4 ms·

Why are millennials so associated with being victims ?

Retric 8y ago
Because they are the first American generation significantly economically worse off than their parents. Even US life expectancy is dropping, as are average IQ’s.
- gnicholas 8y ago
  Is life expectancy dropping because millennials are dying? My understanding is that it's due largely to the opioid crisis, which mostly affects people in older generations.
  - eigenstuff 8y ago
    Also obesity.
  - ModernMech 8y ago
    My anecdata is that I know 4 people from my graduating class who are dead today because of opioids. I don't know what the rates are, but it definitely affects the young as well.
  - save_ferris 8y ago
    The opioid crisis isn't limited to older generations, it's definitely impacting millenials as well[0]. The millenials that are most likely to be impacted just tend to be from more economically depressed areas. 0: https://qz.com/1169672/us-millennials-were-almost-20-more-likely-to-die-in-2016-than-2014/ https://qz.com/1169672/us-millennials-were-almost-20-more-li...
  - Merad 8y ago
    Depending on the source the millennial generation is usually considered to start around 1980-82, making them currently 36-38. Speaking only for myself (age 34) I've seen and heard about many people that I grew up with getting caught up in opioid addiction.
- wool_gather 8y ago
  The first first, or the first since the prosperity boom in the middle of the 20th century? The generation that went through the Depression surely was worse off than their parents.
  - Retric 8y ago
    Great Depression was followed and preceded by extreme economic growth. So, they where still better off over time. The depth of the depression the US per capita GDP only dropped to ~1920 levels. (Industrialization is a hell of a drug.) It recovered by the end of the depression and the 40's was a massive boom. You really want a logarithmic scale to do these kind of comparisons over time. But even that misses the kind of structural changes that are really harming Millennials specifically.
cyberpunk0 8y ago
Maybe because they have been preyed upon since birth by corporations, advertising, and media, shit on by the previous generations and perpetually viewed as children incapable of thinking and acting for themselves. "Maybe it's not the people that are sick... Maybe it's their environment." - Dave Chapelle
timerol 8y ago
Somehow "Have millennials killed X?" turned out to be a really good clickbait article format. I suspect that this is due to clickbait becoming widespread as millennials came of age. At this point it's just going on momentum.
- vinbreau 8y ago
  Don't forget ageism. Older people love memes with "back in my day" in the headline that shows some perceived difference between when they were young and the youth of today. I have friends who sometimes share that stuff on their social media. When I jokingly called out a friend recently about his "back in my day" jokes, he didn't even realize he was indulging in ageism. I imagine most don't.
skh 8y ago
Perhaps a system that is unsustainable long term is showing signs of strain? Maybe they really are victims relatively speaking. I don’t know. I don’t think it has to do with being snowflakes or otherwise lacking mettle.
ancorevard 8y ago
Because they are the first generation fully educated by a school system which teaches that victim mentality is the greatest ideal. Only when millennials discover the natural result of this dark path, take responsibility for their own life and choices, then they will have a much more meaningful life. Many millennials have managed to do just that, it's a glorious sight.
- skh 8y ago
  Do you have any specific evidence that the school system teaches that the victim mentality is the greatest ideal? From what I can tell this is a popular belief amongst some that is without support or a basis in fact.
- kome 8y ago
  So the lack of growth (https://milescorak.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/branko-milanovice-global-inequality-elephant-curve.png https://milescorak.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/branko-milano...) of the middle classes in the west is just the effect of bad decisions on a massive scale?

Because they are the first American generation significantly economically worse off than their parents. Even US life expectancy is dropping, as are average IQ’s.

gnicholas 8y ago
Is life expectancy dropping because millennials are dying? My understanding is that it's due largely to the opioid crisis, which mostly affects people in older generations.
- eigenstuff 8y ago
  Also obesity.
- ModernMech 8y ago
  My anecdata is that I know 4 people from my graduating class who are dead today because of opioids. I don't know what the rates are, but it definitely affects the young as well.
- save_ferris 8y ago
  The opioid crisis isn't limited to older generations, it's definitely impacting millenials as well[0]. The millenials that are most likely to be impacted just tend to be from more economically depressed areas. 0: https://qz.com/1169672/us-millennials-were-almost-20-more-likely-to-die-in-2016-than-2014/ https://qz.com/1169672/us-millennials-were-almost-20-more-li...
- Merad 8y ago
  Depending on the source the millennial generation is usually considered to start around 1980-82, making them currently 36-38. Speaking only for myself (age 34) I've seen and heard about many people that I grew up with getting caught up in opioid addiction.
wool_gather 8y ago
The first first, or the first since the prosperity boom in the middle of the 20th century? The generation that went through the Depression surely was worse off than their parents.
- Retric 8y ago
  Great Depression was followed and preceded by extreme economic growth. So, they where still better off over time. The depth of the depression the US per capita GDP only dropped to ~1920 levels. (Industrialization is a hell of a drug.) It recovered by the end of the depression and the 40's was a massive boom. You really want a logarithmic scale to do these kind of comparisons over time. But even that misses the kind of structural changes that are really harming Millennials specifically.

cyberpunk0 8y ago

Maybe because they have been preyed upon since birth by corporations, advertising, and media, shit on by the previous generations and perpetually viewed as children incapable of thinking and acting for themselves. "Maybe it's not the people that are sick... Maybe it's their environment." - Dave Chapelle

timerol 8y ago

Somehow "Have millennials killed X?" turned out to be a really good clickbait article format. I suspect that this is due to clickbait becoming widespread as millennials came of age. At this point it's just going on momentum.

vinbreau 8y ago
Don't forget ageism. Older people love memes with "back in my day" in the headline that shows some perceived difference between when they were young and the youth of today. I have friends who sometimes share that stuff on their social media. When I jokingly called out a friend recently about his "back in my day" jokes, he didn't even realize he was indulging in ageism. I imagine most don't.

skh 8y ago

Perhaps a system that is unsustainable long term is showing signs of strain? Maybe they really are victims relatively speaking. I don’t know. I don’t think it has to do with being snowflakes or otherwise lacking mettle.

ancorevard 8y ago

Because they are the first generation fully educated by a school system which teaches that victim mentality is the greatest ideal. Only when millennials discover the natural result of this dark path, take responsibility for their own life and choices, then they will have a much more meaningful life. Many millennials have managed to do just that, it's a glorious sight.

skh 8y ago
Do you have any specific evidence that the school system teaches that the victim mentality is the greatest ideal? From what I can tell this is a popular belief amongst some that is without support or a basis in fact.
kome 8y ago
So the lack of growth (https://milescorak.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/branko-milanovice-global-inequality-elephant-curve.png https://milescorak.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/branko-milano...) of the middle classes in the west is just the effect of bad decisions on a massive scale?