The Elder Millennial - A generation lost in time

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For years, viral media posts asked how millennials would save the world. But now things seem less certain than ever, the promised changes have yet to materialize, and millennials born in the early 1980s (also known as elder millennials) are entering their 40s. Ultimately, millennials as a generation have been defined by the loss of potential, but they have found new and exciting ways to adapt and reshape the culture - proving that rather than being “snowflakes” they’re actually quite resilient.
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We are The Take (formerly ScreenPrism).
00:00 Will Elder Millennials be okay?
01:38 Millennials just may be the unluckiest generation...
05:53 Stamps.com
07:02 The dawn of the internet, a millennial revolution
09:24 What does an elder millennial's family look like?
13:10 Elder millennials actually deserve way more credit

[@thetake]

Go to stamps.com and use code THETAKE to get a 4-week trial, plus free postage and a digital scale.

[@Tojoj22]

Millennials are The New Classic Generation our life experince after 2008 was a horror show but they will be change and it will be for the better

[@hungryhungryhippocampus7889]

the fact that STAMPS sponsored this...feels like y'all are trolling

[@k3n0ju]

I feel like the accusation of narcissism against Millenials was just projection from their truly narcissistic Baby Boomer elders.

[@Tjnola]

Spot on.

[@klalbritton]

Facts!! Also the accusation of entitlement. No generation is more entitled than boomers

[@OfJournalandJourney]

This. ALL OF THIS.

[@DianaAmericaRivero]

Millennials narcissists? Uh, our generation did not spawn the likes of Addison Rae and the D'Amelio brats. They are Zoomers. Your beef is with them.

[@AlastorTheNPDemon]

You are saying what I've been thinking ever since I heard about the stereotypes.

[@jcherry875]

As a Gen z person I do like millennials. They normalised so much and made a more empathetic society. Of course not all but they started a lot of important conversations and try to end a lot of cultural and generational curses. I also feel like they are more friendly to gent zs than boomers were to them.

[@barryberkmanblock]

You're our kid siblings and even if we don't always get it right, I think most of us just hope and wish that you all could have/could have had an easier entry into adulthood than we did. It sucks & has sucked for us, and in a lot of ways it sucks even worse for you all. It feels like we're watching what happened to us continue to happen, but in an even bleaker way because of the simultaneous constant connection and isolation of living so much of our lives online. sigh. I've still got my fingers crossed that shit changes for your generation and that millennials can catch a fucking break, too. 💜

[@LibreDeCulpa]

You're welcome xD You'll never know the amount of toxic waste we had to buffer for the current conversations to even be possible

[@karaiakauma3179]

We try to show kindness and encouragement since boomers crapped on us

[@nicolec8884]

Thanks

[@madelinequinn5879]

Aww thanks for the appreciation. I've seen some Gen Zs on TikTok making fun of us so it's nice to know some of you out there have some appreciation. I feel like we have more in common with you guys than any other generation.

[@jenn3090]

As an elder millennial, I don't want cultural capital or cache. I just want to do what I like, enjoy my space, and be left alone. Gen Z can have the spotlight we didn't ask for. Go nuts.

[@demo3456]

Jen I think we have more in common with genx then because I myself and from 81 and I do not feel and never have felt like I'm weak or wanted the spotlight I just want a cabin a garden and a wood stove and a couple arcers.. But I can't even seem to get that in this trash world

[@chrisbroe]

Totally. My end goal at this point is to have a location where I can stay comfortable while I fade off into obscurity. Also, high speed internet as I'm not that crazy....

[@ShannonLynn21]

Millennials are the Prince Charles of the generations. By the time they take the throne, it'll be too late to really do anything and will have to pass the baton almost as soon as they got it.

[@the_only_living_ghost]

Omg This is the best comment I’ve ever seen

[@birdiewolf3497]

Ooohh this is good. Though to be fair gen x didn't really get the baton either. Just boomers just tightly controlling everything and everyone.

[@pinksakura27]

Lmao 🤣 omg you're right...

[@admiralfrancis8424]

WOW! This is a very underrated comment! This needs a LOT more likes!

[@nacienunbarco]

OMG that’s literally our biggest generational curse. We didn’t know how to be adults until suddenly BAM we were labeled as old. Never actually had the chance to be adults, it’s like we skipped that part of our lives.

[@steamynators8365]

Even as a late millenial (born in '95) I feel this deeply. We're a generation born in an opportunity gap. Too late for the 90s economy boom, too early for the Gen Z affluent influencers. We are quite an unique generation being the ones that grew up right at the crossroads of analog and digital. We got to see massive computers with a few kilobytes of storage turn into pocket processors with gigabytes of memory. We grew up with the promise that our lives were going to be as successful as our parents' were only to have that shattered right before our eyes. One thing I envy about Gen Z is how they never grew up with a promise of prosperity, they know how shitty all is. Us, in the other hand, had to pretty much restart our goals and perspective after our mid 20s. Being seen as the "weakest" generation out of the bunch we easily become the scapegoats of all problems in the world.

[@rachelc8833]

A- There are plenty of millennial influencers and content creators raking it in right now. B- "Us, in the other hand, had to pretty much restart our goals and perspective after our mid 20s" - you are barely even in your mid 20's- if you made it this far without being financially or educationally impacted by things, you are a lucky millennial. I was born in 1989 and absolutely can not relate to that statement.

[@nearthgg]

@@rachelc8833 yeah, I kinda agree. Born early 1995. I call myself a Zillenial, I know I got it unlucky but, not THAT unlucky. I can get by because I’m solo female and no family or really anything to pay except a bit of college debt and rent. I think gen z is also pretty F up. Maybe the youngest butt end might be ok but at the moment, elder gen z is on the same boat. Besides, there is nothing that points that they will have their promises being kept. Millennials and gen z are both fcked.

[@DeeFig66]

​@@rachelc8833 Honestly Rachel, You're lucky then. I was born in 83 and pretty much everyone in my age range had to pivot their expectations for their future careers based on the unstable job market. I know only 1 person that didn't because they went into finance. There was a period where the longest most people kept jobs was around 5 years before they were laid off because they didn't want to increase salaries. If you found something good. Hold on to it. A lot of us couldn't.

[@rachelc8833]

@@DeeFig66 Why exactly am I lucky? I graduated into the same sucky job market as you. We had dreams and expectations for life before that happened and also had to shift those things, just was forced to do so before our mid 20's as OP said.

[@Bunny-ch2ul]

Millennial here. (1989.) I have to tell you, thinking that Zoomers are wealthy because of influencers is like assuming a generation is wealthy because of child stars. Most Zoomers are working entry level jobs, or they're still in school. Your experience is also decidedly more Zoomer than Millennial. The lines between generations blur a lot, and the numbers are also decided in a way to group people in clumps of roughly 20 years, but realistically generations are defined by shared experiences. For Millennials it would be being towards the entry level end of the job market, or graduating college, during the 2008 recession. If you think restarting because of COVID is bad, let me tell you, it gets worse. Try having to restart everything, or hear that your education is a waste because you can't get a job in your field, *and it's your own fault.* At least with COVID, everyone had to put their life on hold, and some reshuffling is expected. If you lost your job or couldn't find work in your field it was literally "your own fault." What people don't understand about that sort of job market is that it can kill your career for life. If you're just starting out, people will hire a 22 year old with no related experience. They won't hire a 26 year old with no related experience. And a lot of industries won't take you if you're overqualified. Say you have a degree in branding and merchandising. If no advertising firms are hiring, most retail stores won't take you either because they know you'll bail as soon as something better comes along. They'd rather take someone who is going to stick around. There's zero way to get relevant experience. You're stuck with things like waiting tables, where they expect their employees to last six months or a year. That's not happening with COVID, and it won't happen with COVID. Everyone understands that everyone's life got put on hold, and isn't just blaming kids who just graduated college for being "lazy." I'd honestly rather live through quarantine again twice than have to go through the 2008 recession again.

[@alissaj9501]

Boomers: “Millennials believe if they work hard they can have what the want.” Millennials: “And who told us that?” Boomers: “You got too many Participation trophies!” Millennials: “And who gave them to us?”

[@oooh19]

sad thing is it's not enough to work hard; some things are about luck or timing, who you know etc. some ppl are born into wealth

[@alissaj9501]

@@oooh19 Agree. Working hard gets you nothing these days!

[@eddie9691]

too much lead in the tap water and gas when boomers were growing up

[@oooh19]

@@eddie9691 many boomers smoked but it's like well back then society didnt know better. norms change

[@oooh19]

weird we millennials are seen as lazy though but then hard work is pointless though and we all for the most part graduated with degrees and yet cant find better jobs and are'nt always treated well by bosses or coworkers were expected to jump for them and compromise yet its never good enough for them they still give employees a hard time

[@CuriosityRover77]

Considering we keep experiencing "once in a lifetime" events back to back to back, no I don't think we will be okay. We have another recession right around the corner, the climate disaster is getting worse, and governments all around the world aren't listening to what their citizens are directly asking for. The greed and corruption of the older generations screwed us all.

[@karaiakauma3179]

The boomer generation refuses to let that power go, even though they're going to die. Or maybe they want us all to go with them

[@samiam2088]

The rest of the world has been in a recession since April. It's not "around the corner" it's already here..

[@BluetheRaccoon]

Take a look at 100 years ago to see what is coming. Learn food preservation and put away as much as you can. Know where your local freshwater sources are.

[@user-ps4bg7wq6i]

Yes.

[@sinnsage]

nailed it. honestly i have friends who keep having babies - and yes they are doing it in their 30’s instead of in their 20’s - but, every time they make another one i’m sad. i’m sad because that baby of a friend i love, will be a child i love, and that child will have to live through water scarcity, unbridled capitalism exploiting their labor for what amounts to pennies, rising temperatures, daily mass shootings, fascist stripping of our rights…i just don’t see how someone our age who can SEE these things happening right now can then bring another human into this shit?

[@laurelrosegardens6454]

Elder millennials were in high school and middle school when the Columbine school shooting happened. That kind of massacre was UNHEARD-OF then. I was 15 at the time. On my second day of college at age 18 I woke up to news of 9/11 and the entire world shifted from everything we grew up knowing. At age 23 the housing market collapsed and the world plunged into recession. I lost my job and could find nothing but part-time work for YEARS. I still have not recovered from that and it was almost a decade before I could make more than $15/hour. Now in my late 30's we are entering the 3rd year of a global pandemic the likes of which have not been seen in over a century. Millennialls did not cause any of these problems. I read articles where boomers rail against millennials demanding more flexible work schedules, remote work and better conditions. They say we are entitled and should stop complaining and pay our dues like they had to. All this while boomer politicians funded by corporations have been working FOR DECADES to erode workers rights and protect corporate profits under the false flag of "job creation." Now there are too many low-paying jobs and not enough people willing to work for nothing while CEO's become billionaires. Give me a break, boomer. All of this was YOUR legacy to the younger generations. Excuse me if I don't want it. That does not make me entitled.

[@davidporter9553]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[@metalgamer83]

Boomers deserve to have to be inconvenienced by having to wait longer in bars and restaurants because "nobody wants to work" i.e. nobody wants to put up with their shitty, entitled attitudes anymore.

[@thothheartmaat2833]

yeah so why do the dumb boomers keep ruining our lives at every turning point for us..

