Elder Millennials Aren’t A Lost Generation. They Just Came Of Age At Literally The Worst Possible Time.
Nathan Jefferis | UnsplashMillennials: We are one of the most criticized generations out there, and speaking as someone from this frustrated group, it's getting rather annoying. The millennial generation is defined as being born in the time from the early 1980's to the mid-1990's, so teens today are actually Generation Z, not Millennials, as they are sometimes believed to be.
The older generations of Baby Boomers and Generation X love to comment on how lazy we all seem to be and that we expect things to just be handed to us. They praise their own work ethic as a gold standard, while demeaning all millennials as entitled. In fairness, this is something that older people tend to do with younger generations overall.
It's quite common to see your own upbringing and values as the ideal. The question is, though: are their assumptions about us valid?
Millennials aren't a lost generation. They just came of age at literally the worst possible time.
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A new report states that elder Millennials who were born in the 1980s are now at risk of becoming a lost generation
The term 'lost generation' is in reference to research that this specific group of Millennials is the worst off when it comes to wealth accumulation. It also adds that the wealth gap between the young and old was significantly widened following the Great Recession in 2008, and that the late 80s babies — the Geriatric millennials — might never financially recover from it. Basically, it's a glorified way of saying we're screwed.
So if Millennials indeed are a "lost generation" or at least on the verge of becoming one, who's to blame? Is it Millennials themselves, or is it outside factors that led to this?
Our critics would argue that it's us. Because of our entitled beliefs, we lack the necessary work ethic to succeed, and therefore, that is why we are financially worse off than the Baby Boomers and Generation X.
From someone who actually is a Millennial born in the 1980s, I can tell you a strong work ethic is not something that solely belongs to those older generations, nor did they do everything perfectly either. Yes, there are absolutely those Millennials who further the notion that we are entitled, but that certainly isn't representative of an entire generation.
Money coach David Geller, who has spent over 25 years in financial planning, states that millennials' financial anxiety is "a product of the world they've grown up in." One shaped by watching their parents struggle through the Great Recession, impossible savings goals, and a mountain of student debt before they ever had a real shot at building wealth.
Even the most hardworking Millennials have had their financial progress derailed by forces beyond their control
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The biggest example of this is the drastically rising cost of universities. A college degree is a necessary step to compete in today's workforce, and attending college is also an experience that many young people want - and deserve - to have. The problem that many millennials have had to deal with is being able to afford the high cost of college, which is where student loans come into the picture.
Millennials were not just entering the workforce with the focus of finding a job; They had thousands of dollars in student loans to deal with as well. Landing a job right after college that you can live comfortably on and pay off your student loans: where is this unicorn?
It's not just the rampant loans we are dealing with, though, but also the continually growing wage gap.
Baby Boomers and Gen X's prime working years were at a time when America's middle class was thriving
Millennials, on the other hand, are seeing their prime earning years defined by the wealthiest in the country making more than ever, and everyone else's wages stagnating, essentially decimating the middle class. Add to that high healthcare costs, and it's easy to see why Millennials are having such a hard time.
Regardless of where you stand politically, there's a reason that Bernie Sanders' message resonated so strongly with millennials. We were the age group who felt most affected by the burdens that he was focused on addressing.
The truth is that many Millennials have to work twice as hard for less money and have bigger financial setbacks because of many outside factors that ironically, were created by those older generations.
So if Millennials are indeed becoming a lost generation, there's a good chance that you can find us at the local mall, where we're working our second job in order to make rent and pay off our student loans.
Jill Zwarensteyn is a long-time freelance writer, where she has covered news and travel content for different media publications. Jill's writing has been featured on Matador Network, Artrprnr Magazine, and SleepAdvisor, among other publications.
