We, as in the general population, need to have a conversation with and about millennials.
My children are Gen-X and this has often been a topic of discussion.
Being a boomer and growing up respecting a given set of rules, regardless of who made them or how they could be interpreted, we were expected to follow them. So, what happened?
I worked for many years with Gen-X and millennials and found most of them were cognisant of the basic premise of rules.
However in the profession I worked, it led itself to freedom of interpretation, so most of them actually believed that rules for them were only guidelines.
One day, I witnessed a millennial literally scream at another person for leaning against his $20,000 car as if he had threatened his personal wellbeing.
Beyond any doubt an overreaction, that the person “could” have scratched his not so pristine car.
Yet when a millennial uses my driveway to perform a U-turn and digs divots by spinning his wheels, I am told where to go and, “It’s just a driveway,” as his parting comment.
So my question is, Do millennials consider today’s rules just guidelines as they have no doubt learned from their Gen-X generation, or is it acceptable for me to educate the ones who have no regard for any of today’s rules that most of us still follow? My driveway is after all my property.
Consider this, the millennial and Gen-X generation make up most of today’s professional workforce — police, teachers, lawyers, firefighters, etc. Do they follow the rules or just use them as guidelines when it suits the situation? After all, a Gen-X probably gave the millennial their drivers’ licence.
Could I conceivably be punished by a millennial for educating a millennial who does not follow rules taught to them by a Gen-X that they both consider to be guidelines not rules?
Just a thought for the day.
Paul Elmont
Vernon