[@ambular0504ut]

This

[@watcherowl5387]

I was only 2 yrs out of HS when that happened 😢

[@annejohnson5875]

As a gen x-er, I think millennials have it tougher than previous generations. They graduated college drowning in student loan debt, entered the job market during the worst economic downturn since the great depression and had to deal with all of the adversity of a worldwide pandemic. In the past few decades, wages have not kept up with inflation and buying a home and having children have become pipe dreams, yet I have read a lot of articles hand wringing about the lack of new people being born. When I was raising my son in the 90's and 2000's, it was extremely difficult. It has only gotten worse for younger generations, and I know I would never be able to do it now.

[@barryberkmanblock]

Thank you for saying this

[@BluetheRaccoon]

Thank you for your empathy.

[@ladyeowyn42]

Dual income and one kid, and we could only pull it off because we bought a house in 2012 before the housing market lost its damn mind.

[@KittySnicker]

Thank you for your empathy ❤️

[@tmarie69]

Thank you for this. As a millennial myself, I truly don’t see how I’ll be able to afford children. Also, a lot of my other millennial friends aren’t having kids because of finances and the world is really shaky right now.

[@Bunny-ch2ul]

Middle Millennial here. (1989.) To me, a huge reason so many Millennials are unhappy is that we were raised to believe that everything hinges around work. We were all taught that it was supposed to be the most fulfilling, most stimulating, most important part of your life. Anything you're good at, or that you enjoy, you're supposed to turn into work. (See: Side Hustles, monetized KZbin channels, etc. ) We're not supposed to have hobbies. Other generations were taught that work is work, and most work isn't soul satisfying. That's what hobbies and outside interests are for. Soul satisfying jobs don't generally pay the bills, but they never really did. I don't think anyone's grandfather enjoyed selling vacuums door to door. They enjoyed building model ships, or gardening, or volunteering, or whatever. We have to stop expecting work to be the most fulfilling part of life, and choose work that isn't miserable, and allows us to find fulfillment elsewhere. There is so much value in doing things just because they're valuable to you. *Don't turn your passion into a frustrating side hustle because someone told you to open a fucking Etsy store.* You don't have to make money at something for it to be meaningful and important. If you want to make art, don't take the $12 an hour job that tangentially includes making art in some capacity, where you have to work sixty hours a week. Take the desk job, where you put in eight hours, and leave. Go home and paint. Work doesn't have to be your passion, and it's not a mark of failure that you couldn't turn your passion into gainful employment. (Moreover, you'll be shocked by how much less money you need to spend if you can actually enjoy yourself.)

[@mastersnet18]

I completely agree. It’s really messed with our heads because this whole concept started in the 80’s with the yuppies, who happened to be baby boomers. The concept of making a bunch of money at an exciting job turned into a requirement for a good life. It didn’t help that as 90’s kids we grew up in the 3rd best decade, economically speaking, of the 20th century. Many of us saw women who were able to stay home and take care of their kids and not go broke. We were told this is what we should expect.

[@Bunny-ch2ul]

@@mastersnet18 I feel like the ideas of work culture we were raised with are even more toxic than the Yuppie ethos. Yuppies didn't expect work to be special or meaningful. They just expected to work hard, and climb the corporate ladder even if the work itself wasn't stimulating. There was no expectation of self-actualization through work. If Susan loved gardening, she wouldn't have been constantly harassed about why she was working an office job instead of opening up a florist shop. If you really want to fuck up a kid for life, feed them the "everyone has that one thing that makes you special" line. It's really disappointing for Zach when he grows up and isn't first chair at Carnegie hall, after being told that violin is his gift. He's going to feel pretty fucking useless when he can't even make it as a music teacher because every grade in every town had a Zach, who was told violin was what made him special. He would have been better off if his parents encouraged him to play just because he enjoyed it, and found it soul nourishing. If it turns into a job, great. If not, that's fine too. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to monetize it. I can't tell you how many people I know who *hate* the things they used to be passionate about because they were bullied into turning those passions into side hustles. You want to really hate travel? Start making travel vlogs about every trip. You're going to spend the whole trip shooting video, and you're going to have to constantly travel even when you want to spend your week off at home, because algorithms like consistency. Taking a job that you're not passionate about isn't admitting defeat, you don't have to be exceptional to be happy, and it's okay to do things just because you love them.

[@alexandru5369]

100% agree i like money as much as the next person but i realized, early on luckily, that " doing what you're passionate about " will, most likely, lead you too not be passionate about your hobby/ interest anymore. Side hustles are fine if you know that it's only temporary/ just for money

[@jeffersonadams8711]

Older millennial here ('82), and I was taught if you were good at something and you enjoyed it, you should pursue it as a career. Remember the saying "love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life"? I heeded that advice and went to college and studied what I was "good at and passionate about". Well, the academic, overanalytical, and formulaic way it was taught in University--coupled with the fact that (much like work) I was "forced" to do it for class--made me wind up _hating_ it and I dropped out of school. So I lost the only thing that I loved and which I had devoted _thousands_ of hours to as a teenager. I've never recovered from that, and I've never had a hobby I truly enjoy as much since. Essentially, the only thing I ever truly loved was destroyed by academia.

[@fasikbenvaneyck8345]

@@Bunny-ch2ul Thank you for this and to the comments below. I do just that but I have family and friends saying all that shit about why I didn't pursue a career doing what I was passionate about, and how I would be much happier. I didn't do it because I didn't want it to feel like a burden but to do it just because I love it, but sometimes it hits home and I feel like a loser and a coward, because to be honest, desk work is shitty half of the time; but I get my money and I have my free time to enjoy "my passion", so I guess it's not so bad 😉

[@amigadecachorros]

I think this was supposed to make me feel better but now I’m a sad millenial without a tumblr to cry on.

[@ShesquatchPiney]

Tumblr's still kickin' my dude. Come back, it's nice.

[@sweetrider6171]

​@@ShesquatchPiney Oh no, no it's not. It's still a hellsite but its gone down a level or two.

[@MemoirsofaBasketcase]

@@ShesquatchPiney Tumblr is dead

[@valemedina4473]

@@MemoirsofaBasketcase Tumblr is still very much Alive lol, only that now is retro

[@automnejoy5308]

I just want to IM somebody or join an RPG. ::sits and wonders what happened to the world::

[@UnboxingAlyss]

At the age of 36, I really appreciate this take. When people talk about "Millenials", I wonder which ones? Older Millenials (Xennials) like myself are VERY different from the younger ones. I do get sick and tired of us being blamed for everything when much of it has been out of our control. I don't get the dig about participation trophies (that no millennial asked for), or the fact that we are "lazy, entitled, and still live with our parents". Many millenials like myself DID graduate when the recession started, so how are you going to work with no jobs available? How are you suppose to pay rent with no job and massive student loan debt? I'm fortunate that my parents helped me with college costs, but the vast majority were not that lucky. It does annoy many like me that the generation that seems to shit on us the most (Boomers) are also the reason we are in this mess. There is a lot of grief over how we were raised "spoiled and entitled", yet Boomers seem to forget that THEY were the ones that raised us (for the most part). Still, I do enjoy having conversations like these with my own parents, who are Baby Boomers. They can see that it isn't all on us. Are some millennials lazy, spoiled, and entitled? Of course. There are people like that in every generation. While our generations have come up in very different circumstances (ie. my parents had to deal with racial segregation), we enjoy learning about each other and we do find common ground.

[@sarakoob6667]

Xenniels starts in 1983 you’re full millennial

[@halloweenallyearround4889]

I personally would LOVE not to depend on my abusive parents money wise but there are no disability checks available here (as there aren't any in most countries, and the majority of the ones who have that option give out miserable petty cash). The disabilities I mentioned make going for a full working day a death sentence. I would have to have 4 full time jobs to pay for a room in a shared apartment and basically starve. Most people of my generation who do work are becoming disabled from the exploitation and they can't afford to move out from their parents house/apartment either.

[@KS-ql2zd]

There seems to be quite a range from the youngest Generation Z to oldest Millennials since I'm Get Z and my parents are Millennials

[@EditioCastigata]

Participation trophies are not original to Millennial, and more a US phenomenon. Also, nobody blamed me ever or my cohort for anything novel, so no idea where this is coming from.

[@triumphofmagic]

@@halloweenallyearround4889 Your country sounds like mine in some ways.

[@---wq9xp]

I'm genuinely worried for everyone born after the boomer generation. There's just SO much fixing to do and by the time they're out of positions of power, it may be too late

[@dmoon6137]

My thoughts exactly. there were some great strides made from the 60s to 80s but it's as if once they reached their elder years they've made horrible policies and decisions.

[@amandasunshine2]

@@dmoon6137 they got crotchety and stuck in their ways

[@BishopWalters12]

It's already too late, a global depression is on the way and most countries including America will never be what it use to be in its prime.

[@kamanijefferson638]

I also am not a fan of baby baby Boomers aka Gen X. My parents had me young (18 and 20) and being raised by the MTV generation was a little traumatizing.

[@jlevans1985]

@@dmoon6137 the refusal to pass the torch after the last election is a perfect metaphor for that generation. look at what they've done to housing by hoarding it so they can lease it out at inflated prices and driving up the price of what's left to buy. My generation sure as fuck didn't do that nor did we ship all the jobs overseas that would support being able to possibly afford one of those homes, didn't go to war for 20yrs bail out the banks and then refuse to have any regard for their ability to infect others during the pandemic.

[@cheapypeepy9150]

I just find it odd how until 3-4 years ago every young person was considered a millennial. Now millennials are considered old hags (even those of us still in our 20s) and everyone is OBSESSED with gen z

[@Nonyah123]

yup. To be fair it makes sense for older millenials, being called young and hip when theyre all in 30s and 40s, but for us younger ones, it does feel weird to be in your 20s and considered young then 2 seconds later, old

[@cbpd89]

It's a bit nice to hear the crotchety old people complaining about kids today and finally not equating them with my generation. I graduated from college 10 years ago, so I haven't been a "kid" for quite some time.

[@HollyHargreaves]

Dont worry, it will be the same for Gen z when Gen Alpha turn teens. Gen z won't be cool anymore.

[@TheBiggestMoronYouKnow]

People who are afraid of death fetishize the young 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@oooh19]

@@Nonyah123 well 27, 28, 29 is close to 30 so you're not little kids or teens or like 21 year old. definitely not old

[@sparkle34342]

I'm 35 and I'm convinced our generation has had it the worst (besides maybe the Greatest Generation). Graduating in 2009 amidst a recession with no job prospects, jumping around career-wise because my first jobs were so low paying but it was all I could get. I know everyone had their own experience, but let me tell you Covid as a 33 year old single woman in a studio apartment was tough (in my mind, at least 20 somethings/teens still had their youth, and older people were already settled with kids and family). I was wasting my final "good years" in lockdown. Older Millennials are NOT QUITE in our prime anymore - we're approaching or at the time where we should be settling down and enjoying the fruits of our labor... but now we have more things to stress about - country is in political turmoil and extremely divided, climate change is a huge issue, womens rights are getting taken away, mass shootings every other day etc.. And yes, I know every generation has their problems, but I can't help think we've gotten extremely unlucky. The only good thing is not having my entire life online in my teens and 20s because god knows some of that stuff will come back to haunt Gen Z. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU POST ON THE INTERNET!!! It's there forever!

[@veritorossi]

I'm 38 amd I lost everything and have to start from scratch because I got very sick and now that I'm in remission and want to rebuild me life I don't fit in the jobmarket anymore. Most want up 30 or at most 35 and I can't even get a job as a sales person in a store because I'm overqualified. It's Fing awful. And the just as got in remission, covid hit and all the energy I had to start over just evaporated into nothing.

