The Millennials are next in line to run this crazy, messed-up world. Millennials, in case you don’t know, are those born between the years 1982 and 2002, so this generation includes most VWC students. There is, however, a serious problem with our generation that needs to be addressed, and that is our intense laziness. This problem stems from many factors of our different upbringings.
One of the most common reasons why our generation is lazy is because we grew up in an era when technology was starting to be incorporated into every aspect of our lives. Thinking back, we can see how technology became extremely prevalent during our generation. Computers, electronic calculators, MP3 players and many other technological advances are all examples. These devices are incredibly helpful in our daily lives. The computers help us find information faster than going to a library, and calculators aid in our math classes. All of these technologies, keeping in mind those I did not even list, have aided our way of life, but they also have dulled our ability to think of answers for ourselves. Nowadays, people go on their computers or smartphones to find information when they are asked even the simplest of questions. We are now consistently reliant on technology.
Another common reason why our generation is lazy is due to the fact that some of us were not instilled with proper work ethics and values as children. Our generation is when this problem started, and it has now grown out of control. Parents began to go a little too easy on us. Parents, as well as teachers, taught us as children to use technology as much as possible because they themselves did not possess it when they were our age. I understand their reasoning for doing this. It was to allow us to have an easier way of life. However, doing this made us lazy. Our generation has had an incredibly hard time holding down simple jobs just because we are constantly on our phones and are ignoring our responsibilities. I understand the need to cure boredom with something, but technology is not the answer. We need to be able to work and communicate with each other more, instead of just texting each other all the time. If our generation had better communication skills, then maybe our work ethic would be better as well.
The biggest reason our generation is considered lazy is because many of us act very entitled. Many of us act like we deserve everything without working for it. We were raised in a time when discipline was starting to ease up and things were just handed to us. This has created many problems for our generation because we do not like when something does not go our way or we do not get something we desperately want.
This problem mainly lies in our generation’s consistent lust for technology. Everyone has to have the latest and greatest piece of tech on the market (i.e., smartphones). We also tend to assume we are entitled to a vehicle as soon as we get our licenses. We rely so heavily on vehicles that we forget that we have always had other perfectly fine forms of transportation. Many of us used our bikes for many years and some of us, including me, just enjoyed walking. When we get our licenses, we completely forget about these simple modes of transportation we used to use so very often.
We rely on cars to get us anywhere now. The most ridiculous example of this I see is on our campus. People are using cars to drive across our very small campus when they do not even need to do so. I see people driving from Village I to Village II sometimes and even people coming from Village IV going to Village III. I understand that with the current construction that is going on here on campus, we are tempted to use our vehicles, but there is no need. Plus, let’s be honest, some of us could really use the exercise from walking.
I am not attempting to criticize our generation. I am just attempting to point out some things I believe that we, the generation to next inherit this world, need to improve upon and revise. We are a lazy generation and that is partially our own fault for not exploring other possibilities of ways to handle the world as we grew up. I would like us to acknowledge these problems and try to find solutions if possible — and I do believe this is possible
Jonathan Joyner
jrjoyner
