To the parents of people born between ‘82-’04,
First off, I’d like to thank you for giving us life and putting up with us for so many years. We’re loud, we’re obnoxious, we’re self-entitled, and we’re addicted to screens. We know, really, we do. But parents, we are so much more than that. We are the generation of new creation, new love, new hope, and new acceptance.
Although we may seem like we spend 24/7 looking at Twitter feeds and stupid memes on the internet that make no sense to you, try looking at the bigger picture. Through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, millennials across the world can come together in times of joy and celebration but also in times of pain and sorrow. When you were our age, you had the friends and family only around you to find solace in, but our generation found a way to hold hands and lean on each other’s shoulders while on opposite sides of the globe. Mark Zuckerberg is a millennial, and his creation of Facebook is a massive platform for people of all ages to meet and be together, even when they’re far apart. When the tragic Boston Marathon bombing occurred, everyone was terrified and heartbroken, but the residents of Massachusetts felt more love and comfort than could ever be possible back in the day — thanks to the power of social media users all over the country, and even other countries reached out with their thoughts and prayers.
Aside from social media, I’ve seen and heard so many parents’ disapproving remarks about the seemingly-sudden burst from the LGBTQIA+ community. Of course, this doesn’t apply to every baby boomer/generation X-er, but hearing “it’s just a phase” and “when will they get over this fad?” regarding coming out, is truly insulting, even as a person outside their community. Popular YouTube stars Joey Graceffa, Connor Franta, Ingrid Nilsen, Shane Dawson, and so many more found the courage to upload their coming out videos onto the web, and seemed to raise a flag to millions of people that it was okay to tell the world who they truly are. The people that are voicing their sexualities are not following a popular trend on the internet, they’re speaking out because thousands of us decided that enough was enough and we were going to be the ones to let them know that it’s okay to be who they are, and to ignore the harsh words and stares from the unaccepting. This new era of love and acceptance is scary because it’s different than what you grew up with, that’s understandable, but this particular movement is making millions of people very, very happy, so I think that’s something we can all stand by.
Lastly, I’d like to bring up how our loud and obnoxious voices are actually helping to make strides in society. The gatherings for women’s equality, Black Lives Matter campaigns, anti-racism marches, etc. are packed full of millennials because we grew up in a complex time where major change was being called for, and we answered that call with open minds and open arms. We are the generation that believes in standing together with people from all walks of life, and protecting those that we may not even know but still care for simply because they are humans.
A Muslim man blindfolded himself, stepped into the street, and opened his arms for anyone to give him a hug.
This letter is in no way bashing the way you were raised, or attempting to change your personal beliefs. Its only purpose is to explain to you that we are not sitting on our asses and wasting the days away. There are kids inventing machinery that will clean up our oceans. There are young men creating care package delivery services for women during their time of month. We have teenagers putting together bionic hands for amputees. Although we may have our fair share of lazy days, please don’t forget that your babies are the ones that trying to make this world a better place for the human population as a whole.
Sincerely,
Your kids