[@triumphofmagic]

37 here, graduated in 2007. The pandemic thing is so true. My most recent relationship ended right when it started and I'm just wasting my time since. Living with my parents. No prospects. I live in a different country, but it's also divided and even more unstable in many, many ways.

[@maggierobertson2962]

37 here. I've felt since the '08 crisis that our generation was going to have more in common with the greatest generation than any of the others. Our upbringing in such an intense period of economic decline has both lowered our standards and made us afraid to take chances. The claim that we are nihilists when compared to Gen Z coming up behind us makes perfect sense when you look at the state of the world during our prime.

[@mauntraedouglas2260]

Preach!

[@Sammy200655294]

a bit unrelated, but we should all really change our perspective on aging and what "the good years" are. We build the way we live and think about things. However the last couple of years I did feel like I was missing a lot of my youth and opportunities as I was starting my mid-twenties and had just graduated from college. I am now recovering from various mental health problems, including burn out/depression, in a job I don't really like with a future that everyone is telling me is basically the world as we know it ending. Also there's still covid lingering. I really am positive and hopeful though, because I have to, for my own sake. And because giving up won't change anything. So no - us being a bit younger, doesn't change the experience.

[@yassi8814]

I’m 27. I’m a millennial & I feel like I haven’t found what gives me a reason to live and thrive. I just go through the motions. But I can not pursue joy because I don’t even really know what can make me happy and optimistic anymore😩😫🙃

[@karaiakauma3179]

We're just hanging in there and surviving at this point

[@loubridges6488]

I’m 18 and I already feel like that. I’ve never had much in the past but I have a little more now. Finding small things I enjoy gives me a reason to keep going

[@madinp1177]

29 and feel the same way

[@Ex0dus111]

Pick something really hard and get good at it.

[@peko9896]

Exactly. I also haven't found anything to excel in.

[@skakirask]

Graduated in 09, right after the housing collapse, and at the peak of unpaid internships. I worked in retail for 2 and a half years, spending a good solid year job hunting before landing a job relevant to my field since I didn't have wealthy parents who could subsidize me while I interned. Laid off from the first job after a year, it took 8 months to find another. I was pretty lucky to hold onto that job for 8 years especially since they got picked up by a larger company, but when it became clear I would be passed over for promotions so upper management could hire their friends, and I would not receive a decent pay raise to actually support a family, I started looking elsewhere. It took a year and a half to land something better paying. 34 now, married, doing ok financially, but no kids. Thanks Boomers. And as for the "entitlement" attitude, Millennials are checking out of working hard because in the modern day, hard work just means getting more work for the same pay. Yes, our parents and grandparents could've started out as errand boys and ended up the CEO with the right amount of work ethic, but that just doesn't happen anymore. Because of hyper-specific hiring requirements and nepotism run amok, if you're good at your job, employers would rather keep you where you are than invest in your professional development and move you into better positions. The whole system is completely broken.

[@ladyeowyn42]

Yeah, we are the first generation to really know how fucked capitalism is and strategize around that reality. If I’ll never retire, I intend to take my leisure as I go, and to hell with the company’s bottom line. Loyalty is for suckers.

[@loverrlee]

💯💯💯💯💯

[@loverrlee]

@@ladyeowyn42 Exactly. All loyalty gets us is a kick in the nose. We don’t want to be treated like abused dogs. 🥺

[@SurrealSurrender]

Gather around youngsters. As THE eldest millennial (born in 81’), I can tell you that adulting is hard af, NO ONE has the answers, and we all are making it up as we go. No matter what your age is, being a human is difficult.

[@LisaF777]

I noticed that too as a younger millennial. Most people have no idea what they are doing or what's going on. Fake it till you make it

[@nicholasmiller2172]

Being born in ‘82, the thing that most annoys me is being labeled as a millennial while the attributes assigned to me reflect the most recent generations.

[@CoolChevere]

I was at bar and talking to a younger millennial and they realized in just a few short years they were not going to be young and it scared the crap out of him.

[@thothheartmaat2833]

kind of weird since our society is controlled by humans.. or are we really the pets of aliens making our life difficult?

[@saintsaens21]

It's easy if you take it slowly - rent not own, no kids, sports, healthy food and habits. '82

[@SharayaMW]

As an "Elder Millennial" I'm just gonna clarify now that we were not the group receiving participation awards. Many of our classrooms, particularly from 4th to 8th grade, were packed to the gills. There were no lunch share programs for those of us in the inner cities and no charter schools to make the ones of us with active parents feel special or any leg up on our peers. Funny how we're apparently this huge group of narcissists when we had no internet until we were damn near out of high school and that was just the lucky folks; no smart phones or social media. We had to walk or bike around our neighborhoods. We actually had to deal with things that taught us how to manage our own lives like boredom, friends, magazines, radio, teasing/bullying with no movement against it, buses, payphones, and very few, if any helicopter parents fighting to make things more equal for us or to give us every opportunity imaginable. We knew what it was like to grow up and go to bed at night because there were no 24 hr kids networks. We had to listen and pay attention to our elders, because they didn't really care about us being "off in our own world." We had chores that we got done for free. Our only payment was the opportunity to "go outside" without getting shit from our parents. If we wanted any cool items or new items we had to save up our little birthday, Christmas, or good grade money to get it. We were told that the world was a melting pot and the sky was the limit by our parents, most of who never did any better than working class settlers. Did your parents have dreams? Everytime I hear that avocado toast bs, I want to punch someone in the Face. I didn't grow up with Starbucks and I'm pretty sure I didn't purchase an actual avocado until I was in the military. The fact that we're all compared to the most famous, most successful elder millennials alive is a complete gaslight.

[@jv-man3698]

Yes! born in 89. This speaks to me.

[@chadwellington2524]

91 and i dont know what participation award kids means, things were pretty normal in high school

[@lizzybethnj617]

Born in 1984 and all of his is facts

[@gabrielbenitez9257]

Born 92 and same, we didn't fell for the "Participation Trophy" stuff. I still remember our teachers tearing up our papers, letting us know where we were going wrong and then giving us a small punishment like squatting if we disobeyed. So we learned from those and developed that thick skin.

[@UrbanAlchemystic]

85er and I felt this on cellular level!

[@Angi3_6]

I was born in 1993, so I’m not an Elder Millennial, but I really wish the Millennial and Gen Z generations stopped trying to one up each other in terms of how much harder life is for them. Both of our generations are all dealing with the consequences and selfishness of the Boomers. We are all dealing with circumstances outside of our control. We need compassion and understanding for one another.

[@gabigabigabi123]

why do millenials hate boomers? genuinely asking

[@malleyne2004]

@@gabigabigabi123 their policies have screwed us over.

[@NJGuy1973]

99% of Millennials have more in common with 99% of Gen-Zers than they have with the other 1% of either generation.

[@NJGuy1973]

@@malleyne2004 We Gen-Xers were hating Boomers while you Millennials were busy watching Barney.

[@serenabramble260]

​@@gabigabigabi123 In addition to their political policies of deregulation screwing both gen z and millennials over, they refuse to see that the American Dream and the middle class is gone and say we need to put down the avocado toast if we want to buy a house because they still think that a bartender can support a family of 4 and go on vacation and save for retirement because that was true in pre-Reagan America. More than any generation, they're most in need of a software update, and they'll die out before that happens. And what bothers me is that older people are still the ones who vote and who are listened to politically; most people who show up to city council meetings are retired old folks who have the time and instead of understanding that the world has changed a lot since they were in the workforce, they still vote for horribly deregulating policies because they don't want to pay taxes in their final years and leave young people to pick up the tab. They're the equivalent of someone who throws a lit cigarette out as they're leaving a park.

[@kcc09kcc]

We “vintage Millennials” are doing Great and will continue to do great things! We have been through and seem so much, Y2K, 9-11, ‘08’-stock crash, pandemic and now monkey pox! We are resilient and full of tenacity! Im proud to be apart of one of the greatest generation, because look at what we have endured in such a short period of time, and we are still standing tall!! To all my fellow “Vintage Millennials” keep it up, Buttercup! We’re in this for the long haul!!

[@haydenlane9600]

Something else about millennials that I don’t feel like culture really touches on… divorced parents used to be really taboo like I knew maybe one or two kids in my elementary grades that had divorced parents but as we got older it was like one by one our friends’ parents got divorced if not our own parents. Left a lot of us with a really depressing outlook on love and commitment and if it was really worth it in the end. Did anybody else have that experience growing up or did I live in a really depressed pocket of the community?

[@Kira_Martel]

Totally, by high school I was one of the rare kids whose parents were still married, on their first marriage. Even in elementary school most of my friends' parents were divorced, or had a previous marriage before the marriage that produced my friends. Even after I moved to a rural conservative town at the end of elementary, divorce was increasingly common. Most of my friends are totally jaded on marriage and commitment, and my husband and I were two of the few kids in our friend group whose parents were still together. Probably influenced why we felt more comfortable getting married.

[@haydenlane9600]

@@Kira_Martel to expand on this point because so many of us grew up with a jaded view on love and commitment a number of my friends and peers went through more of a hook up phase or having friends with benefits over actual relationships than previous generations.

[@Kira_Martel]

@@haydenlane9600 Yeah, I really noticed that reticence toward any sort of emotional investment in a relationship. Like they were seen as so risky that people spent a lot of time with one foot in and one foot out, and didn't have a lot of trust for whoever they were with. Or all the reluctance to even name or label something a relationship. The "Oh he's not my boyfriend," kind of stuff. Or "This girl I'm talking to," when really they're doing everything short of living together. It kind of made my heart hurt because being in a loving, healthy, committed relationship can be so healing. But it takes a lot to get there when you've grown up in the wreckage of failed marriages, emotional immaturity, and poor conflict resolution.

[@monicamartini6881]

Yes, most definitely! All went super smooth until the last year of high-school /first year of college, when so many friend's parents and family members started getting divorces!

[@skakirask]

Yep, my parents divorced when I was a senior in high school.

[@laurenzak98]

I'm gen z (on the older side) and I appreciate what a lot of millennials both older and younger have achieved. I share a lot of the same feelings of despair and growing up in an ever changing, somewhat depressing society solely built to prepare you to work. I never understood why the label millennial was comparable to being lazy, I've seen how hard you guys work and it's not your fault that the economy was screwed by the time you could enter the workforce.

[@DawnSkyStudios]

Me too

[@gabrielbenitez9257]

Thank you

[@Mariposa-11-2007]

THANK you!

[@Peter-uo9km]

Meh I don't work very hard anymore

[@noxdecious8096]

millenials have it way better than gen z does gen z work hard as hell only to get shit on and made fun of and never have anything to look forward to

[@ruru110685]

When I was in middle school Columbine happened and suddenly school wasn't safe anymore. In fact the adults were now scared of us. When I was in high school 9/11 happened and the entire country wasn't safe anymore. I watch the towers fall while in social studies class learning about how America is an inspiration to everyone. I graduated high school when the Iraq war began and some guys I graduated with went in the army and right into the war. It was also around this time that I realized the government will actively lie to you for their own profit. I graduated college in 2008, just in time to not be able to get a job. I was told all my life how important a career and financial independence was to be an adult and then it was like adulthood was closed off to us. All while we were being told how spoiled and entitled we were. Everything we were promised turned out to be a lie.

[@echoblue3859]

That’s why I say - f it, I’m getting avocado toast.

