By Rebecca Benitez
It’s the least wonderful time of the year.
You’re scrambling to keep up with assignments and studies for exams that are coming too close for comfort, while your other responsibilities from jobs, internships, clubs, and application deadlines are breathing down your neck. But wait— you still have a social life and self care to keep up with, because if you choose one over the other you can’t achieve that perfect balance that we are consistently told guarantees a successful future. All of this burdensome pressure, yet the media continues to portray a negative image of millennials and generation Z youth, who are all defined as, according to TIME Magazine “lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow”, stamped with the label ‘snowflakes’.
If you are currently a young post-secondary student, this narrative is probably nothing new, and after an exhausting day you’re probably sick of hearing it, too. New generations are often victimized by the previous for being lesser than. Having been born into a revolutionary age of technology that has enhanced our way of living tenfold, young people are bashed for having it easy (“you know, back in my day we did math in our heads!”), while the multitude of problems that come with living in an era of rapid growth in technology are dismissed. In reality, youth are more stressed than ever.
A 2018 study from the American Psychological Association shows that current college students are have higher levels of stress from perfectionism due to the pressure to succeed and achieve more than previous generations. The study analyzed data from more than 40,000 American, Canadian and British college students, and found that they suffer from three types of perfectionism: an irrational personal desire to be perfect, perceiving excessive expectations from others and placing unrealistic standards on others. Researchers also took note of comparison pressure in social media as one of the main influencers, glorifying workaholism and compelling young people to #getthatbread while setting numerous goals that only end up in a perpetual state of self criticism if they’re not reached.
Another issue is that the bachelors and master degrees are now the new high school diploma— this was the minimum requirement for previous generations, but now more education is valued, leading to higher expectations of employees in the job market. This has undoubtedly lead to more competition when job hunting, thus manifesting into higher standards. College students and graduates have to work just as hard, if not harder, and still they are not seen as enough.
(source: Tweet by Cowlon Fullerton)
Jessica Rohlfing Pryor, a Family Institute staff psychologist told the Chicago Tribune, “chronic procrastination and elaborate to-do lists can be signs of perfectionism — and potentially darker issues.” She stressed that seeking help is crucial before a situation turns worse, and that more school’s need to highlight failure as an important step to growth. The article also differentiates between the “perfectionist” and the “healthy striver.” Perfectionists are preoccupied by the fear of failure and disapproval, and get overly defensive when criticized. Meanwhile, healthy striving uses the fear of failure as a motivating energy source while taking criticism in stride.
As a college student, I have seen my peers work so hard almost to the point of burnout rather than slacking off. Some of us have to take a few years off to work multiple jobs and save money for school, and with the new OSAP change in grants and loans this pressure has increased for those who need it most. A lot of us spend time piling and detailing our resume to perfection so that we can pay off our overwhelming debt as soon as possible. They may also need to pay for things like rent and groceries. Due to many factors, exhaustion and depression are common before even stepping into the real workplace. So yes, having too work hard to meet ideal expectations, just to have all of our efforts dismissed by the older generation — I think we’re allowed to have our share of complaints.
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However, this is not to say that there is no hope for millennials or generation Z youth, or that working hard should not be done. Our generalized definition of success is changing from being financially secure and obtaining positions of power to doing what makes you satisfied in life. There is no right way for a whole generation to successfully grow or achieve— growth is done through trial and error, at our own pace. Not everyone can do everything, even if it seems that way when we get caught in the undertow of Instagram or Facebook feeds. Rather, we should be satisfied in knowing that trying our best, and keep in mind that we don’t have to do this alone. Help is always available either through friends or school resources. I think that by continuing to work hard for what we love at our own pace, can we show our pride as millennials and generation Z and start to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be.