Dear Millennials: You Impress Me!

Millennials, you impress me.

Enough of this talk about today’s generation of college students, young professionals, and young marrieds being out of touch, over-medicated, over-sexed, highly-addicted, aimless, hopeless, and disconnected. I am completing some graduate research on how generations relate to one another–from the Traditionalists, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and finally, the Millennials, the generation with birth years ranging from around the 1980s to the early 2000s.

I really have to say, I dig the Millennials.

You were born into a world of accessible options. Life is a cafeteria, and you may pick and choose as you wish, choosing your own authority and viewing your career as a place to serve. If this job doesn’t work out, you’re not at all afraid to leave and choose another one instead.

You were seemingly born with an understanding of technology, and it is central to your lives: you employ technology to stay globally connected, professionally and socially, at all times.

You Millennials are numerous, more affluent, better educated, and more ethnically diverse than any previous generation. You are trained to be doers and achievers, and you’re demonstrating a new focus on teamwork, achievement, and good conduct.

Believe it or not, Millennials are rule followers. You like clear direction, defined expectations, and the option to be creative within those parameters.

Some have said this generation is less religious, but the truth is, you’re no more secular than those who have gone before. While you may seem less committed to the church, you are simply redefining it. It’s not a place to be on Sunday; it’s a way of life. Millennials express commitment by serving different causes and types of organizations. Don’t mistake this for distraction: you are making your choices with great intention.

Disconnected? No way. Millennials are the most connected generation yet. You rival the Boomers in size, and the Boomers were the most influential generation of their day. They were a political force that made some major changes, and they did it all by word of mouth. (Woodstock wasn’t advertised on Facebook.) So, take the Boomers’ numbers and their passion, and add to it a global accessibility that keeps Millennials connected 24/7. A weak and distracted generation? Not hardly. You’re a force to be reckoned with!

Millennials are itching to lead. And while there is much to learn from the experience and wisdom of the X-ers and the Boomers, let no one look down on you because you are young, Millennials. You were made to lead.

Millennials, I dig you.