Better Face It Millennials: You Didn’t Get What You Were Promised

By Morgan Brittany

Monday, August 26, 2013

They were the royal children; the sons and daughters of the Baby Boomers who adored and spoiled them and promised them that life would be wonderful.  They were designer babies with clothing and shoes that sported logos just like their parents.

Their parents were on waiting lists to get them into the right pre-school, they were given lavish birthday parties and extravagant gifts.  They were trained and brainwashed and made to believe that getting into the “right” college meant success or failure.

They were given trophies and awards for playing sports whether they were accomplished or not.  It didn’t matter if they were good, as long as they “tried”.

These 18-29 year olds from all across the economic spectrum were made to believe that the world owed them something just because they were “special”.  It didn’t matter if they really were “special” or outstanding, it was all about self-esteem.

Many of these kids don’t know what real work is.  Their work ethic is entirely different from the one that previous generations had.  Just because your mom and dad said you were “talented”, “special” and “oh so smart” doesn’t translate to what an employer might think.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that every young person is like this, but it is hard to argue with the fact that many Millennials didn’t expect to have to work this hard or face as many obstacles on their way up the ladder to success.

Well now these same children have grown up, gone to the over-priced universities and colleges of their choice, and are now ready to reap their rewards.  Oops! Looks like they picked the wrong economy for that one.

What?  What do you mean there are no jobs?  I have a BA, MBA, or Doctorate. I spent years in school racking up debt so that the workforce would welcome me with open arms at an entry level position of $1K a year!

Welcome to Obamaworld kids.  The new normal for your generation is 16% unemployment and part time work…if you can get it.

I feel for these kids, I really do.  I have two of my own who are struggling to find work.  They didn’t ask for this economy, they are just the recipients of it.  These young adults are facing a $20 trillion dollar deficit, massive entitlement programs that are going broke, and oppressive taxes.  In order to pay off their student loans or just to survive, they will have to delay their lives.  Marriage, children, a home of their own; that will all have to wait until a solid economy comes back.

These Millennials are facing an uphill battle not just because employers are cutting back hours due to Obamacare, but because the Baby Boomers themselves still have to stay in the workforce longer than they ever intended to.

Retirement is a luxury these days and so the job openings that would have been there for the new crop of young workers have dried up.  Employers would rather keep on the experienced older workers rather than train the new.

It is especially harsh for the 18-29 year olds who didn’t or couldn’t get a higher education.  Their job opportunities are being filled by college kids who take them, or by illegal immigrants who are flooding the country.  Low skill jobs are going to continue to be outsourced to places like China, Mexico, India etc. unless something changes dramatically.

These young people are facing the real world and it is not what they were promised.  Many of them are already trying to figure out ways to survive and manage their future.  Rachel Bailey of Athens, Ga says, “I feel like my whole career is just a patchwork of different jobs.”  She is a college graduate who picks up work as a waitress, does online marketing and is a freelance journalist.  “I never thought that I would have so many concerns about just how to have the basic things that I want.”

Perhaps this a turning point.  Perhaps this is the wakeup call that is needed in America. After all, these young people are the future of this country and unless they understand that it is up to them to turn this ship around, then all is lost.  Their eyes are now opened to life in the real world and it is not what they were promised.

I never thought I would see hell freeze over, but I did last week in a speech at the Teen Choice Awards when liberal Democrat Ashton Kutcher actually extolled the benefits of hard work for young Americans.

Maybe there is hope after all.