Entitled Millennials

Millennials have been the target for criticism and judgement from baby boomers their entire lives; I know, because I am a millennial.

We are called entitled, soft, lazy and ungrateful. However, let me pose this important question: if we are as bad as you claim, who raised us? You can blame “society”, but last I checked you and all your peers made up the majority of this “society”.

Millennials are arguably the most privileged and underprivileged generation in our modern world. Most of us have benefited from the social revolution and the Education Revolution. We did not grow up in a world where being black automatically meant being poor, nor did we have to fight for liberation from Britain and her rule. We were also fortunate to experience free education. As a matter of fact, had it not been for the Education Revolution, many of my peers would not have been able to attend university. The education system is not perfect, but it is more accessible than it has ever been.

The baby boomers were among the first to benefit from national scholarships. The idea was for them to get their degrees then come back to build the country. Alas; what did they do? They ran away. They ran away because they were enticed by large pay cheques and easy living. Decades of this selfish behaviour has led to a literal brain drain, forcing all the islands to bond their scholars. However, what good will this do?

The infrastructure needed to accept these freshly minted graduates is simply non-existent. Millennials have become overworked and underpaid because of the selfish decisions of the baby boomers; yet we are the ones they so vehemently criticize.

Millennials are now being forced into student loans, or as I call them, a deal with the Devil. Did you know the average student loan takes 10 years to pay back? Did you also know that because of low wages, degree holders have less disposable income than a non-degree holder after they make their monthly loan payments? That’s right, you end up with less money than someone without a degree. However, to even enter a certain income level, a degree has become the minimum requirement. Millennials are then forced to live with their parents well into their thirties, because they cannot afford a mortgage until their student loans are repaid.

To add insult to injury, we must endure the loathsome attitude of baby boomers who refuse to pay us proper wages. They call us entitled because we ask to be paid for our degrees. They justify their illogical thinking by claiming they received the same treatment. Last time I checked, two wrongs don’t make a right. If you can do better…DO BETTER!

When you stifle the youth working force, you stifle innovation. Many managers can hardly navigate the Internet or use advanced software, yet they claim we are the ones with nothing to offer. The fact that we understand our worth upsets you; “humble yourself,” you say. You think we are entitled because we want salaries large enough to cover our student loans and buy food; ha-ha.

Please don’t think that because YOU refuse to value us, the rest of the world won’t. So many graduates leave their home countries because they are frustrated with their work environment. They leave and work for companies that VALUE their input and pay them accordingly.

Did you know that many large companies have immigration lawyers whose sole job is to help them hire the best and brightest from overseas? These companies, unlike you, understand the value of educated youth and their fresh input.

Alas; what do I know? Continue to sit on your pedestal and watch the young talent leave, and when your company falls behind, blame “society”.