It’s no surprise that millennials are far different from the previous generations, especially that of their baby boomer parents. According to CNN.com baby boomers are those born between the mid-1940s and 1964. During their era they were taught to get an education, get a job, start a family and that’s it. African American baby boomers especially were thankful to have a job and be able to support the family. That is not the case with millennials.
Raised in the technology era, millennials have had the power of knowledge literally at their fingertips. Having just a job is no longer acceptable; they want a career that they are passionate about. Building a family is nice, but isn’t a priority. Having children seems more of a burden than a goal, mainly because they are still being raised by their parents. Although adults themselves, millennials continue to live with their baby boomer parents, who moved out of their parent’s houses when they were about 18.
CNN reported that more than 32% of millennials lived at home with their parents in 2014, compared to 1960 when people of the same age group were more likely to live with a spouse or partner. Millennials are also more likely to have a college degree but make less money than Gen X-ers in the 1980s.
So why are millennials still living at home with their parents, even though they have access to so much more than previous generations? According to several young adults in their late 20s and early 30s they feel like they are still being raised themselves.
In speaking to a millennial female she gives her answer to that question, “I’m 32 and I don’t feel like a real adult. I’m single with no kids and I’m still working on building my career. I want a family but I’m not where I want to be in life. I also want to travel and see the world. I work a full time job but honestly still feel like my parents are still raising me.”
Latoya, who has a successful career with a nice salary and lives on her own, simply does not want children and has never wanted them. “They’re too much responsibility. I want to do what I want when I want without having to worry about anyone else.”
It seems as if millennials either don’t want or aren’t ready to be “real adults.” Adulting includes settling down and not necessarily always doing or getting what you want. For people who have had access to so much since childhood not getting what they want hasn’t ever been their reality. Previous generations have more of a selfless outlook because times and social norms were different. Making sacrifices was necessary for survival.
Millennials have a more selfish outlook, focusing more on what they want and how to get the most enjoyment and fulfillment out of life because of what has been available to them.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life and living it to the fullest. Who better to learn that from that millennials.
Souce: CNN
A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application.
But it doesn’t end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and
not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor’s degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.
