Is America ready for millennials to be in charge?

People from a generation who were born between 1981 and 1996, are now in their early 40s, and some are questioning the preconceived notions that have traditionally been associated with them.
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Many millennials are wondering if it's their turn next.
Many millennials feel overwhelmed and stretched to their limits.
They too will hold considerable sway in the decades that are ahead.
Baby boomers number the largest eligible voting electorate and workforce demographic in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center. They are also the most ethnically and racially diverse generation of Americans; more than 40% of millennials are minorities.
Demographer William Frey, who has been studying the cultural gap between generations, refers to millennials as a "bridge" generation between older, less diverse generations and the more diverse post-millennials. It's for this reason, he thinks, that the millennial generation is well-suited to connecting with people from various backgrounds and holding different views. (Vance demonstrates this; his wife, Usha Vance, who is of Indian-American descent, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.)
"As people enter their middle years, their diverse backgrounds and experiences from interacting with people from various racial and cultural backgrounds will undoubtedly be beneficial to our economy and future,” said Frey, senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution.
As more members of this cohort advance in their careers and accumulate wealth, they're expected to have a profound impact on cultural, political, and economic dynamics in the years to come, experts claim.
The ‘burnout’ generation?
I'm somewhere between 40 and 60 years old, but I'm not at all sure what the future holds.
Now that I'm 40, middle age is no longer something that's looming in the distance - it's actually here and I'm right in the middle of it. Along with middle age comes an unspoken idea that by now, nearly everything should be worked out: a steady career, financial stability, kids, and a clear idea of who I am supposed to be.
For many millennials - over 70 million of them, making up a significant portion of Americans - this idealized picture of success feels more like an unattainable goal than a realistic reality. I know numerous millennials who are dealing with financial instability, struggling with mental health issues, and working to maintain a healthy balance between their personal and family lives. Other millennials I'm familiar with are going through the difficult process of divorce and coping with the loss of a parent. Many are now reflecting on decisions they made in their 20s and 30s, and with newfound self-awareness, they're making adjustments to set themselves up for a brighter future.
In US history, millennials entered adulthood during a period of economic uncertainty and still struggle to catch up. High student loan debt, the housing market downturn, and limited wage growth hindered the wealth-building milestones of millennials, placing them at a weaker economic standing compared to previous generations of the same age. According to author Anne Helen Petersen, writer of "Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation," the uncertainty of their financial futures and a culture of constant hard work have led to widespread exhaustion among millennials.
There's a sense of uncertainty that's the standard economic situation for many, many millennials, and it's made worse by other factors in our lives that make it difficult to ignore.
Some millennials may be putting off marriage, having children, or prioritizing their careers because of the feeling of uncertainty and burnout that has overshadowed traditional markers of success that previous generations considered milestones.
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Lindsey Memory, a librarian in Springville, Utah, is turning 40 this summer. For many years, she felt like she was falling behind financially and professionally. She earned a degree in academic librarianship, a field that can take a long time to advance in. At the same time, her husband was restarting his career as a software developer in his 30s. This all added up to mounting expenses from infertility treatments. However, last year, which was challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a turning point for the couple. They welcomed their first child, her husband landed a new job, and they were finally able to buy a house.
A year later, Memory was promoted to head of the library department. "That salary increase enabled us to pay off our car and finally start enjoying life more without having to closely monitor our grocery bills every week," Memory said. "For me, the best part of getting older has been achieving financial and career stability."
“this generation,” driven by passion and determination, is shaping the future with relentless energy and agility. However, concerns linger about the consequences of this relentless drive.
Parenting and aging
Making time spent online less was a recurring theme among the New Year's resolutions shared by millennial influencers on Instagram, a self-aware acknowledgment of their complicated relationship with technology.
For today's millennial parents, the challenges are even greater. As their kids enter their teenage years, they're grappling with issues that their own parents never had to deal with: When should they give their child a cell phone for the first time? Is it okay to let them explore their neighborhood on their own? How can you effectively discipline them in an always-connected world?
As they plan for their three young children's futures, Memory and her husband regularly discuss how they'll promote healthy phone habits for their kids. "The knowledge that they'll be watching my behavior makes me acutely aware of how often I'm staring at my screen when we're together," she said.
The rapid pace of technological advancements in the past 20 years has left parents of young children without a clear guide. Millennials are blazing their own trail, often feeling like they're navigating untested territory as they go.
Some wealthy individuals, such as Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel, have invested heavily in research on living a longer life and achieving immortality. A recent Netflix documentary showcased centimillionaire Bryan Johnson's intense anti-aging regimen, which includes over 100 supplements and gene therapy every day, illustrating the measures some people are willing to take to escape aging altogether.
“When you're young, your body does just about everything you want it to - you're full of looks, strength, and energy,” Memory said to me. “But as you get older, your body no longer does the things you want it to do... and you begin to realize that the 'you' from your youth may never have been real in the first place.”
In the midst of a culture that obsesses over youth, embracing the beauty and wisdom that comes with growing older can be seen as a subtle act of defiance, a quiet rebellion.
Opportunities for change
Despite the challenges facing them, the millennial generation has opportunities to bring about positive changes that earlier generations couldn't. Having grown up with technology, yet not been fully molded by it from an early age, millennials are well-suited to set a good example for their kids through healthy digital practices.
Millennials are faced with the dual challenges of caring for their Gen Alpha children while also supporting their boomer parents. This unique situation gives millennials the opportunity to push for policies that better reflect modern family life, such as extending paid family leave, providing eldercare assistance, and offering more flexible work arrangements. With this responsibility, millennials can help redefine the concept of a family and set new standards for caring for generations of all ages.
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As managers and employers of the most diverse generation, Frey points out that millennials know how to "get along."
“The key point is that millennials are open to interacting with people from various backgrounds because they can relate to them. They've likely experienced some similar challenges during their own upbringing. As millennials progress and achieve success, it will have a significant impact on the generations that follow them, as they will serve as role models for a more diverse America.”
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