Starting this speech of mine with pleasant greetings to everyone!
I would like to dwell on something interesting to us teenagers, and might
probably confusing our teachers. A term which is used to describe our
generation distinct with that of the previous generations, like the baby boom
and the generation X. This is about “the millennials”, specifically the Filipino
Millennials. Who are they and what do they do?
You may have seen it in social media or heard it on TV. You’re puzzled,
clueless as to what this word means. In the Philippines, Filipino millennials or
“Fillennials” is now a thing. Let me describe to you my own view of who are
the “millennials”, what do they do, and why they are called as such.
According to an article published by TIME Magazine, millennials are
people born from 1980 to 2000. In America, they are the biggest age grouping
in history. Made up of mostly teens and 20-somethings, these are the people
who are already in college and part of the workforce. However, every country
has a different millennial grouping. Simply put, they’re the Generation Y. It
was authors William Strauss and Neil Howe who are credited for naming the
“millennials.”
Millennials in the Philippines are those who are social media-dependent
and also, the “selfie” generation. Many things describe what a millennial is.
According to The Week, millennials are usually spendthrifts. Millennials in the
Philippines are known to usually spend for luxury goods which leave their
bank accounts shaken—the reason why they are also described as “broke.”
Millennials are also described as narcissist, making them known as the “Me,
Me, Me Generation.” However, there are also good attitudes which millennials
possess: being politically and socially-engaged. Compared to other
generations, millennials have their say about issues and are more involved
with politics.
When it comes to entertainment, millennials in the Philippines are
usually seen spending time online, watching YouTube videos. Millennials
usually have the latest apps, watch the latest TV series, and are into the latest
hits. According to a Philippine Star article, millennials in the Philippines do not
usually read newspapers. Instead, they have Google for information or Waze
for road directions.
Another set of description that best fits millennials are: upbeat, lazy,
narcissistic, materialistic, self-expressive, fun-loving and liberal. They also
have a short attention span. But if you talk to them about the things that
interest them (e.g. tattoos, trivia, gaming, movies and the likes), they’re really
one to talk.
Aside from the age difference, millennials have their own personalities.
According to Time, millennials have a mantra of “Challenge convention.” This
means that millennials seek to find better ways of doing things. When
millennials were babies, technology was already available. According to
[Link], 56% of millennials are usually the ones to try new
technology, making them a target of many businesses for their products. A
whopping 75% of them want to travel abroad yet again making them a target
for travel-related goods.
They’re also known to be career-shifters, jumping from one field to
another, seeing making career as “self-discovery.” According to Mr. Jos
Ortega of Havas Media Ortega, millennials are characterized in different
identities. “Who they are on Facebook may not necessarily be who they are in
real life, on Instagram, or on Twitter,” said Ortega. Diversity is what makes a
millennial and they have different versions of themselves depending on what
they want to show the world.
Fillennials are seen to be ungrateful, narcissistic, and entitled. But I
stand that there’s hope, ideals, and positive qualities innate in them. I would
like to impose that the fillennial generation is making things so much better!
Fillennials are smarter, though not always wiser. They are dreamers who
know how to make these dreams a reality.
Now that you’ve learned a thing or two, you can now have a clue on
how to gauge the difference between a millennial and not. You should also
know that being a millennial varies across regions, and not all millennials
possess the very same character they are described as. Guys I am living this
question to you, how millennial are you? Thank you and good day.
