And why I think our generation needs some TLC.
- We have such difficulty being present
And we can certainly all admit to this. In our generation we have become immune to looking up from our phones only to see the top of everyone else’s heads staring down at their phones as well. We have all become so consumed with a text message we just received, an Instagram post that we wish we didn’t see, or a Snapchat story that was somehow more interesting than the world around us. Because of this, we are becoming less and less observant of our surroundings, less able to ‘smell the roses’ because we’ve become a slave to our phones, and far less capable of focusing for longer than 10 minutes on something without the distraction of a notification. I know for me, I’ve missed out on so many insightful conversations, and so many serendipitous moments because I let something on my phone shift my mood and take away my focus. When was the last time you did something just because you felt like doing it, without the hope of getting an insta-worthy picture?
- Because, again, cell phones are a thing
Without cellphones, 50% of our anxieties wouldn’t exist, I bet. We wouldn’t be addicted to social media or obsessive with who did or didn’t text us (and why they did or didn’t, of course). We would be able to take our relationships for what they are and see how well they do without constant communication. We would be able to take our life for what it is and actually pursue further talents than the amount of Instagram likes were able to attract. People are actually losing their chances of getting a job because they have posted something on social media that was inappropriate or unprofessional. Do cell phones have to control our lives this much?
- Your relationship status is looked down on no matter what
Whether you’re in a long-term, committed relationship or just doin’ your thang – it always seems that people in our generation believe either one are a recipe for disaster. Of course we are all entitled to our own opinions, but I believe because our personal lives are so exposed on social media, it’s almost become embedded in our minds that we have to comment on everything. If you’re single, people question your ‘values’, but if you’re in a relationship, people question if you’re ‘holding yourself back’. Why does it have to be one or the other? Why do we put so much pressure on labeling things and just be happy with accepting the way things are? Life isn’t an Instagram post believe it or not, we don’t need to ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on every person we encounter. Because everyone is so consumed with #foreveralone or #relationshipgoals, it’s almost impossible to feel like you’re doing anything right either way!
- Simplicity is rare
Our parents and grandparents are always telling us, “things were easier then,” or “it’s not as simple now as it used to be.” While of course this can be attested to political and governmental changes, I think us as individuals spend too much time overcomplicating and overthinking normal situations. Maybe it’s due to have too high of expectations for ourselves, which is a good and bad thing in itself, but we seem to have such trouble for accepting reality. Why is this? At such a young age, a time that’s supposed to be ‘the time of our lives’, you would hope that our ‘problems’ aren’t actually problems. Why can’t we just say, “I’m happy with the way things are, why question it? Why does there have to be a problem?” or “this is obviously a problem, I need to fix it rather than overthink it”. No wonder the anxiety level of millennials has spiked higher than ever—we know no other way than to make things difficult rather than handle a situation proactively. I think it’s important we take a step back once a while and be thankful our biggest problem is that someone didn’t text us back.