Every generation brings their own quirks, attitudes and values. Those born between 1946 and 1964 are the parents of the millennial generation. Baby boomers revolted against morally constructing values and created their own set of values that now dominate the culture. Feminism, looser sexual morals and anti-war sentiments are very visible, but what about the Millennials contributions?
Trying to place a dividing line on where one generation begins and another ends is difficult, but for the purposes of studying generational attitudes and issues there does need to be a definitive line. Between the Millennial Generation and Baby Boomers, we do have Generation X or those born around 1965 to 1980. The Millennial Generation or those born from about 1980 to 2000 have an entirely new set of problems, stresses, and anxieties. What are their attitudes and how does stress play in their lives?
Moist studies prove that Millennials are highly educated, technologically savvy, self-confident and ambitions. Millennials are very connected to one another. They use social media and text almost exclusively and view technology as very positive. Millennials are Barack Obama”s strongest supporters and are less religious than previous generations. Millennials are ethnically diverse and do accept people for who there are. They accept interracial and same-sex marriages.
Unlike any generation before them, Millennials are narcissistic and feel they are entitled. They can be good team players but seek constant praise and promotions. They are not willing to start at the bottom and work for promotions. They frequently hop from job to job and have low retention rates in jobs. Like Generation X, Millennials want everything now. With all the technology in their hands, they have not learned to converse face to face in productive situations. They are a bit more difficult to get to know and tend to be standoffish. For the older generations, social interactions are important. Millennials do not want to interact. They tend to need a device between them and their conversation partners.
What does this mean in stress levels? Recent findings have discovered that Generation Millennial is really Generation Stress. Participants in studies have found that when Millennials rate their stress it is at a resounding 5.4 average. Baby Boomers registered at 4.7 and the Matures or WWII group is stressed only at a 3.7 level. Millennials add that stress keeps them awake at night and they are unsure of where they are going in life. They have lost connection in conversation and the empowering ability of companionship to reduce stress.
Because of increasing stress levels, irritability and anger are ramped. About 19% of Millennials suffer from depression and anxiety. They tend to take this stress out on family and friends. It is also reasonable to assume that these stress levels place Millennials right in the middle of destructive health issues. When you look at obesity, hypertension, cardiac disease and diabetes, stress is definitely a factor. Millennials have a definite disconnect with the health market when it comes to managing stress. They have come out of college with huge student loan debt and very little high paying job prospects. From 2010 to 2020 over 19 million college graduates will hit the job market and the economy will not be able to sustain those numbers. Stress is magnified.
Yet, in spite of all this bad news for Millennials, they still tend to think positively. Almost 80% of Millennials who graduated college and found jobs were optimistic about their future and standard of living. This positivity may just give Millennials the tools needed to cope with stress.
