False millennial stereotypes reinforce self-doubt in grads

There’s been a lot of griping lately about the “millennial” generation. In the eyes of some, this is equal to the “social media” generation, the “socially-inept” generation, the “lazy” generation.

While I agree that there are plenty of lazy parasites in this world, I feel the need to point out the flaw in categorizing an entire generation as self-absorbed and unwilling to work.

A few weeks ago, I attended a speech by Michael Glauser, a USU professor and now nationally-recognized entrepreneur who rode a bicycle around the country interviewing business owners. One thing he said that stuck out to me is that it’s harder to find a job now in an age where technology is replacing physical, human workers than it was in earlier parts of history. Though the economy has mostly recovered from the recession a few years back, the unemployment rate has not recovered so gracefully.

I have a friend who graduated with his bachelor’s a couple of years back, and of the graduates in his program, he is the only one who hasn’t had to move back in with his parents — barely so. It’s difficult for me to envision that an entire class of graduates, who worked for four years to get a degree, are avoiding the work force because they’d rather be playing video games alone in their parents’ basement than making a difference in the world. That’s not how this generation should be defined.

Of course, there are the elite — those who will not rest until they get a job. But for many of my generation, there comes a time when they either feel mentally defeated or are told they’ve been defeated by the numbers dropping in their bank accounts.

I have a brother who looked for work for a year after graduating with his bachelor’s degree. I remember him having a goal of how many jobs he made himself apply for each week but still had no luck. He had to move home and finally got a job working 12-hour shifts at a factory in my hometown a little more than a year after graduation. The person he replaced at the beginning of his shift was the same person who replaced him 12 hours later.

During the year, which could possibly be one of the most difficult he’s ever had, he spent a lot of time studying on his own for the GRE and was able to do really well on the exam. He ended up getting his master’s in public administration and now works for the state of California.

Most of us have the abilities to succeed and are willing to work, but many lack the resources and connections to find their place. For others, it takes more than a bachelor’s degree to make them stand out.

As I’m approaching the portal to “real” adulthood, I’m confident things will work out, but I’m nervous, too. I know I have the skills to succeed and excel, but just in case I don’t have a job right out of college, please don’t categorize me as someone lazy who doesn’t care about the world I live in.

Believe me, I do.

— Mariah Noble is the editor-in-chief of The Utah Statesman. She plans to graduate in two months. Please send comments to statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu.