Members of millennial generation combat narcissistic stereotypes

Insight

Adults between the ages of 18-34, or the millennial generation, often encounter stereotypes. Many millennials said they’ve been called entitled, lazy, immature, narcissistic, tech savvy, and even a “lost generation”. CCTV America reporter Hendrik Sybrandy reported this story from Denver, Colorado.

There are an estimated 74 million millennials in the United States, and 2.5 billion around the world.

Denver marketing expert Darrin Duber-Smith said millennials in the United States are waiting to go to college, get married, and buy homes, and they don’t have the job skills that are needed to succeed.

Pointing to the high number of men in their 20s who are unemployed, Duber-Smith said the generation has slowed the U.S. economy.

“At some point, it’s got to be attributed to the fact that you’ve got kids that are still juniors in college at 27-years-old, living at home in their parents’ basement, working a waiter job,” said Duber-Smith, who also lectures at Metropolitan State University in Denver.

Duber-Smith said many millennials believe the world should just accept them as they are.

“The idea that I’m going to be able to get a job as a banker with tattoos all over my neck,” Duber-Smith said.

Denver resident Gabrielle Bryant, 29, said that that those stereotypes are somewhat true, but also somewhat false.

“I know a few men who live with their parents, which I find pretty odd,” Bryant said. “Some say I’ve been coddled. I’m all about making sure that I get things done, and I feel like a lot of my peers are like that as well.”

Bryant argues that many millennials offer optimism and work to save and plan for the future.

“Our generation is a bunch of free thinkers. Actually my ultimate career goal is to host my own talk show,” said Bryant, who is a single mother of two children.

Duber-Smith did say that he believes millennials are becoming more focused.

“I think that that message is definitely getting through. I think I see signs of progress,” Duber-Smith said.