[@loverrlee]

Yes to all of this. And then when I turned 30, and I was FINALLY just starting to get my life together, the pandemic hit and suddenly the entire WORLD wasn’t safe anymore. We had nowhere left to run. And everyone hated us simply for the time we were born. It’s a lonely and sad life being a millennial. 💔

[@canadagirl408]

I was also in jr. high during Columbine and sat and watched 9/11 LIVE during study hall (and the rest of the day). I remember my elementary school teacher telling us that there had been a bombing in OK when we got back from either Specials or Recess (where we were coming back from is a bit fuzzy but I know we came from somewhere because we all came in and our teacher told us to all sit down quietly because he had something really important he had to say and we all did it immediately due to the look on his face) but that was before there were TVs in classrooms so he heard it from the teachers lounge and let us know bc they weren't sure if they were going to send us home since we lived in a metro area and a lot of our parents worked in a city and at first they were thinking of evacuating federal buildings. I remember getting home and my dad's office had let them leave and I told him the second I got off the bus and he said he knew and that's why he was home and had the TV on and I actually got to see it happen (replayed). I remember watching the Rodney King riots. I remember the OJ case very well and talking about heavily with my classmates at the lunch table along with the car chase...these are moments that I remember so well, maybe some moments when my grandchildren or grandnieces/nephews will ask me "where I was when..." or "what I remember" like we did when we had and asked our parents "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" I also remember my sister teasing me because I kept calling the Soviet Union the "Soviet Reunion"; We watched crayons get made on Mr. Rogers and by time Barney was on T.V. we were in school and maybe our younger siblings watched it because they were still in pre-school. My first game console was the NES and even though I was little, my sister taught me how to aim the gun just right to hit the ducks--later on I would become Platinum in Link's Crossbow Training (I owe it to her and that game); Battletoads became our original "Smash Brothers" when we realized our characters could beat each other up. When the SNES came out, I was the first kid on the street to beat the game and had to go over to each other the other kids' houses and show them how to beat Bowser. Our family "road trips" consisted of an etch-a-sketch, coloring books and crayons, a gameboy split between 3 kids (useless once it got dark) and a cooler between the seats with cups, ice, and Coke (bottled water wasn't really a thing yet and no one in my family drank pop except for Coke/Diet Coke), we played "car games" and talked/joked around like a family and angry dialogue btw parents in the front seat over reading the map is forever remembered by me and my siblings, we didn't even have MapQuest yet (Mom still can't read a map and Dad refuses to use a GPS)

[@whenfatkillsfat803]

I'm glad 99 was my senior year since that's when it all began. Can't imagine going to school now with these shootings.

[@canadagirl408]

@@whenfatkillsfat803 I can't imagine going to school with cell phones/iPhones...when we were teens, our peers could bully us with rumors, now peers have proof/evidence due to iPhones and with just a few swipes, the whole school can know

[@LeahWalentosky]

I’m surprised 9/11 and the war on terror wasn’t mentioned. It’s effect on military enrollment among late Gen x and elder millennials added to later talks of mental health and trauma. It also effected our views on religion being the least religious of previous generations as our teen Bush years we saw violence done in the name of religion.

[@BluetheRaccoon]

Veteran with 6 years service here. Before I enlisted I was very much an objector to the war, but they seduced me with the promise of a free education that came with lots of asterisks I didn't pay nearly enough attention to.

[@LeahWalentosky]

@@BluetheRaccoon I’ve met a lot of millennial veterans definitely different from the older vets. A lot less patriotic and more supportive of each other.

[@sinnsage]

i think the lack of religion has a lot to do with the internet and having access to more information and ideas, which open people’s minds and make them question the things they’ve been told. one of the benefits of the internet, which has very much been the double edged sword of humanity.

[@nataliabae3149]

I’m a gen Z in the reserves. People have no idea how damaging war is on people’s minds. The army’s culture is so toxic.

[@kalstonii]

Yeah. One day you just got on planes, the next day, airline travel changed. And i was just coming out of high school. In 99, in my area, a 1br apt in decent mid income area was around $650. In 2002, they were $850 in the hood. That should say it all.

[@escritora84]

As an older millennial ('84), I feel a kinship more with younger Gen-X folks - they were also labeled lazy entitled slackers, and also were the first generation to experience rapid changes with technology and the rise of the internet. They also were the first to experience the problems millennials are still seeing today (skyrocketing higher ed costs, social programs being underfunded or gutted entirely, Reagan-era economic policies, etc). My family didn't get access to internet until 2000 or cell phones until 2004-ish, so half of my life has been analog and the latter half digital lol. But one important factor people don't talk about regarding older millennials is how Columbine and 9/11 completely changed the landscape for us - many of us mark those events as the turning point between childhood and adulthood, as it was the first crisis we collectively experienced and had a huge impact on our future going forward. I was in my freshman year of high school when Columbine happened, and my senior year of high school when 9/11 happened - some of my classmates went off to Iraq and Afghanistan just 9 months later, all of them doing multiple tours. When the recession and housing crisis hit after that, it just stacked onto an already unstable political and economic environment. I was fortunate to graduate college early, just a few months before the economic crashes hit, but many of my classmates didn't have the same luck - it took some time to get them on their feet. Life pre and post 9/11 for us were like night and day, and i don't think this is something older generations truly understand. More importantly, the goalposts/markers of "traditional" adulthood (getting married/buying a house/having kids) have shifted for us - for some, they're not even attainable. Millennials have been hit with crisis after crisis consistently since 2001. Wages and benefits have been stagnating or disappearing, college costs even higher than before, job postings often don't match levels of experience with pay (5+ years w/ a master's for entry level positions), and now we've been hit with COVID and inflation... The social programs that existed for previous generations don't exist anymore. My boomer mom still has trouble understanding why I couldn't afford a house with my salary - the average home in my area was about $150K when I graduated, and now they're well over $500K+. She also doesn't understand why I'll probably never have kids (especially now), or expect to get Social Security. I'll be lucky if I can stay employed long enough in the same career path to even retire. So tl;dr: We've been in crisis mode for about 20 years and the goalposts for us have changed drastically compared to previous generations. Boomers griping about Starbucks and avocado toast is not only annoying, but reeks of a lack of empathy and understanding for what we've collectively been through.

[@anikadiamond007]

Totally agree! Gen x changed the tech game and continued what the Boomers started with tech. We were also the first to grow up with pc's, video games, etc. What you've said is true!

[@politiciansthrowstones]

I'm 38 and just bought a house and had first child 2 years ago. Naturally we ended up pregnant in January 5th 2020 right before they shut the world down around us. Fortunately I work in/on industrial hvac specifically chillers. So my job market is wide open. Knocking down 100k per year with out a degree. Had to work exceptionally hard to get to this level over the past 15 years. I have to say the younger generation, the very few how are getting into trade work, don't understand what work is about. They expect 30 bucks per hour up front and want to go home everyday at 2pm. So that generation I think will be lost and less ambitious than our generation as a whole in the job market.

[@dmn4747]

ok you and I have really similar tracks. Also born I 84 but grew up in rural south so very little tech until college. Columbine was my freshman year and 9/11 was my senior year. I graduated into a teaching job in 2007 just before it got really hard to get a job as a teacher (that's no longer the case). I often feel like a gen xer with a millennial sense of humor.

[@dmn4747]

Also there is something uniquely traumatic about growing up as a kid in an affluent society that's pre school shooting but then being a teenager when those things shift. You're old enough to fully grasp it and young enough it's totally altered your life at a really bad time. Sort of like high schoolers living through the pandemic I think. They were uniquely hard hit by lockdowns. It was hard of all of us but yeah.

[@laurelrosegardens6454]

That's exactly it with the boomers. A complete lack of understanding or recognition of how drastically different the world is since they grew up. How many of the changes that their generation brought about have not benefitted the younger generations and in fact made life more difficult for their children and grandchildren.

[@mynameis9683]

I am a Millennial. I was born a year after my country fell apart and an ideology which defined it for 70 years turned into ashes. I was a child when there was barely anything on the shelves. When I was 5 years old, a massive default meant that everything became literally 1000 times more expensive overnight. When I was a preteen, the central government of my country conducted a bloody and merciless war in one of the regions, causing untold suffering in the region and constant threat of terrorist attacks elsewhere in the country. When I was 16, a global financial crisis and a recession hit. My country invaded one of its neighbours. My country continued its descent into a fascist dictatorship, legalising state sponsored homophobia, killing freedom of the press and freedom of speech. By that point I was studying abroad, enjoying the beauty of UK's Hostile Environment, which literally left me with PTSD. When I graduated, my country annexed territories from another neighboring state and yes, continued the descent into fascism. When I was in grad school, a global pandemic hit. When I finally got my first post grad school job, my country started the biggest war in continental Europe since WWII. I haven't even gotten started on any of the economic shit going on. Tell me that I'm fucking entitled, Boomers, I dare you.

[@loverrlee]

You are not entitled. Your a survivor. You’re strong as hell. And I’m proud of you for putting up with all the BS. You shouldn’t have to, but you did. You rock.💗💗💗

[@thomasnielsen5580]

Could just tell from the beginning you are from Russia. My mom told me stories about the tough decade following the fall of the berlin wall. She moved and created me in another country. She never looked back.

[@Kira_Martel]

🫂

[@pedrokantor3997]

Interesting that as a Russian, you know nothing about NATO's agression. The war in Ukraine didn't just start from nowhere. The USA invades countries all the time and is the world bully, but you don't care about that right?

[@shootingbricks8554]

I hate how boomers say millennials and Gen zs are soft due to lack of war or military service. The majority of troops fighting in the 'War on Terror' in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and Nigeria with the Russians fighting Ukraine are millennials and Gen Zs. As a millennial vet that pissed me off.

[@emilyplunkett6034]

The issues Millennial face started at least a decade before the 2009 recession. We were the generation that watched 3,000 people be murdered on live TV while sitting in our first period classrooms, and things just never got better.

[@marks2807]

I was 21 when 9-11 happened. While people don't address it as much as 2008. The world Trade center being destroyed was what actually started our economy falling apart. The heavy inflation started right after 9-11, and really has never ended.

[@emilyplunkett6034]

@@marks2807 This is extremely true. I was 16 and living in a Canadian border town, and I was about two years away from high school graduation. Everything about our lives as they were and our future plans just suddenly had an all-encompassing shadow. So much uncertainty, and it made me and a lot of my classmates just hesitate on everything from post-secondary education to moving away from our parents' homes, to even wanting to cross the border to go to the nearby outlet malls in Michigan. By the time 2008 rolled around and we felt OK with moving on, we got another blow that just felt, well, expected.

[@UrbanAlchemystic]

I'll never forget that day I was a junior in high school and was in home mom when I turned on the TV

[@normix]

We also seen Gaza got bombed in 2008-9, and things still haven't changed in 2023-24 for the next generation.

