Naivety World

“Millennials, are you okay?”

I had to start with that because I’ve seen that meme, joke, and question shared more times than I can count. Millennials (Gen Y, born roughly between 1981 and 1996), have been in a constant struggle to find their place between the disciplined Baby Boomers and the “we play by our own rules” Generation Z. Well, technically, millenials are between the Gen X and Gen Z, but I’m more inclined to talk about the boomers because they are the millennial’s parents, thus influencing their growth, values and belief system.

And before I get into this tirade, please note I do not claim to speak for all millennials, or any other generation, but I am speaking from experience and observation, so let’s dive right in.

Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, grew up in a time of prosperity and expansion. They witnessed the transition from colonial rule to independence. With the country’s new found freedom, there were many opportunities that came with secure stable jobs that provided financial security and opportunities for career growth. Work hard, stay loyal to your company, and you’ll be rewarded with a comfortable retirement. Simple, right? Their world was orderly and structured. Buying a house was possible, going to university was automatic if you had good grades, and eating a full balanced meal three times a day wasn’t a financial death sentence.

Now, let’s talk about Generation Z, born roughly between 1997 and 2012. They have never known a world without the internet. They were practically born with a smartphone in their hands. This generation values instant gratification and fluidity. They crave flexibility and will more often than not reject the traditional 8 to 5 in favor of freelancing and startups. They make their own rules as they go, often questioning a lot of things that most millennials took as “it is what it is.”

Then there’s us, the millennials, who have boomers for parents, so it is only natural for them to teach us what they knew and experienced. Unlike the boomers, the Gen X (born roughly between 1965 and 1980) faced economic challenges. During their time, the quality of education had started to reduce and career opportunities were becoming fewer, so most took the entrepreneurial way and started their own businesses. There were a lot more opportunities to be your own boss then.

Millenials should have learned from the Gen X, but instead, we grew up with a love for certificates, believing they’d save us. We were taught that hard work will get you where you want to be, so we worked hard, got an 8-5, fell in love young, and expected to have a family and babies by 27. But just as we were finding our footing, the rug was pulled out from under us. Jobs are even more scarce, small businesses have saturated the market, mortgages have almost doubled, and that mountain of student debt just keeps growing. We had such high expectations, which resulted in a bit of an existential crisis when reality hit. Now, we have become masters of the gig economy and side hustles, always adapting and evolving.

Sounds like a simple transition, right? But weh!! Weh!! Despite the fact that millennials were not too rigid to change, it was and still is a really tough and painful process often filled with doubts, with occasional bursts of success and frequent moments of, “What am I doing with my life?”

We were raised to believe in a certain path (education, career, house, family) and watching that path crumble under the weight of economic realities is nothing short of devastating. Many of us spend sleepless nights worrying about job security, dealing with the crushing weight of societal expectations, while wondering if we’d ever be able to afford a home of our own.

We’ve had to redefine what success means, trying to find balance and purpose by valuing experiences over possessions. We’ve become expert jugglers, embracing technology out of necessity, becoming proficient in coding, digital marketing, and content creation. We have become the ones with the most extensive and dynamic resumes, often switching and customizing ourselves based on whatever current opportunity we’ll find, the ‘Jack of all trades’ so to speak.

Through it all, we’ve kept our sense of humor and a rich dose of sarcasm because when you’re sandwiched between such vastly different generations, sometimes all you can do is laugh. We use memes as coping mechanisms, turn life’s ups and downs into jokes, and try to find joy in the little things. “Bora Uhai,” they said.

So, here’s to us, the millennials, the ones who find balance in chaos and humor in hardship. May our journeys continue to be as unpredictable and entertaining as ever. Because in the end, if we can survive fuliza debts and skyrocketing prices, we can survive anything.