by Thabang Leshilo (@Thabang_Leshilo) It’s a dark and gloomy future that has been painted for Millennials, who are said to have high hopes and low prospects. According to the historians, economists, social commentators and anyone else who would like to add their 2c worth, we — I’m a Millennial — are doomed. I disagree. We have characters traits that will see us through.
A daunting mix
According to Reid Cramer of Thehill.com, we Millennials are poised to enter what should be the prime of our working lives and family-forming years. Unfortunately, we do so at a time when a daunting mix of economic and social factors has created seemingly insurmountable challenges.
There’s higher rates of under- and unemployment, stagnant incomes, lower levels of wealth than our parents had at a similar age, rising amounts of student debt, eroding safety nets, the requirement to support an aging population, and shrinking public investment.
We have also been described as narcissistic, entitled, materialistic, superficial, disengaged, lazy and — at times — even lost, among many other things.
The most-wanted
Born mostly to Baby Boomers, the first generation of parents to carefully plan and choose parenthood thanks to a then-new concept called ‘family planning’, we are possibly the most-wanted generation. We grew up being told we were special, and that we could be anything we wanted to be.
But, despite the tender loving care our parents gave us, we have also watched the world go through the 1990s/early 2000s boom… and experienced the busts of the Great Recession of 2007. We’ve also witnessed global terrorism.
So, yes, to many it sounds as if Millennials haven’t been dealt the best cards, yet we never see ourselves as helpless victims.
Infectious and inspiring
I recently conducted a mini survey on Facebook, asking my friends here and abroad for their thoughts on our generation. Their sense of optimism and enthusiasm for life, which incidentally mirrors my own, is almost infectious, if not inspiring. I believe we bring a new set of values into the world which will equip us in the future.
Some of our most defining traits and characteristics:
- Techno-Savvy and Connected 24/7: Technology has become a part of our natural intuition. We use it to navigate the world and, through it, all things are possible, allowing us to stay connected to people and places around the globe that are important to us.
- Self-Confident, -Optimistic, -Hopeful: Indeed, Disney movies, such as the iconic Lion King, were a great influence in my childhood, inspiring me to paint big pictures for myself. But there is still substance to our dreams as they are always rooted in the current realities of the world we live in today.
- Independent: Always curious and questioning, we never hesitate to step out into the unknown to explore the world for ourselves, self-belief and self-reliance always at the ready.
- Determined, Goal-driven, Success-orientated: We can be highly competitive but we are also collaborative in our approach to success. We know that it comes only through our connected efforts. We also define success differently; it is never to detriment of our own happiness.
- Lifestyle-Centred: We love life and we live to enjoy it. And, yes, we even celebrate the mundane everyday moments by capturing every moment of our lives in photos.
- Diverse but Inclusive: We celebrate and express our individuality while embracing others. We choose to see that which makes people different, but also that which makes us the same.
- Global-, Civic-, Community-minded: We are highly aware of the social and political issues facing the world, and so we choose to make tangible contributions to society by being hands-on volunteers to cause-related projects.
- Entrepreneurial: We may have limited economic opportunities but we make up for it with an entrepreneurial spirit. This is our means of survival. Some of us choose to reject the conformity of traditional career choices, just as we, in turn, have been turned away by the corporates during the recession. We rely on our self-belief and creativity to help us reach our hopes and dreams.
Thabang Leshilo (@Thabang_Leshilo) is a project manager (brand) at strategic marketing consultancy Added Value South Africa. As a ‘next-generation’ marketer with fresh and curious eyes looking into the industry, she has a keen interest for brands that are culturally in tune with and able to integrate and immerse themselves into the everyday realities of the consumer. She contributes the monthly “Tuned” column, sharing marketing insight and analysis, to MarkLives.
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