[@larkmacgregor3143]

The "Millennials" remind me of my own generation - Gen X.We, too, graduated at a time in which jobs were scare, inflation was rampant, and financial security seemed a pipe dream, assured that Social Security would be a distant memory and we'd never be able to retire. We, too, were characterized as "lost" - the latchkey kids of working moms and/or divorced parents who basically raised ourselves, and were thus self-centered, and self-reliant as well as indifferent and grasping. We were born before the internet existed, still used computers at school and work when tech was in its infancy, and a lot of us discovered the social media double-edged sword soon enough that we personally escaped becoming dependent on it, even as the world around us did. I'm old enough (57) to remember when you applied for jobs *In Person*, and didn't have to wonder if you were being "ghosted" (i.e. ignored) by a company's HR or if Indeed or other job "application" filter programs ever sent your application in to the company in the first place. We, too, put off marriage and raising families (and having fewer kids when we did) for economic reasons, and have the highest debt burden of any American generation. I guess the point of this is that the economy runs in cycles, and we (Millennials and Gen Xers) happened to come to adulthood at the low point of each cycle. Barring the U.S. falling into fascism, this is likely to continue. We weren't lucky, but sometimes you can make your own luck. We've done and *will* do our best to make lemonade out of the lemons we've been handed, and work to make things better for our children if we can.

[@BluetheRaccoon]

"falling into fascism" happened a long time ago, dear. And the lemons have dried on the branches.

[@larkmacgregor3143]

@@BluetheRaccoon I disagree. We have definitely already fallen into oligarchy, but that is not the same as fascism. There are certain segments of our population, however, who are trying their damnedest to get us there. Resist.

[@larkmacgregor3143]

@@reneeladouceur Yep. And now we're appreciated as having good work-life balance. Go figure 😂

[@thomasnielsen5580]

You are right about the cycles (im an economist).

[@christinahek]

If there’s anything new, it’s the constant media declarations and handwringing about the current hardships. I hate this “lost” generation stuff over economics. The lost generation of the 20th century applies to young European men dying and being maimed by the millions in a bloody, intractable war. Hardly comparable.

[@samiam2088]

I'm 33, I remember Columbine and 9/11. I graduated in 2010 and the pandemic basically hit the "reset" button on my entire life in the past couple years. There is ALWAYS something insane going on in the background of my life, but every now and then I catch a break to take a bit of stress off. I am just trying to enjoy everything ELSE in the meantime and weather the storm. I'm lucky though, I have no kids or student loans. I'm lucky enough to have a good and supportive community around me.

[@loverrlee]

I am almost 33 and I feel the exact same way! Couldn’t have said it better myself. 💯💯💯

[@shanchitaroysorno7181]

As a 27 (almost 28) years old Millennial, my life is stuck with the pandemic, 3 years went in a wind. I turn 25 in 2020. I had so many opportunities in front of me, that I was living my life. then the pandemic happens I still haven't recovered from it. before covid I was living abroad, studying and doing a job, earning money. Because of the pandemic, I have to come back to my country and lose a lot of money. now I am living with my parents(my mom). no career no opportunity. I am literally fuck*d. I wanted a kid so badly, wanted to be a mom. But recently I realize I don't wanna have a kid or get married. I think I am done for.it's depressing.

[@sweetnaomi56]

If this is for you: Date a man who will take care of you. It's not impossible. It's what I do. It works. My tuition is paid and I live rent free, I cook, clean, he works, its great. Try it.

[@anandadaquino3604]

When I was 27 I started to get used to the idea of not having kids, turns out I found one man and we've been living together, so... 😂 Never lose your hope. Which country are you from?

[@fuosdi64]

26 y/o millennial too. same...

[@shanchitaroysorno7181]

@@anandadaquino3604 Bangladesh, I am a minority in the country. So had to work and study my a*s off to go abroad. I was finally doing so well in late 2019. I kinda lose all my hope but still trying. I don't know if anything good will happen though.

[@shanchitaroysorno7181]

​@@veritorossi i kinda lose all my hope but still trying to move abroad. I don't even know if I am gonna make it off my won. hopefully, something will good happen( highly unlikely though). I am so happy for you that you get well and trying to get back into the job market. wish you will get your job. best of luck. 💜💜

[@Tinymoezzy]

To anyone born in the early 2000s, I wish you all the best of luck and more. You get 3 years to be an adult, then you get a lifetime labeled as geriatric. Live a good life. Be good to yourself, and each other.

[@tarag7292]

I know. This is stupid, and the take ought to be ashamed of themselves. The take has done videos on Boomers and Gen X, and they have NEVER referred to the people born in the early part of that generation as "elderly, geriatric, senior," etc. But early Millennials are all of a sudden geriatric. The oldest Millennial is in their early 40. Aging, but nowhere near "geriatric." I am convinced this channel hates Millennials.

[@sethbrundels]

As A Millennial all I could say is wow, we became so reliant on nostalgia that we aren't going to leave anything behind.

[@zayag3543]

If you want a bit of optimism. Most academics believe that right now is the start of peak millennial. The boomers are retiring, and millennials are now taking their place as the leaders of wealth generation and consumer market. We had a rough start but things are only going up from here, and the massive positive shift in the job market is just the first sign of this.

[@sethbrundels]

@@zayag3543 That is a great assessment, and has changed my mind. thanks for that

[@darman210]

We had to deal with a LOT of insane traditions and opinions from Boomers and the Silent Generation. Social media came along and became more prominent during our late 20’s so we had the opportunity to communicate and compare notes, which has allowed us to unload our frustrations and participate in a sort of virtual group therapy. Anyway, it’s made us more empathetic to the younger generations.

[@robertwilliams570]

I’m a 35 y/o black male millennial from NC and I feel this country overlooked us

[@shootingbricks8554]

I disagree. They mostly disrespected us.

[@Mariposa-11-2007]

Virtual hug! And solidarity always.

[@galaxiandancer]

I don't mean to speak for anyone else out there. Having said that, as a millenial i'm so tired of having to keep struggling to get more degrees, more certifications and more languages to get nothing in return but empty speaches of "family at the office" and coupons or bonuses instead of actual raises. I wanted to focus on art, philosophy and making the world a better place and I still do what i can, probably always will, but trying to get a freaking house before i'm 95 and trying not to get a severance package for a fifth time from a corporation takes A LOT of my energy. I don't think things are going to get better in terms of economics for my generation, i honestly think it's too late for us but we can try to guide Gen Z through the mess that boomers left us and that Gen X failed to recognized and change. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pesimist at all, but we have been getting hit with wave after wave of crap since the 2000's worlwide and it's going to take a long time for stuff to get better. So thank you for recognizing that, even with the crappy hand we got, we still push to make things better.

[@oooh19]

well prices keep increasing so much recently. like i went somewhere recently and they wanted $5 for a single cookie! really!

[@KGZ008]

Spot on. I too do my best to keep my head up and it's heartbreaking to even imagine what some who just aren't strong enough or have other burdens and didn't or won't make it to even worry about it anymore, let alone recover.

[@jasonlara1943]

maybe you should have learned a trade and joined a union. pay raises befits retirement bets the hell out of having degrees with no job.

[@galaxiandancer]

@@jasonlara1943 i have a degree in Art history and management, a post graduated course in project management, I'm a transformational coach, i speak 4 languages and have been working for 15 years in some of the largest corporations in the world, i think that should be enough... having said that, it's never too late to learn something new

[@abetterlivedlife]

I think most of Gen X noticed (Millennial here), but they didn't have anywhere near the voting power than Boomers have. Boomers were the largest generation in history. They greatly outnumbered Xers. It's a big reason why the financial laws changed so much as they aged to always benefit them.

[@tankgunner9860]

I’m an elder millennial without kids, so I would say I’m doing great

[@FabalociousDee]

OMG, same! Internally, things get better as I get older.

[@riturajsandhupeasant4885]

They forgot childfree movement and climate change 🤔

[@oooh19]

wait also why are women judged for not having kids more so than men? women's bodies are carrying the babies for 9 months so that's a huge deal!

[@echoblue3859]

Here here 🥂

[@adu1991]

@@oooh19 Biological clock. That's one of the reasons why.

[@JazidContreras]

This is bleak... And totally accurate. I (36) feel like I've grown up in a world in constant crisis.

[@juliannehannes11]

Same, 36 feels like 50

[@jlevans1985]

even more accurate.

[@sifatshams1113]

I'm 32. Dropped out of college way back in 2012. Been living at home with the parents ever since. No girlfriend. No friends whatsoever. Zero job prospects other than some crappy job a sympathetic relative might be able to set me up with. Just living life, dancing my way into oblivion.

[@DatOneGuy901]

same.

[@litjay7073]

Same

[@Luciphell]

Hits hard.

[@daniellesve5595]

Oof dude my heart goes out. Keep ya head up and remember restaurants are desperately hiring right now!

[@BlancheNeigefan]

I really hope that you don't think less of yourself because of this. I had a friend like you who thought she was screwed (living at home, no job, one friend, no significant others since high school). It has been a pleasure to see her succeed and be happy, even if she overtook me in many ways and I kind of feel jealous since I'm still professionally "stuck". I hope you hold on and that things get better for you too. Take care!

[@kendallstark4302]

I'm quite shocked to hear that I, a 40-year-old woman born in 1981, am a millennial.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I think the systemic problem of setting unrealistic expectations on future generations due deprivation in previous generations is also to blame. Not every generation is made for a high-pressure society.

[@dianatorralbo7690]

1987 here. Crappy jobs all my life. Never financially stable. Boomers bullying me at home, at school, at job. Roommate until COVID, lost job and back to parents house. No friends, no boyfriend, little emotion about the future.

[@secretlybees]

As someone at the end of Millennials, I feel like I'm caught between being millennial and gen Z. I'm not even 30, but Zoomers want to act like I'm old when I literally was in school with that generation. Most of my life, I've been online. I was among the first classes to run shooting drills in school, something a lot of older millennials never dealt with. I also dealt with a bunch of school bomb threats and bomb drills, which Zs haven't experienced much of.... I just wish people would realize that the generational labels aren't as clear-cut as they seem to think.

[@oooh19]

well when youre a little kid you think 19 is old so its all relative

[@secretlybees]

​@@oooh19 The youngest gen z are 10, and I don't hold that against them at all. It's more the older teens (and media) that act like the cut off for youth is the WORD millennial when the youngest millennials are 26, and the oldest zoomers 25.

[@the_only_living_ghost]

Check out Tiffany Ferguson‘s video called “too young from millennial, too old for Gen z”

[@oooh19]

@@secretlybees millennials are still young though

[@tns.xcoske]

Gen Z is from 1999-2012

[@heyidaroo]

Most of the “successful” millennials, particularly the ones in tech, still came from money. I graduated high school in 2005, and 6 people (all in the top of the class) work for Facebook, Google, and Twitter, getting 6-figure jobs immediately after graduating. These people were very great at technology in high school because they had *access* to top of the line multiple laptops and computers, getting new ones yearly. They had a HUGE advantage going into college

[@halloweenallyearround4889]

My eldest cousin is successful in tech and I'm not saying he didn't worked his ass off, bcs he did and does, but he's mad privileged compared to the average person. He had opportunities that one could only dream of. His parents aren't filthy rich but they kind of are compared to mine in spite of living frugally too and being poor compared to THEIR friends. I got my first pc at 23 in 2012; my first smart phone at 28. After that my IT learning was fast paced bcs I was depressed, minimally employed and chronically online but comparatively my cousin and other people with a similar background were going to programming classes at 8 years old, went to Ivy league colleges on full scholarships, had tutors and mentors, their parents were never shy to ask for favours to family and friends, etc.

[@garitobee7541]

It’s interesting because when we talk about Millennials we’re talking Millennials in the West and we call them “the lost generation”. In Japan, they have the EXACT same moniker for THEIR Millennials, “the lost generation”. They had a boom in the 80’s followed by a subsequent crash and recession and they still live with their parents. Sound familiar?

