I have a different take on this. The idea of "pursue your passion" is a thing in part for the reasons the author implies (or is explicit about) but he's eliding

I have a different take on this. The idea of "pursue your passion" is a thing in part for the reasons the author implies (or is explicit about) but he's eliding something. He doesn't really touch on the capital owning class' interest in cheap labor, and "find work that you're passionate about" is about a subtle and indirect way of pursuing cheap labor, mainly by the implicit suggestion that offering employment that fulfills a passion is itself compensation to some degree. Edit for clarity: so my view is that blaming or scolding millennials for this may be a bit misplaced. They've been raised in an environment where they've been told repeatedly that they can (and should) pursue their passions as their careers and also that it's possible and even feasible for everyone to do so. "Money doesn't by happiness" may be technically true, but it is necessary in our society to fulfill basic needs and it's absurd to think its utility beyond that diminishes significantly.