The Millennial Solution

Photo courtesy of Girls HBO.

"Millennials Reshaping America: The Least Religious, Least Politically Attached, But Most Optimistic Generation Ever"

Lately, two "quotes" have been resonating with me. One is the aforementioned title, referring to my generation: The Millennials. A term which has come to be loved, ridiculed, and garner much buzz in opinionated articles. The other quote, or more of a rant, is from Hannah the protagonist of HBO's "Girls." In her outburst Hannah sums up how a lot of us post-grad millennials feel: that we have been raised and educated for a life of fulfillment and excitement, and the reality once we receive that cap and gown is much less captivating than the one we expected.

Currently living Hannah's frustration, and trying to figure out what my next steps are both career-wise and lifestyle-wise, I find comfort in knowing that others in my generation feel similarly lost, but excited about the future. I am reassured in our shared burdens and see so much potential when recognizing the optimism my peers maintain. 

The "Millennials Reshaping America" article highlights many statistics about this generation from a recent Pew Research Center Study. I have chosen a few to focus on that speak directly to my life, and why I find myself returning to the article day after day, so inspired by my generation.

• Half of all Millennials identify as politically independent

The fact that 50% of us identify as politically independent, despite more liberal leanings and heavy support of the '08 and '12 Obama campaigns, shines what I think is a brighter light on the future of U.S. politics. As the article recognizes, this means candidates can no longer rest on the laurels of their party label. The label doesn't hold significance for us anymore. We care about the issues. I can only hope this brings us a stronger pool of candidates, and hopefully can break-down the toxicity of our current two-party system.

• Millennials are the first generation in the modern era to endure higher rates of student loan debt, poverty and unemployment than the two generations that preceded them

Knowing that we are unique in our exorbitant amounts of student loan debt, poverty and unemployment may not be the most reassuring of facts, but it says so much about where we are coming from when it comes to future life decisions (owning a home, raising a family, choosing a career path, etc.) The article already suggests that the amount of debt is deferring marriages amongst our generation. But, I think it most importantly points to a necessity for a stronger work ethic. We don't have money to fall back on, so we have to put in the hours to pay-off our too-expensive educations and strive to improve our current situations. Hopefully it will also curb some of the materialistic spending our society has become so encumbered with, and cause us to think twice about big-ticket purchases (new cars, houses, luxury items).

• Fewer Millennials are married at this point in their lifecycle than any other previous generation

The fact that fewer of us are married at this point than future generations, to me, is a reflection not just on our financial burdens, but also our diverse and ambitious individual career paths. We don't want to settle down as quickly, we are not looking for the "one right job" to then buy a house and put-up the white picket fence. We are individualistic and driven to achieve our own goals-and sometimes that means waiting to commit to a lifetime partner. Of course, I think it also reflects on a more common practice to live with a partner before marriage in a long-term committed relationship, a practice not as accepted with our parents' and earlier generations.

• 49 percent of Millennials believe that the nation’s best days still lie ahead

And then, the glorious last statistic, that nearly half of us believe the best is yet to come. It is comforting to know that while our country has gone through so many decades of ideological, political, and cultural change that a core belief remains: the future holds promise and possibility. Embodied in such iconic visions as The American Dream or lofty ideals of Westward expansion, it reassures me to know that I am not the only one looking towards a better tomorrow. 

As the article sums up at the end, "They (Millennials) are inspired by the belief that they can be the conduit for change, refusing to wait for others to request their participation in helping to bring it about." This segues perfectly into the Girls' quote I mentioned at the opening of my post. Hannah's expression of disenchantment comes at an office meeting, after she has been working at a magazine day job for a few weeks. She is a writer, so the magazine would seem like a perfect fit, but she has struggled to flourish creatively in this environment. She feels trapped by the "daily grind" and seemingly pointless tasks that don't allow for growth in a visionary writer. As she addresses her co-workers, Hannah focuses acutely on this need for self-motivation and ability to bring about change:

"Am I seriously the only one among us who prides herself on being a truly authentic person? This is tripping me out…I just expect more from life. Seriously, it's like I want every day to be exciting and scary and a roller-coaster of creative experiences as if I'm making a new life for myself in France"

She touches upon a cornerstone of the Millennial problem-with all of our qualifications and thirst for impact, how do we find a position that both challenges us, and fulfills us? How do we refuse to settle while still paying the rent? Where do our ambitions, and the career paths awaiting us, intersect? As the article reminds us, "It is a generation at the precipice of sparking a social renaissance, refusing to conform while embracing the opportunity to blaze its own path." 

This "disenchantment" is exactly what fuels us to keep working harder to achieve our ambitious career goals and not let our current situation burden us. Yes, we have lots of debt-but let's work past that! We will not be labeled, or put into a box, or told to be content. Perhaps that makes us a little lost and confused…but I'd rather wake-up to the unknown each day, rather than a status quo, stifling job.

At the end of the day, it is not about finding the perfect career path, or the ideal lifestyle, or the secret to personal fulfillment. It is knowing that we will work harder tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after to shape a place for ourselves in modern society. Because, as we know, the best is still to come.