Millennials, aka Generation Y, generally regarded as those born between 1982 and 2005. Yes there are the discussions about the Xennials, a micro-generation born between 1975 and 1985, which I find myself in but for this discussion we’re going to discuss them under one term, Millennial.
Now I get it, Millennial has now become an insult but the truth is, Millennials are the last to see the world with all the beauty that it contains. We are quite fortunate in this regard and we will be remembered in the future for what I am about to say. And I understand what I’m going to say is more with regard to us older Millennials, the ones now entering out midlife years. This applies more to us born in the 80s and early 90s but I hope its food for thought for the younger ones as well as the generations that have come after us.
Think back 25 or 30 years, what was your day like on a Saturday? For most of us, if our parents didn’t have anything planned, it was boredom to begin the day. Lay9ing in bed, listening to the mourning dove calling outside the window. Maybe someone has cranked a mower to get the yard cut before the heat of the day sets in. We wait to be called down for breakfast, maybe we’re making our own bowl of cereal. There cartoons early but they’re gone by 9am.
We’re bored.
There is no cell phone to check, no online gaming to jump onto, no fortnite, no Facebook, Instagram, or Xwitter. There wasn’t Youtube to log onto. There was you and your thoughts. This was the time of reading books, Goosebumps was awesome, and writing notes to your crush.
We would go play with the kids in the neighborhood, for me it was street hockey with my rollerblades. Once we got old enough to drive it was trips to the mall in town. We didn’t even go to shop, we went because we were bored and we walked around talking and just hanging out. We spent our money at the food court, watched girls walk buy, tried to flirt with a few of them and get shot down.
If we ran into more of our friends the group grew, if you ran into your crush with her friends then you reached deep into your allowance money and bought her some pixie sticks or a cheap bracelet from Spencer’s. I once got so bored that I walked 7 miles to the mall because my friends were there and I had nothing else to do.
Stop reading this for a minute, close your eyes, and take yourself back. I think you’ll agree that some of our best memories comes from those days. There’s a reason we Millennials often say that the 90s was the peak of civilization. And i believe that for more than just the nostalgia of it. I think the golden age ended around 2004 or 2006. 2001 obviously was the down turn but 2008 was when technology began to fundamentally change our society.
Shortly after this came smart phones, these little things has completely changed the world. It has changed society and the dynamics of family.
A little off topic and at risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorists but, does it seem strange that shortly after the Patriot Act is passed a data collection buy the government begins collecting information on citizens that these smart devices came out?
The generations after us exist virtually. Online friendships that only kill together, online “friends” that like your photos and hit your DMs. Gone is the age of hanging out together, bored together, talking and daydreaming together. This isn’t a bash against technology but it is an awareness. We al watch our shows, not together, but separately on our own devices. I’ve seen children text with each other from 5 feet away instead of engaging in conversation vocally.
We don’t even need to stand in line anymore, just order ahead on the app. Even our language has changed. We have selfies, Sexting, Fandoms, Droupies, wearables, and even meatspace. a term used to describe reality, or the place that isn’t online.
Is it any wonder that Mellinnials are leading the way in the homesteading world? There is deep rooted desire for the simplicity that we knew as children and teens, a
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Homestead Padre to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.