MANILA – The traditionalists, baby boomers and the gen X may have arrived way ahead of the millennials but being born at a time of convenience and technological advancements, this generation was given the gift (or the curse, depends on how you look at it) to experience a number of firsts.
In his talk at UPMG’s Print Con 2015 on Thursday, inspirational speaker, leadership trainer, book author and columnist Francis Kong listed down the 10 things that the millennial generation got first dibs on.
This is the first generation that…
1. Does not need adults to get information
The internet connection in the Philippines may not have reached the acceptable speed just yet but it it is definitely not as sluggishly slow as the time when some of us had to endure dial up. So, for this generation, the information is literally available on Google at the touch of their fingertips.
2. Can broadcast their every thought and emotion
With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networking sites, millennials will never run out of avenues to voice out their thoughts and opinions especially now that there are people who, whether they like it or not, will listen or probably just lurk on their status updates.
3. Enjoy external stimuli at their fingertips 24/7
Whenever boredom strikes, millennials nowadays, would still have to lift a finger to kill time–to click and scroll on their smartphones, tablets, and laptop–but other than that, their feet, legs, hips and back could just stay where they are: in the couch.
4. Is in social contact all the time yet often in isolation
Millennials now are talking more than they have ever been with their friends and families which they do while holed up in a corner using Viber, WeChat, Facebook Chat and other online messaging platforms usually during gatherings where they are surrounded by actual people–completely missing the point.
5. Will learn more from a portable device than a class
A semester’s worth of syllabus today could probably be learned by a student by browsing his phone and reading through online articles from news outlets and virtual encyclopedias while stuck in traffic. Unlike the first few years of the Internet, it is easier now to distinguish legitimate information from those that are not especially to these digital natives who are more cautious than some might think.
6. Adults have actually enabled kids to become narcissistic
Francis Kong emphasizes how parents nowadays have become more fierce and competitive when it comes to their kids, and complains at any instance of inconvenience inflicted upon their children. This has kept schools on their toes as if they’re always walking on egg shells, making sure that every child is getting the right amount of attention and recognition: “We invent awards so kids don’t get disappointed.”
This kind of attitude, says Kong is what produces a generation with low tolerance for pain, “if parents are not willing to let their kids undergo frustrations, don’t expect them to succeed in the future.”
7. Uses phones instead of a watch, camera, or calendar or a board game
With gadgets offering all-in-one features, there’s nothing that millennials need that they wouldn’t find on their phones, catering to this generation’s short attention span. Thanks to apps, even food and transportation can be summoned without breaking a sweat.
8. Can travel anywhere in the world with budget fares
Crossing off things on the bucket list is no longer just a dream. Young professionals who just earned their first paycheck can just hop on a plane without burning a hole in their pockets now that airlines are offering very low fares that no one would have imagined years before. The process of purchasing a ticket, too, isn’t as complicated anymore, giving travel agencies a run of their money.
9. Are experts in hobbies
When loom bands became a booming trend in the Philippines last year, I gave a set to my niece as a gift and offered to teach her how to do it only to be told that she already knew how, “Youtube,” she said. Of course. The internet is a gold mine of “how to” videos that will teach you anything you need to know–from how to play the guitar, how to braid your hair, to how to convince your parents to let you go to a concert (Hello, WikiHow).
10. Makes money before getting their diploma and can extend their services globally
A lot of websites that offer “work from home” services are available and accessible to just about anyone. This kind of freelance work does not discriminate whether you are a doctorate holder or an out-of-school youth as long as you have the skill and can deliver the output on time, making it a convenient avenue for skilled youngsters who choose to make use of their time earning themselves extra money on top of their meager allowances.
Taking these things into consideration, millennials are also often branded as a sloppy generation. Kong reminds the adults, especially company managers that all the mudslinging thrown at this generation’s way are not true, “young people want to join companies that provide personal growth, invest in their personality, stretch them and reward them.”
Kong adds that millennials, just like every one of us really, want to work in a pleasant environment, “they want managers that inspire them and genuinely care for them,” and does not want to be treated like a useless tool, “start treating the young people as creators not consumers. Let them surprise you with what they can do.”
Illustration by: Almira Maniri