[@FabalociousDee]

I don't love my life...but I think it would be so much worse if I'd had children and student debts. It really feels like my best years have been my elder years so far. I'm out of the loop, so that actually gives me time to focus on myself.

[@robofistsrevenge3288]

"Will millennials be okay?" No. No we fucking won't be, dear lord, somebody either save us or kill us, we'll take either at this point.

[@maleko2841]

I like this comment the best.

[@TreasureByMeasure]

This is the comment that needs to be pinned.

[@BKSF1]

hah, you're not wrong

[@nickcox1408]

At this point in my life, what you said is 100% true. My parents were deadbeats and divorced. Both died from self-inflicted illnesses. Alcoholism and obesity. So they left me. I'm an Iraq war veteran, and you know how we're doing. My life is ruined and I'm only 36. Yet fucking boomers tell me " oh your still a kid you'll be fine." Goddamm man can you just try to sympathize with us? Just a little?

[@balsarmy]

I am more optimistic. You shouldn't give up there

[@Gudsur]

Being an elder millenial, I have to say that literally none of the odds were ever in our favor. Being a successful elder millennial had to have come with pure luck, because the majority of us worked our asses off and are still struggling for no reason. We were completely robbed...fed lies and had to deal with the trauma of empty promises. Graduating high school shortly after Y2K (which was a complete farce), and joining the workforce was so numbing. Everything in life felt off for years. Then being fed more lies about how amazing life would be if we all went to college...now here we all are still trying to pay off our college debts and can't buy houses from that lie...and most of us are now too "overqualified" for jobs we would've had no problem getting if we skipped college in the first place. I wish I went to learn a trade instead 😡

[@APTTMHYforever]

Well said!! I’m 38 with a MBA and all kinds of certificates (state teaching, six sigma/project management, legal studies) but when I was laid off years ago, the best that I could get was a store manager for Office Depot😒🥴 I decided to basically get into a Peter Pan syndrome, I’m a flight attendant and barely do any “adulting”🤷🏽‍♀️ I tried from 2005-2015 to do all the expected stuff… now I’m over it💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

[@Gudsur]

@@APTTMHYforever I'm with you there. Being a responsible big kid seems to be the best coping mechanism

[@BishopWalters12]

Born in 83, I felt like life and money from 2016-2019 was really headed in the right direction for the first time in my adult years but here we f@@@@@g are again. I think this recession or even depression will last longer which is much scarier at 39 compared to 24 or 25.

[@Gudsur]

@@BishopWalters12 I'm 100% with you. It's like you wrote that based on my life. I was born in '83 as well; and for me, it was 2016-2021 where my money was headed in the right direction. There doesn't seem to be an "up" from it all this time. Everything feels hopeless. Our 40's was suppose to be the best decade, but...

[@Amethyst12thheaven]

And here we are, STILL trying to recover from the LIES we were fed of “if you work hard, you can have all your dreams come true” & the resulting disillusionment of actually working hard with nothing to show for it & the feelings of failure that resulted. Add to that the traumatic American events happening constantly around us plus the excitement of trying to keep up with new tech as it rolled out with no money to spend on it..nah, we never stood a chance. Doomed from the start. But, we’re still here making it somehow & have some kinda mission to fulfill, however unclear it may seem. After all, we were the 1st ones to learn MSDOS & Windows early versions on PC. We learned to type on 1st gen Apple Macs. We had analog Nokia cell phones. We learned to program the VCR for our parents. We mastered our Nintendo game systems & sega Genesis. We learned the cheat codes to our favorite games. We’re kinda the OG’s of new tech. I guess, After everything we went through, I’d say we’re pretty bad-ass.

[@adamkreuz9068]

"I still haven't recovered from 2008" Goddamn do I feel that

[@KGZ008]

I'm 38 this year and after graduating college in 2006, I took a soul crushing desk job in tech support and was treated like a child despite years of experience and internships, only to then be seen as last hired first let go in 2008. With no other option but maybe military, I took out loans and went back for my masters, in which I did my entire thesis on millennial culture. After graduating in 2012 and landing a great university teaching position in IT, I was laid off again due to state univ budget cuts. I had to borrow money from family only adding to my debt, and pay it back by working part time jobs at bars and seeing my former students doing great while I was cleaning up puke. To say it's been rough is an understatement. I landed a new corporate job the same month covid hit and have been fully remote since but finally paid off my debt and have some savings. Now inflation is destroying that and I think it's too late to even consider starting a family or owning a home. Let alone trying to start a business or take any risk other than being a single indentured servant in a one bedroom apt. That said, thanks for this update, I've been thinking about working on my thesis work from grad school and writing a book or podcast, but figured it's all about gen z now. If anyone out there sees this and wants to share ideas.... Find me.

[@cbligerman]

I actually think it would be refreshing to hear a generational perspective that is not Amerocentric. The experiences of Millennials and Gen Z which we are exposed to the most, have been defined by circumstances of growing up in the US. While wars, recession and the pandemic are global their impacts on the psych of an individual are not universal. Best of luck to you, I hope to listen to your podcast!

[@KGZ008]

Update... I was laid off a few weeks ago. So, that's fun. 6 figures to unemployment.

[@chocothun1]

We need the correspondent Younger Millennial video too lol.

[@benwasserman8223]

At times I feel we’re as obscured from the conversation as Gen X’ers.

[@eugenenguyen9972]

As a younger millennial, job is not even my major concern because talking about nukes would be so much more epic.

[@Eevcee]

I don’t get the narrative that we are somehow in competition with Gen Z or that we see them as taking away the spotlight. I like Gen Z and they give me hope for the future. They’re compassionate but at the same time they’re driven, because they grew up more aware of the world around them thanks to technology. Millennials grew up internalizing whatever boomers told us we could watch on tv or learn at school - and in many cases the things we internalized were just myths. By the time the internet became a thing, most of us were already in early adulthood with fundamental misconceptions about the world we lived in.

[@oooh19]

tropes/stereotypes exactly. a lot of ppl treated others badly bc they resent them or think theyll be stereotypes w/out bothering to get to know anyone. like they justify being mean to someone bc they think theyll be a "mean girl" or so many girls thought they werent like other girls and viewed themselves as superior. they make tv/movies real they become those stereotypes. so many terrible friends as well! ive had to cut ties w/ friends bc they sucked and i dont regret it. plenty of other ppl to be friends w/ who make better friends

[@zayag3543]

Same here, Gen Z is great. We're a little different but we generally agree on the most important things.

[@oooh19]

@@zayag3543 yea but problem with modern society is some people find everything offensive when its not meant to be offensive. look at tone and context.

[@hanspeterfake3130]

@oooh19 I honestly wonder who's to blame, and I fear that are the millennials. Maybe it's some sort of rebellion against the boomers, the narrative that everything was oppressive being forced upon us via woke Hollywood. It's so annoying🙄

[@Adyman182]

Every generation since the boomers seems like a lost generation

[@DS-uh6ss]

They're still telling us Gen X-ers that we need to "wait our turn." Like, we're retirement age ourselves, now, Grandpa, go play more golf and let us create a viable world for the rest of us.

[@LittleHobbit13]

If I had to point to one major social issue negatively impacting the world, it's the way Boomers have largely broken the social contract with upcoming generations. There used to be an acknowledged point at which the older generations retired and transitioned power to the next generations, but Boomers have largely refused to transition the power. They don't even seem to be mentoring younger generations in the same way. They just refuse to pass the torch and it's hurting everyone because it means we're stuck with all of their antiquated beliefs and values even as younger generations would like to make changes (in the same way the Boomers once got to do).

[@EditioCastigata]

🎉

[@andrewralte4844]

The boomers are the real MeMeMe generation that ruined everything for the rest of us. They cannot let go of anything and refuse to give others a chance.

[@Rhauxshna82]

The Boomers *%cked all of us over . 3 gens destroyed.

[@omniframe8612]

I mean if it aint people in the previous and next gen talking shit about us for just existing, its something borderline depressing about how we’re doomed.

[@LuthienNightwolf]

I'm 40 and I'm doing just okay. Could be a heck of a lot better though. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never own a home unless an older relative leaves it to me in their will, and I never wanted kids anyway so that's a non-issue for me. But I still live paycheck to paycheck and have almost nothing in savings, just like how it was in my early 20's, and I wonder what sort of future I'll have for sure. All I can really do is take life one day at a time and do my best to adapt to the circumstances.

[@pinksakura27]

I can totally relate. I'm 31, divorced already, putting myself through college, 1 class at a time. All I ever wanted was a college degree, but I wonder what it's gonna do for me when I eventually get it, if I ever get it.

[@LuthienNightwolf]

@@pinksakura27 I have one (art school) and it doesn't get me anywhere. lol I am doing art full time but I'm self-employed freelance, not really using that fancy piece of paper for it.

[@Rhauxshna82]

Thats me and my husband too, we are all in same boat unless we have rich parents.

[@queenwhite4831]

Ditto. Not having anything gives a sense of relief and freedom though :) Stability is for previous generations.

[@queenwhite4831]

I've never even owned a pet due to renting etc. - total detachment rules! :o)

[@reyfan011]

I was born in 1993 so I’m in a weird middle where I did grow up with 90s stuff but it was up till kindergarten. So most of my preteen and teen years was in the 2000s.

[@megan0591]

Same with me but I was born in October 1991. I was 8 during the millennium.

[@luciskies]

Same! ‘91 baby. My bf relates too since he was born in ‘93 too

[@josemercado08]

Born in November 1993! Feel the same way too

[@raheemjones8814]

Agreed. Born 6/16/94.

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

Born in 1990. Right there at the Turn of the Century. I was 10 by the end of the decade.

[@AndersWatches]

I’m a younger millennial and I honestly feel utterly hopeless.

[@eurekamreum5458]

I'm 26 and I'm right there with you, friend. At least I don't have kids to worry about.

[@terracerios5924]

I’m 37. I like that I took my time finding the right partner, switching careers multiple times to find job that works for me and my needs, understanding my mental health, and waiting to have children till I was mentally, financially ready. Our parents did not have these options, tools, space to grow before they were pressured to find the career, partner, and make the family. And mental health was not discussed. I feel very fortunate to be a geriatric millennial. I get to see both sides and use that to create the life that I can thrive in.

[@Arekushisukun]

nice take on the subject mate. Take your well deserved thumbs up 👍

[@ninjesus4079]

always curious to know more. Would you mind telling us in which field you now work?

[@terracerios5924]

@@ninjesus4079 I went from B2B sales after graduating at the start of the 2008 recession, which led to teaching English in Japan, to news producer at multiple tv stations. I learned code and development along the way. Now I’m a project coordinator/scheduler for a vendor at Amazon. It’s not flashy, but it gives me a great work/like balance and I work for a team that’s supportive and non-toxic. I’ve learned so much along the way and know there’s more to discover in the future.

[@ninjesus4079]

@@terracerios5924 Thanks for sharing it with us, very interesting and glad that you found balance in your life.

[@benmcnights1763]

Did you work for Fuji? I did some work for London office

[@highwind1991]

My late childhood was defined by 9/11, and my late teens was defined by the recession. Then my mid-20s was defined by the Donald Trump election, only for my early 30s to be defined by the pandemic

[@majaborkowska8132]

It's possible to choose not be defined by the events shoved onto us by media (including the internet)

[@karaiakauma3179]

I wouldn't say defined for myself, but to have experienced a bunch of weird events in the millennial generation is just annoying and frustrating. We've had to adapt to changes and survive, but it hasn't been easy or enjoyable

[@deathbatgirlxxx]

Same. Millennials are the lost generation, just like those born a century earlier who were hamstrung by WWI and its fallout.

