Beat Up Generation´ by Abby Ellin from the Psychology Today website, older generations simply find themselves unable to understand how Millennials function. Actually, they find their beliefs in constant conflict with Millennials´ way of living. Parents do not approve of Millennials relaxed perspective about work-related issues, and are in a continuous struggle to impose their deferential and hierarchical view of the world. Ironically enough, these efforts on their part end up producing the opposite effect on the younger generation. That is, Millennials start by ignoring parental advice regarding work stability, and express a downright rejection to the concept of giving respect solely based on

As we have read in Henig´s article, the people who raise Millennials are often called ‘helicopter parents’, which are those parents who come right in to help when they detect the slightest warning of trouble near their children. Overprotecting behaviours are a key element in defining Millennials’ process of maturation since they are kept within a bubble, isolated from dangers and any kind of independent actions they might take. These parents are delaying their children’s maturation process. In doing so, they are raising a generation that most commonly is parent-dependent, insecure and idle. So, leaving home is a process that can “last ages” for a Millennial. For them, graduating, getting married and having children can also be extremely gruelling situations -given that they are used to being protected, spoiled and provided for. In addition to this overprotective attitude shown in Robin’s article, there is also another article called, “How to land your kind in therapy” by Lori Gottlieb, that states that Millennials’ parents tend to congratulate their children for every single achievement they obtain, whether it is something that is expected from them or not, or something ordinary, such as: getting a C on an exam or the fifth prize in the science fair at school. By