As a technical communications intern at Consumers Energy, I was introduced by my colleagues to many stereotypes associated with millennials, people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s.
Some of these stereotypes included both positive and negative connotations of millennial “myths.”
For example, one myth states that millennials use more technology than any other generation. Some of my colleagues assumed that the interns were technology experts, whereas others felt we were always on our phones and had no boundaries when it came to posting things online.
One particular myth really intrigued me: millennials are becoming lazier than other generations. It is true that some individuals are lazy by nature, but it’s not fair to extend that generalization to a whole group of people.
My question for the people who perpetuate this myth is this: wouldn’t you be lazy if you had access to Netflix, too?
I think that technology does play a significant role in work ethic, though, both in good and bad ways.
Let’s say a student has a paper due in two days and decides to watch TV shows instead of researching and writing. This student could be seen as lazy; however, maybe that student knows how to search databases, finds appropriate sources quickly and can write the paper in a timely manner.
The individual is now seen as more efficient than lazy.
With that said, millennials often work smarter, not harder. Other generations may perceive this as lazy, but I see it as creative.
For example, millennials have mastered social media. Careers directing corporate social media accounts were nonexistent even 15 years ago but now comprise a significant portion of many marketing strategies.
Millennials in the workplace has also led to efficiency. My generation is accused of being impatient, yet I wonder why I should wait hours for things to get done when I could have the results in minutes.
There are now apps like Tapingo and services like Uber that allow us to obtain what we want without waiting too long. This is not lazy; it is innovative.
Although we have been called “lazy” and “tech-crazy,” millennials have performed tasks smartly and efficiently by being creative and using technology to their advantage.
Each generation has something special to offer. Rather than bashing generations outside of our own and blaming them for problems in the workplace, we need to acknowledge and embrace our differences.