[@the_only_living_ghost]

Preach

[@alexanderfo3886]

Yupp. And some still have the nerve to say we were a pampered generation. And WWIII is about to begin, after all, let's not forget that.

[@deeluve22]

I was born in '83. I was able to go to college before student loans went insane, thus were able to pay them off (cancel them shits anyways). Single, no children, a cheapish condo I was only able to afford because I bought it in '10, a job with a salary over 80K, cc debt under $10K, a paid off car (bought in '07) and one whole bitcoin. And I wouldn't be surprised if I was doing better than most other millennials.

[@luciskies]

You are lol. Congrats my dude! ^.^

[@APTTMHYforever]

You’re definitely doing a LOT better than most older millennials

[@kairioblivion6544]

You are 😭😭😭😭

[@54032Zepol]

If your a millennial with no kids say yyeeaahhh!!!

[@carolfigueirars]

Yeah!!! My younger brother was too much handful it scared me. When I feel the need I visite my niece.🤣

I am, and proudly so.

[@davideanes3425]

Yyeeaahhh!!!

[@aaminagreen9495]

YEAH!

[@tankgunner9860]

Hell yeah!

[@catherineb.]

I just turned 30 last month. I don't feel so nihilistic as I did in my earlier 20s. I'm just going with the flow now. I focus on what I can control and let the chips fall wherever.

[@balsarmy]

yes, agree

[@samfilmkid]

“The game is rigged, but you cannot lose if you do not play.” -Marla Daniels, The Wire

[@loverrlee]

Exactly 💯💯💯

[@Mustafa9474]

Yes you can lol

[@velcroshrimp]

As a gen z I’ve always been fascinated by my millennial siblings and their friends. I feel like they went through so much and without them my generation would be less empathetic

[@nickcox1408]

You mean that?

[@nmnopnonld3ti]

Thank you! Me Born in 81. Gay and from effin Puerto Rico. lol shoot me now, we used to have electricity.

[@desertrose0027]

I'm among the oldest of elder millenials (b. 1980) and I feel that I was lucky enough to just barely escape the worst of the downturn while still being significantly impacted. I graduated a few years before the recession and was able to work a couple of years at a job before I was let go in 2009. This gave me some experience to work with in finding a job, but not enough for what the employers were looking for. I limped along for awhile with temp jobs before I was able to find something permanent, although I was overqualified for the job. I still have that job to this day. I could make more money somewhere else, but the benefits and flexibility are good and the job market of 2009 scarred me so much that I dread the process of looking for a job. Meanwhile, my husband (who is a few years older than I am and has the same degree) kept his job in the rececession and makes a lot more than I do now. People a few years younger than me, though? They had zero job experience going into it and fared much worse. Our experiences at the start of our careers significantly impact how much money we will ultimately make and our outlook going forward. So, yes, while elder millenials have recovered to an extent, the scars of the recession will remain with us for life.

[@ninab.4540]

The bridge generation (people born between 1988-1992, because they were born during and after the beginning of the end of the cold war) get to be more forgotten than the older and youngest millenians. But the older ones got the bigger shaft.

[@Kira_Martel]

I dunno, I feel like both sub-generations got pretty screwed, and in some ways the older folks (aka former Gen Xers) had a small advantage. I'm an '89 baby, so I was graduating high school in the middle of the Recession in '08. That really affected my college choices, and my husband and I have struggled to build a savings over the following decade. When things were finally looking like we were starting to get somewhere, then we get hit with the pandemic, insane housing prices, and rampant inflation. All this while trying to find a way to deal with multiple chronic health issues. At this point we're starting to lose hope of ever being able to be homeowners, and kids are almost certainly out of the picture. Meanwhile a lot of older millennials I know had a crucial couple of years to get their feet under them before the Recession hit them, and now own homes and can afford to have children. From that perspective it doesn't seem like they got the bigger shaft.

[@caleblee1780]

Every year older was an advantage because of the rising housing costs and college costs.

[@oooh19]

i was born in December of 1987 so might as well have been 1988 like most of my classmates where does that leave me lol

[@rachelc8833]

No way. We as the "bridge gen" got sex ed from our president on the television. 9/11 and war kicked off our early adolescence. We had to deal with recession as we entered young adulthood, whether than meant full-time work or continuing formal education, which may have been an option suddenly taken off of the table. Stunted, we were finally making moves in our careers and thinking about buying houses when the pandemic happened. Very curious as to how we get forgotten about, though? I feel like we are the strongest representation of who this generation is as we deny that we belong to it.

[@saskialolita]

@@oooh19 same here

[@SnowyRains]

Lmao I was being called too old at 21 while looking for work. Now I’m 38 and being called geriatric hahaha too funny

[@thewoodchipperr]

Bro

[@alexandrebeaudry1038]

What did you applied to be call too old?

[@SnowyRains]

@@alexandrebeaudry1038 it was a job serving people at the post office and too over qualified for a receptionist the other 38 I applied for didn’t respond lol

[@AlisonBryen]

@@SnowyRains I went for a admin assistant job at a legal firm when I was 25 after the global economic crisis. I was told I was overqualified too 🤦‍♀️. Every job I was going for at the time had 300 other young people applying for it. Ah the good old days.

[@blackjesus6433]

Salute to the black millennials. 🙏🏾

[@Faaade_]

heyyyyy 😹

[@Pr3ttyPariah]

Aaayyyee

[@TijaunaK]

Right. I noticed we were thoroughly underrepresented here and to top that off, many of us are still considered "youngsters" to black relatives. Definitely nowhere near middle-age even those of us reaching 40.

[@ashdacraft]

I was looking for this comment cause while I could relate to general points, ALOT of those shows were so unrelatable to my experience as a millennial BW

[@Princesswithaspikedtiara]

Hiii!

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

While I think some Millennials are delaying children for financial reasons, there are also plenty of us, myself included, who now realize they don't HAVE to want a family. Unlike previous generations, where it was unheard of and considered "selfish" to forgo having children, Millennials are more honest about their desires and more realistic when thinking about children and even marriage. Children are not easy to raise, even with all the money in the world, they aren't a glamorous accessory, and shouldn't be treated like a status symbol. The problem is for so long that became the only symbol that someone was an adult, which is why former generations think we have Peter Pan syndrome. Having children was a rite of passage. That's the way children were treated in the past. Millennials felt the repercussions of that kind of view and don't want to continue that line or pattern of thinking. If Millennials have children, they want to be absolutely ready financially, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually (however that applies), regardless of when society tells them "when they're supposed to do it".

[@Siansonea]

I love how Generation X is not part of this conversation at all. It's always Boomers/Millennials/Gen Z. Boomers think Gen X are Millennials, and Millennials think Gen X are Boomers. Typical. I also love how Gen X successfully rejected all the labels. They originally wanted to call us "Baby Busters" because we represented the Boomers having fewer children, creating a smaller cohort during our birth years. You can't get a more generic non-name than "Generation X", and that is the most Gen X thing that could ever happen. Interestingly, the Millennials were their own baby boom, who are now having fewer children themselves, rhyming quite noticeably with Boomers. And Gen Z is the next smaller, enigmatic, inscrutable generation that the older generations can't seem to get a handle on, just like Gen X before them. The big difference is that Boomers' comparative lack of progeny was due to their increased economic opportunity and access to contraception and abortion. Millennial's lack of progeny is due to decreased economic opportunity. It is as almost as though the American Dream™ will finally die when the last Boomer dies. What a waste of a dream.

Was it ever a real dream, to begin with? I see it much more as a mirage.

[@tabooandexile]

You’re right! Us Gen-Xers are always lost in this conversation. Millennials are the “forgotten” generation? pfft! It’s alway Boomers, Millennials & Gen-Z! Who was forgotten again?

[@Siansonea]

@ capitalism is always a mirage for the masses. The ruling class did a decent job of perpetuating the illusion during the 50s and 60s to an extent, and of course during the height of the 80s-90s yuppie era where Boomers made their money. But Gen X and Millennials have only ever gotten the crumbs, so we're more attuned to how pervasive the illusion is and always was.

[@oooh19]

many Gen Z says "ok boomer" to millennials which is weird. such a cringe expression anyway. what's the point of it?

[@oooh19]

wait, boomers had children later most boomer's children are millennials not Gen X so wouldn't Gen X's parents not be boomers? it varies on when you have children. Gen X or millennials could parent Gen Z like Boomers parented Gen X and Millennials. Boomers were the result of after WW2 couples eager to settle down and have babies

[@benwasserman8223]

Anything on us young millennials? I was born in 1996 and often i just feel detached from all the generational squabbling of old millennials and gen z. Even remember cassette/VHS tapes and school shootings/climate change issues being every few years, not days.

[@riturajsandhupeasant4885]

Yup! Climate Change is something that gives me more anxiety than others.😪

[@ruairidorrian9256]

I feel like much of the sentiment of this video applies to us aswell but be curious to see what shows films are used to represent us I cant really think of many examples tbh

[@oooh19]

yea it's sooooo sad how children cant even feel safe going to school!

[@fuosdi64]

Yeah the whole "gen z vs. millennial" stuff is so stupid. Who decided that 1997 started a new generation? Like we GREW up with with those people and we were ALL called millennials until like 2018.

[@oooh19]

@@fuosdi64 1 of my friends complained that Gen Z made skinny jeans "out" but when we millennials were growing up, flares and bootcuts were popular.

[@conbiniii]

I'm a younger millennial (26) and just feel powerless and hopeless. I don't expect much and am still disappointed. It's hard not to feel jaded about everything going on around the world.

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

I feel you Brittny, but I promise you, it will get better when you hit your 30s. All of the things that you couldn't figure out was holding you back, you will be able to understand it more. I felt the same way at 26. Now, in my 30s, it's still hard, but I can cope and I understand myself better than I ever did before. Let go of a lot of toxic elements in my life and sought some professional assistance. It's all good girl. You got this.

[@NatBKiev]

I'm a millenial from Ukraine. We had terrible time in 90's during childhood. Then it got better, but after 2008 never was the same. I graduated in 2008 and could not find a job for a long time. Then crisis again in 2014, coronavirus 2020-2021. And finally war in 2022. TBH I only had few good years in my life

[@GenerationNextNextNext]

And they like to call us privileged narcissists! Here's to hoping your experiences keep you as resilient as you've been.

[@bvigil1888]

Speaking as a millennial man born in 1987, thank you for this video.

[@joseygonzalez1800]

We're probably the 1st generation who has it way worse than our parents generation.

[@TanisC]

💯

[@Siansonea]

Gen X had it worse than Boomers. Still do. And Millennials have it worse than us. It's almost as though the Boomers have been pulling up the ladders the whole time.

[@MichaelDike-gn9is]

@@Siansonea Most Boomer children are millenials not Gen X

[@Siansonea]

​@@MichaelDike-gn9is Is it your impression that my statement contradicts that assertion? It does not. I do not actually make reference to the subject of who the Boomers' kids are at all. I am merely mentioning the generations in order.

[@DS-uh6ss]

@@MichaelDike-gn9is Boomers had Gen X kids for their first marriages, and Millenials for their second and third ones.

[@agraciotti]

I've never seen a better representation of my generation. This was so depressive to hear. Thank you

[@MissBlueEyeliner]

I think the point about millennials being good mediators between the boomers and gen z kids is super accurate. I’m forever translating back and forth between my 59 year old mom and 20 year old brother. The cultural shift of growing up without any kind of computer and growing up with the internet already in its stride is too big of a difference for them to effectively communicate.

[@kelliecanscan3364]

Most of my friends same age as me (1995/1996) we are all mainly still living with our parents only because its nearly impossible to study and work at the same time. I moved states because the housing market was ridiculous. And if you want to get a proper job after studying they need about a year of experience and yet how are you meant to get that if no one gives you the opportunity? Anyway, money isn't everything. I am just going to work as much as I can while enjoying life and not stress too much. Its no use stressing over the state of the world. I've carried the burden of living up to society's standards of going to university keeping up with the workload, drowning in loans and if you don't make it you've failed life. Study isn't for me, I never liked school because of the terrible schools I went to. So I'm not going to feel that way any more. I haven't failed life like the teachers said we would and I'm happy not feeling anxious and drowning in study. The workload uni gives my friends is honestly ridiculous.

[@laverdadbuscador]

Called "lazy" because we happen to value family time more than money that we can't even get anyway. Called "entitled" because we want a wage that allows us an affordable modest house and pays for all the college debt we acquired.

[@retromama3672]

This hits home. Born in 89, so I'm right in the middle of the millennial generation. Somehow my husband and I were able to get a house before the pandemic, and now us and our 2 toddlers are drowning in debt, scraping by, sending our kids to a daycare that costs as much as our mortgage payment, but financially unable to have one of us stop working. Yay.

As a millennial who just entered the 30s, I feel like I'll be OK at the end. And no, no one entitled me to think that everything was out there for me to take. I always had it the hard way, and I think that made me quite resilient.

[@davideanes3425]

Yes! Same here. Just turned 30 and I feel the same way, it'll be difficult, but definitely feel like when things are said and done, I'll be alright.

[@kp361]

I hate the way people act like everyone bloody told us we'd be 'handed everything'.

[@mitcharendt2253]

@@kp361 I think it comes from an assumption of inter generational wealth at the least. A wrong idea that keeps hurting us.

[@kp361]

@@mitcharendt2253 Which is also bullshit. I know loads of people who's parents are lifetime renters, unemployed, or who sold their houses to support their own parents. It's a myth, you know? These videos tend to be talking about the 0.1% of millennials.

[@karaiakauma3179]

As another millennial who has entered the 30s, I agree with this. Sure, things were tough and exhausting, but we have shown that we can adapt and survive

[@wonipowa7542]

It was basically like losing 5-6 years of earning potential which doesn't sound like a big deal until you are older and realize its 5 years of savings for retirement, of preparing to buy a home, where you could have paid off a debt, or of not having a promotion in your field, where you should have 6 years of experience you now have 1 or 10 years and you now have 2. You basically were set back a decade and in some ways have a delayed adolescence where your 30s feel like your 20s but you've lost 10 years and have to catch up. That's what it feels like. I think Millennials also struggle with being told the world would be a particular way with certain jobs and salaries and I do think there is an entitlement among some because they were raised this way and then you discover that's not how anything works. I can't tell you the number of times I've had to tell people you don't get a raise for just doing your job, you have to do more than your job - you salary is your compensation. I think these things will change because Millennials will push for unions and other work protections that have fallen off because they were given those promises as kids and they think that what everyone has been doing is unfair and I can't say that we're necessarily wrong I just know how the system is designed to work.

[@tinishamccroskey7752]

Hey guys this is your older black big sister. 1985 Millennial I was sad and hopeless just now making just 35k year at 37 even though I have a college degree. Here's the thing we have to stop wanting the future that they say we should have and just enjoy each other. Gen Z has amazing surreal humor. Gen X has so much resilience and understand that disconnected feeling. Like literally just have some tea stand outside and let that be your joy. If you can have that they can't take your joy. We got this guys 💪🏾

[@StellaDonna88]

Millennials being called lazy is such a misconception. We called out capitalism because we saw it break down before our very eyes, so we valued more important things like happiness and purpose and meaning and spirituality. We got a lot of things wrong but that’s a pretty natural part of the process

[@mikedavis6690]

How exactly have you or anyone you know “called out “ capitalism ...... and please explain. How it’s working out for ya

[@StellaDonna88]

@@mikedavis6690 working great. I’m a socio cultural anthropologist. V busy with no time to explain, but if you’re interested you can look up neoliberal studies and hustle culture. There’s lots of literature on that. If this is a comment only to be snarky and mean then please go on with you life.

[@thexalon]

The defining feature of the lives of elder Millennials is broken promises by their elders. They were told to do well in school, stay off drugs, avoid pregnancy, avoid crime, and go to college, and promised a life of comfort and riches if they did so. They delivered on their part, and the economy crashed so those jobs for college-educated people dried up, and now they were stuck with massive student loans that they on average haven't paid down one bit after 20 years of making payments. They were told to go to war to stop terrorism and protect America, and many of them signed up and went to Iraq and Afghanistan only to find that they weren't stopping terrorism at all but stuck in fights at least as bad as Vietnam in a lot of ways. They were told that if they spent 10 years working in public service they could have those pesky student loans paid off, so many of them did, only to find that after the 10 years were up that they didn't qualify. They were told to stay politically engaged and vote, and many of them did, only to find that the major political parties didn't give a damn about their concerns about climate change destroying the world, the economy completely failing them, the police shooting them, or not being able to afford housing or raising kids. If you want to understand why Millennials are distrusting of authority, that's why. They've faced what amounted to a Vietnam and a Great Depression and haven't gotten anything resembling acknowledgement or rewards for doing so.

[@urahotmess]

I sometimes think the older generation gets off on our misfortune at times. To them the more stagnant we appear to be, the more they get to revel in the “good ol days” and not feel threatened of being replaced or reminded that their time is about to be up. For instance, my mom will tell me of her desires for me but in the same breath question if that very same thing is what I need to do. For example, Her: You should buy a house bc you are wasting money on renting Me: Hey I’m going to go look at houses Her: well is that something you should be focused on right now?

[@tfkdandsvkc]

Wow omg yes i totally relate my parents are the same way its like they are jealous or something

[@Sin_City_Guitar]

This is spot on my friends and me all have degrees and are almost 40 and still have trouble finding work and staying at the same jobs. Still no job security. It was so great you brought up 2008 as well

[@Chikadulce10]

I'm turning 24 this year but no longer have any parents to depend on. I've been working since I was old enough to and I'm just kinda drifting alone in the world. I'm trying to make something of myself, but already having so many responsibilities on my shoulders this young is the worst. I have to worry about keeping my unfulfilling job just because it pays enough for me to afford an apartment. If I screw up, that could be the end. It's this ever slippery slope of always being paranoid of things going wrong or huge unexpected expenses. It leaves me unmotivated to try to invest or set aside the time for my passions because any money I have is just so important to me. Life is just not great right now.

[@ateliersable]

I'm turning 40 tomorrow, and as long as I remember there always has been a crises of some sort, I've known the feeling of no future from the late 90's when I was younger, I've graduated in 2007 so I've had my first salary negotiations right when the market crashed, and so on but I'm quite happy to have known so much change, me and a lot of my friends are freelancers, we've learned to adapt and take risks as there was no stability anyways. We were able to choose our path, change career, travel... Also I've really seen the society change regarding topics like homosexuality. When we were in our 20's homophobia was the norm, people are now more educated and tolerant, not perfect of course but it's better than before. (Ps I'm french sorry if my sentences are a bit weird)

[@OurBrainHurtsALot]

Joyeux anniversaire!

[@oooh19]

happy early bday

[@yveqeshy]

I'm a millennial and I often wonder why Gen X gets left out of the conversation all the time. These conversations are always framed as boomer, millennial, gen z and now gen alpha. I'd like to see a conversation exploring how Gen X fit into the picture considering most of them are the ones parenting Gen Z, what's their story?

[@jsbethke]

Gen X are the perennially neglected generation because many Boomers rued our existence (which impeded their living their best lives) and many Millennials seem to find us inconvenient (since we saw their childhoods were far happier than ours were and now must listen to them endlessly complain). And each of those generations outnumbers us, so together they utterly dominate the conversation.

[@juanenriquez7174]

We were blamed for being lazy underachievers and now that unfortunately our parents are passing away,begin to realize it was not entirely our fault and that we,the people are all kinda being fkd

[@gingerkid1048]

I’m 42 making me that little pocket group of 77-83 that can be put as Gen X or Millennial. We literally get the worst of both generations.

[@kbuttstadt]

One: I hate labels, especially generational labels, because it gives people easy ways to blame scapegoats. Two: this is a really well done video. Lots to think about.

[@hanspeterfake3130]

Haha, then you'll love the current generation, being obsessed with labels: pronounces, bi/pan/gay etc. 😉

[@alanmike6883]

I'm a elder millennial and I've watched how things have changed

[@martinmaldonado1498]

As a true blue millennial (1989) a lot of our misfortune just boils down to bad timing. We were born at the end of this economic consumer/ capitalistic wonderland and we were told that growth would go on perpetually. Despite the trauma of growing up post 9/11 and the AIDS crisis we also had this super comfortable lifestyle in the middle class and American pop culture gave our adolescence joy and importance. It’s our generation that has inherited this new world order and it will only get worse, the end of globalization/ brexit/ population collapse will mark the turning of a new chapter and it’s happening right before our very eyes.

[@AliciaNyblade]

Man, this hit home. As a millennial who will be 35 this year (2023), watching this made me realize what a limbo age one's 30s are and how that's rarely talked about. We're still young enough to hear, "You've got your whole life ahead of you! You can change the world, and the responsibility to do so is on your shoulders." And yet, if by our 30s, if we still haven't reached societal expectations of "getting a real job" or "settling down", we're accused by older generations of trying to cling on to our youth and expecting to be handed our Starbucks and avocado toast. It's weird, confining, and belittling.

[@dgilroy26]

As an older millennial we went through 2 housing crisis and 2 recessions. All while the previous generation holds a lot of the more senior jobs. Many previous generations are still working for another 15 or more years!

[@GingerHoliday]

As an elder (1984), if I had a whoopsie kid, even at 38, it would feel like a teen pregnancy. I really don’t want kids in general but a lot of that is because it would set me back so much financially, and I’m still not in a place with my career that I feel like I’m thriving yet. I’m really trying, still feels like it’s one step forward and two steps back sometimes

[@riturajsandhupeasant4885]

Dear "The Take", you forgot the climate change anxiety.😭

[@superstarwhimsy]

Thank you for validating this. I graduated college in 2006. That was before the crash, and I still had a hard time finding a job with two BAs. After finally getting independence and a career that was a dream, it all crashed. I lost my job, my place to live (a trailer), and my friends, as I had to move back to my parent's home, where I slept on an air mattress in the corner of my little sister's room, and had to start all over. I felt like a total looser, through no fault of my own. I was severely depressed and full of anxiety that to this day haunts me with panic and anxiety attacks whenever I try to apply for a new job. This has kept me at the same underpaid job for the last decade, even though I now have a Master degree, and this job only requires a GED. Even if I did try to pursue a job in my chosen field that my graduate degree is in, it requires I work 8-10 years in part-time no benefits status to gain enough experience to be hired full-time, but I'm old enough now that I have to have good health insurance, so I can't do that. My husband and I just got another pet, because we've realized that we don't and never will be able to make enough money to have children. We are broken, and bereaved, and it is very difficult to find hope for the future these days, and yet the generations below and above us still blame us for all their problems. It's a lot to handle.