We are ALL the solution.
A few Gen X-ers, Baby Boomers, and a Millennial were out to dinner…I was the only Millennial.
We were enjoying a meal when everyone, except the Millennial, pulled out their phones to take selfies, food pictures, and obvs post to Insta and FB. After everyone had taken their photos I pointed out that the Millennial was the only one who didn’t pull out their phone, take a selfie, or post on social media while at dinner. They started to chuckle and realized how ridiculous that may have been.
While I believe every generation has its general corks and idiosyncrasies, I am baffled that Millennials are pegged as:
Entitled
ADD
Lazy
Addicted to social media
Phone addicts
The Participation Trophy Generation
Etc.
My question is…WHO TEACHES THOSE THINGS? There is no way an entire generation happened to be entitled, lazy, or “need” a participation trophy without learning those behaviors.
Who enforces boundaries for children and the rising generation?
Adults. Whether you have children of your own or not. As an adult, you’re an enforcer, teacher, and boundary setter. Now that we have 5 generations in the workforce, we are all the solution, too. Before we go casting our stones and judgments, let’s look in the mirror to see how we’re contributing, what we’re contributing, and what outcomes could happen.
Are we more concerned about our screens than teaching our children how to be disciplined, creative, or self-sufficient?
Are we engaging with other people, creating healthy boundaries, and adding value to our sphere of influence?
Do we exemplify what we expect? Our actions will ALWAYS speak louder than words.
Our contributions matter. Let’s check ourselves.