The Slamming of the Millennials

Americans think in terms of generations. This is partly because people were born or grew up in age-stratified compartments and are assumed to have similar attitudes and experiences because of the fact of when they were born.

And to make it further compelling to think in this way, they denote these generations with catchy titles,, like "The Greatest Generation," "The Silent Generation," "The Baby Boomers," "Generation X," "Millennials," and so on.

As my generation, The Millennials, grows a little older and some already have children of at least a critical age, these generation-namers will coin a new term to cover the newcomers. And the process starts over, I'm afraid.

It looks like the older generations are disposed to find fault with the younger generations for their real or imagined sins. Or maybe to re-focus the blame elsewhere instead of themselves. 

Here's a number of their real or alleged vices of Millennials, according to those older:

1.  They are too enraptured with their cell phones. [Many of us cannot afford 50-inch T.V.s]

2.  They are narcissistic; they take too many selfies. [As if there was a virtue in using a SLR or a Brownie.]

3.  They don't vote in the right way. [Both liberals and conservatives make this self-serving accusation.]

4.  They are not as likely to vote. [Given some of the choices served up my the two major parties, this might signal frustration or plain common sense. Really, Major Political Parties, were Hillary and The Donald the best you could do?]

5.  They are slow to marry and settle down; resulting in a long gap between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood. [As if marriage automatically comes with a maturity app.]

6.  They tend to gravitate to cities; leaving their hometowns behind in favor of the bright lights of elsewhere. [Gee, I didn't know we collectively have a duty to Podunk, a place where we can't find employment in.]

7.  They are dissatisfied with menial jobs. [Aren't most people?, especially when the salaries that go with them make it hard to make a living on.]

8.  Millennials are too cheap; they're not doing enough to drive the engine of the consumer economy. [Our duty is to consume!, consume! consume! Whoever said that 'a penny saved is a penny earned' must be some kind of anarchist, or something!]

9.  They are too free with regard to sexual attitudes and behavior. ["Keep your skirt in place and your legs crossed. And, for God's sake: Wear a bra!"]

10.  They are largely ignoring traditional dating or courtship practices in favor of 'hooking up.' [They streamlined the process.]

11. They are overly sensitive, can't take criticism, and demand 'safe spaces' like little snowflakes. {Said by many Dutch uncles and critics.]

And we can go on and on. Or just flip the collective bird to the critics in a New Orleans Fourth Ward-approved salute.

Anyway, historically it might be a false assumption that any age cohort radically departs from the social or behavioral norms almost universally adhered to in earlier times. Still, teeth-gnashers need something to chew on.