Millennials and modern problems

Dear Editor,

When the Civil War was over, Abraham Lincoln was not celebratory that the North won and the slaves were going to gain their freedom, because he knew the price tag of the victory was an enormous loss of life on both sides. The United States of America was at a tipping point. A point when bitter feelings would die hard and reconstruction and embracing unity would be a daunting task.

At this time, our country is divided again. The boundaries of the split aren’t geographical like the North against the South but instead arise from two ways of looking at the same set of problems and circumstances and knowing where to go from here.

The conservatives are deeply disappointed about the election and feel greatness slipping through their fingers. The Democrats feel they better understand the problems of the economic disadvantages, of getting the working class back on their feet after the effects of covid and getting John Q. Public to accept that racism is real.

Party affiliation aside, there are a lot of factions in society that are faltering and need some kind of intervention. Seeing the world through their eyes may help us achieve empathy and create a willingness to help them. One group we hear a lot about is the millennials.

Millennials are those Americans born approximately between 1980 and 2000 and are currently the ages of 20 and 39. 72.1 million Americans are millennials and they surpassed the baby boomers as the largest group in 2019. 27% of the eligible voters in the 2020 U>S. presidential election were projected to be millennials.

Millennials are marrying at a later age and are less likely to be in a committed relationship. Compared to older generations, they are less likely to have children.

The Millennials are the children of the baby boomers and are also called Generation Y. They are the largest generation in the workforce because of their birth years.

Millennials are often optimistic about the future and are highly motivated. More of them pursue a secondary education as did previous generations and they start their careers early to get to the top of the corporate ladder or get a promotion.

They are enthusiastic and believe anything is possible. But their idealism and high expectations can set them up for disappointment and disillusionment.

Millennials are more diverse and less conservative than older generations. Their influence in society, the workplace and politics is growing.

This age group seems more focused on their careers while simultaneously comparing themselves to others within their generation. This new version of the rat race finds millennials so caught up with finding their position in society that they often struggle with living in the present moment and enjoying the company of others.

The millennials are the first generation to grow up with social media. Some psychologists believe that since social media posts often depict high aspirations and unattainable lifestyles, they create feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Among millennials, depression and anxiety are the two most commonly seen health problems. Causal factors are financial strain, loneliness, striving for perfection and workplace burnout.

Since 2013, millennials have seen a 47% increase in major depression diagnoses. In 2017, 36,000 American millennials succumbed to “deaths of despair” involving drugs and alcohol. One can only imagine the statistics for 2020.

Millennials are financially stressed, feeling torn between providing for the present and saving for retirement. They are bogged down by student loan debt while feeling pressured to attain homeownership. Many of them cannot make ends meet or find suitable employment. Some of them end up living with their parents.

They are the first generation to do less well financially than their parents.

Financial security si more elusive for this age group because some of them came of age during the Great Recession of 2008-09 when good jobs were more scarce. Some of their parents lost investments or, worse yet, their homes.

And now, the virus is jeopardizing the financial health of many Americans, especially the millennials because they are at an age when they are trying to get established.

Financial insecurity can trigger a domino effect, creating tensions in home life, social life and the work environment. They feel a sense of shame because they don’t feel they are measuring up.

On a more positive note, millennials are changing the way people look at mental health because they are more open about their issues and are destigmatizing therapy.

When 2020 and part of 2021 is behind us and we all receive vaccinations, the future will look much brighter and we will all breathe a sigh of relief. When some of the stressors are removed, equilibrium will be more easily attained.

Those persons from the millennial era need to know less competitiveness makes friendships more attainable and life not going as planned is very common.

Janine Hall-Pantenburg,

McCook, Neb.