How many times have you heard, “Millennials are just too narcissistic to care about anything but themselves?”
I’ve often heard this phrase.
The millennial generation does have some stereotypes I think are true.
The amount of selfies I take, for example, are just like Donald Trump’s comments about immigration — they won’t stop.
So, are we as self-entitled as our grandparents claim?
The research on the subject is mixed.
One 2008 study from the National Institutes of Health claimed 9.4 percent of 20 to 29-year-olds possess traits of narcissistic personality disorder.
Comparatively, just 3.2 percent of seniors exhibit the same traits.
However, a different survey found 86 percent of 20 to 29-year-olds said it is important to have a career that does some good in the world.
What’s the truth?
I think our generation has the possibility to do a lot of good if we put our minds to the task.
Our civic engagement could definitely use some work.
In the 2010 midterm elections, for example, just 24 percent of millennials voted, compared to 51 percent of the population that is 30 years and older.
This statistic reflects an apathetic attitude toward those who are going to represent us in government.
The ability to vote is one privilege we should cherish.
It’s a right that’s been fought for over generations: from the suffragists who crusaded for the 19th Amendment to the courageous men and women who marched in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, activists have fought for the right to vote for all citizens.
We should value these brave people by at least showing up to the ballot box on Election Day.
Just think of all the fun selfies you can take while wearing your “I voted” sticker.
Remember, our voting block can make a difference in who will win and lose elections.
If the youth vote had been split in four states in the 2012 election, Mitt Romney could have pulled ahead of Barack Obama to win the presidency.
And we all know our country’s future could have looked quite different compared to the current reality.
We should participate in politics more because we have a significant investment in our nation’s future.
Our generation will graduate with an average of $25,000 of student loan debt per student.
That’s certainly nothing to laugh off while you scroll through Instagram.
We will also graduate in a job market that treats its graduates poorly — millennials make up 40 percent of the unemployed in the United States.
If being jobless isn’t the number one fear of most college graduates, I don’t know what is.
And it’s a valid fear if we’re not willing to change it.
So what can we do to reverse these trends?
We can campaign for leaders who will promise to reduce college costs significantly.
We can exercise our right to vote and elect leaders to create jobs programs for those who need it the most.
We can lobby those in power simply to listen instead of serving interests they’re paid to represent.
It’s not just our interest we have to think about.
What about the future generations to come?
Will they be even more selfish, more indifferent?
Together, we can prevent this from happening.
Together, we can make a generational change.
That way we can tell Grandma we’re doing our part to change something.
ttfitzpa@indiana.edu
