I do not feel like an adult. I support myself, have a job and live 818 miles away from my Mom and Dad, but I still feel like a child most every day. And I know I’m not the only one. Millennials everywhere are having a hard time growing up. I know a handful of Millennials who have no clue what they want to do with their lives, and I know even more Millennials who are doing something amazing with their lives and still don’t really know what they want to do.
But Millennials have great educations and are smart, so why is growing up so hard for Millennials?
1. We still want to be astronauts- We don’t really all want to be astronauts, but we still do want to believe that we can do whatever it is we want to do with our lives. Millennials do not want to settle, and if you aren’t a grown up then you don’t have to settle. Which is why it’s hard for Millennials to grow up and try to discover what they really want to do with their lives.
2. Our parents don’t want to force us- I hate to blame our parents entirely for why we aren’t growing up, but they definitely aren’t helping us either. A lot of Millennial parents (not all!) are used to hovering over their children, and they only want them to be happy. And if that means not settling for a job that they don’t want, then many Millennials parents are happy to support their children for as long as they can. But this is a terrible thing, because we need the push from our parents to force us to grow up.
3. Growing up actually is hard- Maybe this sounds like an excuse, but growing up really is hard for Millennials. It’s a huge transition where everything changes and your life becomes totally different. Can you really blame Millennials for not really wanted to grow up?
Tell me what you think! Who’s fault is it that Millennials are having a hard time growing up? Are the Millennials you know having a hard time too?
(For more information check out some of my other posts on Millennials at work.)
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It sounds like you’re associating “growing up” with “having dreams”- but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with aspiring to be better at something. You say Millennials don’t want to settle, but why should they? These days, people go through many career choices and try lots of avenues- PR’s become journalists, etc. We can continue to better our own skills through the ease of online courses, and as we improve, we may want better jobs that provide more of a challenge. Maybe Millennials don’t know what they ultimately want to do with their lives, but I don’t think that means that they won’t ever do anything.
I agree with your point #2 to an extent, but as someone who has a full-time job but still lives with her parents, I don’t think that parents should “force” anyone to grow up. It’s one thing if there’s a millennial who just sits at home all day watching tv, but there are plenty of people who are working full-time, but just living with parents to save up money. I live in a city where rent is very costly, so my parents are letting me get established professionally before I venture out on my own. I’m lucky that my parents support my ambitions and are letting me stay with them- by no means is it an easy pass as I still do everything myself (besides cook). And I don’t enjoy having to live with my parents at this stage in my life, but I recognize that it’s a temporary fix that will help me in the future. And I know there are other millennials in my position as well.
PS. I wanted to say this is a great post that brings up a lot of the issues Millennials are facing!
I’m a Gen-X’er, and I still don’t want to grow up. Now that I’ve read your column, I understand why – I don’t want to settle.