Self-centered is just one of the many ways the millennial generation chooses to describe itself.
Millennials can be defined as a group of people ranging in age from 18-33. According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, the millennial generation is more likely to describe itself in negative ways such as self-centered, careless and prideful.
When talking to students about this study, they said they accepted they were self-centered and blamed all the social media websites they use and how they are always looking for ways to one-up someone on Facebook or Instagram.
I am not saying social media is absolutely horrible and we should never use it, but we should use it for a better purpose than posting selfies. By improving our social media use, we can create a better image of our generation.
One way we can erase part of the self-centered label is by posting for a better cause. I have seen countless posts where the person posting either asked for help for a certain situation or called attention to an issue that could be changed if everyone rallied together.
For example, I was the president of a club called HOPE Squad during my senior year in high school. Our job aimed to reduce youth suicide through education, training and peer-to-peer interaction. We had Facebook and Instagram accounts, and we posted inspirational quotes as well as pictures of students holding up kind words. This is an exceptional way to use social media for the better.
According to Pew Research Center, another way to change is by accepting millennials are the most stubborn economic optimists. In other words, we believe we can achieve anything we put our minds to. Our future possibilities are endless. If we believe that, then why not put this belief to good use?
We should believe we can erase all racial and gender discrimination by posting supportive messages about equal rights. We should believe that we can eliminate suicide by never posting hateful messages.
We are a strong generation, and we shouldn’t just accept that we are prideful, careless and self-centered. We should take a stand and become the generation that fixes all of the world’s problems through social media.
