Millennial stereotypes… They are SUUUUUUUPER fun…

If you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm… forgive me.

Seriously though, I am over this. Parents are taking their kids to court to force them to get a job and move out. The news is all too happy to perpetuate the stereotype by interviewing said “kid” who is the epitome of the stereotypical millennial who still lives at home, doesn’t have a job and can’t seem to get his act together. Have a look:

 

 

A couple takeaways:

The interviewer says “What is up with this millennial generation, why do they seem to be so entitled?”

The Millennial responds “I’m not millennial, because I am conservative, the millennials they are talking about are liberal…”

My response: If he is entitled and lazy, it may have to do with the fact that his parents didn’t kick him out eight years ago. Seriously, parents, you need the court to do your adulting for you?

This is obnoxious people. It’s all labels. It’s all semantics. It’s all super unhelpful. Sure, there are millennials who live at home, and this furthers the stereotype. Sure, there are parents of millennials who let them get away with it. Stereotypes are rooted in truth, but they aren’t helpful. Jimmy Kimmel had some fun with it:

 

 

What I am tired of is the writing off of entire people groups based on labels…  “Millennials are lazy and entitled, they want things handed to them” …  “I’m not a Millennial because I am conservative, most millennials are liberal” … “I don’t like the liberal ideologies”… “Label _____ is bad and I don’t like them because ____”

Kimmel poked fun at this, having his audience judge on appearances. The assumptions the audience makes are based on the stereotypes that the news perpetuates. This further entrenches one generation against another. The old call the young names like “entitled” and “lazy” while the young show no respect to the old because they are tired of living under these stereotypes. It’s just not helpful.

I have a suggestion…

Stop feeding into the stereotype. Whether it’s about a generational label, a political leaning, or anything else… Just stop!!!

According to stereotypes, I should hate church, I should live at my parent’s house, be jobless, single and feel entitled to a work-free life… Well if you have read my book, you know that’s simply not the case. That’s also not the case for so many millennials across the world. CNN and every other news network reporting on this story are grabbing it for the ratings, for viewers. They don’t care the damage they do when they use words like entitled or lazy. They just want to make money selling commercials.

Stop letting them feed the stereotypes. Get to know people with all labels set aside. Don’t go into conversations with others carrying a bias that is pre-programmed, causing you to look at them through a certain lens. This only leads to a breakdown in conversations between diverse people groups. It leads to the young and old avoiding any and all conversations. It leads to conservatives and liberals speaking nothing but ill of one another, avoiding all contact. It is also why people of faith no longer know how to engage with the “worldly.”

We have forgotten how to interact with the “other” and it is causing so much damage.

We need to learn how to show love and respect to people who aren’t like us. Or… we can just make fun of the guy who lives in his parent’s basement, cuz that’s really helpful and all…

Stop feeding the stereotype…

Until next time…

Peace out!

#Blessed

%d bloggers like this: