By: Madari Pendas
Older generations usually castigate Millennials as cynical and overly pessimistic; however they do not consider the negative events that have surrounded our childhood and adolescence, which in turn have become normalized.
We grew up with school shootings, like Columbine. 9/11 and the war on terror happened when most of us were 9 or 10 years old. The subsequent war in Iraq and Afghanistan has existed all throughout our formative years. We’ve seen the indifference of our government through events like Hurricane Katrina and the treatment of the residents of New Orleans. The release of secret government documents on Wikileaks have raised our suspicion and distrust of the government. Most of us are buried in student loan debt and underemployed. Older generations will disparage us by saying we lack values and hard work, but that is not the case, if anything it fuels a generational rift between millennials and their parents. I often wonder what kind of world we’re inheriting.
Born between 1980 and 2000, we Millennials are inheriting a very different world than that of our parents. Our parents were able to buy homes, find jobs with relative ease, and have upward economic mobility. Whereas we are inheriting a world of cynicism, where the American Dream is no longer as accessible as it once was. Where our ability to exercise influence over politics is diminished, where our opportunities decrease, where a negative correlation has begun to burgeon between education and unemployment.
One of the nascent problems of the millennial generation is the abundance of educated people, credential inflation, and an economy that cannot absorb all high skilled laborers. We have all read the horror stories – a person gets an advanced degree in the humanities then can’t find a job because their too overqualified or if they’re trying to scale the ivory tower they’re enslaved into adjuncthood.
We all have witnessed this phenomenon, either through friends who are currently struggling
to find employment in their field and in the interim are working in retail or food service; or we are personally experiencing it.
Almost 25 years ago an individual with a college degree was guaranteed upward economic mobility and success. However the inflation of bachelor’s degrees has changed the dynamics of the types of jobs college graduates currently attain.
About 48 percent of employed U.S. college graduates are in jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) suggests requires less than a four year college education. Eleven percent of employed college graduates are in occupations requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s, and 37 percent are in occupations requiring no more than a high school diploma.”
“The proportion of over educated workers in occupations appears to have grown substantially; in 1970, fewer than one percent of taxi drivers and two percent of firefighters had college degrees, while now more than 15 percent do in both jobs.”
Throughout our entire educational career counselors and college advisers lauded the benefits and necessity of a college education, often encouraging further education beyond the Bachelor’s degree. However, many of these counselors did not discuss the employment opportunities and often seem out of tune with the current job market. My college adviser constantly encourages me to pursue a master’s degree, telling me it will help me bypass entry level positions and jump to senior management or higher
positions.
I chortle every time I hear this because it is inconsistent with the type of work environment and culture that is currently in place. The environment that values work experience over degrees (this is directly caused by the credential inflation of the last few years). A study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 44% of college graduates are working in jobs that not require their degree.
The Federal government classifies certain jobs as “good non-college jobs” which include administrative assistant and offer decent compensation, like $45,000. However, these types of jobs have declined, and more 25% of college graduates are working “low wage jobs,” which pay less than $25,000 annually. This problem is further intensified by the large amount of student debt that most college graduates have accumulated and the average student loan debt is $29,400.
Millennials also feel they have less influence over political matters, and therefore have the lowest voter turnout out of any other demographic. The graph below shows the decline in voter turnout over the last few elections. However, voter turnout usually increases with age. But millennials still feel marginalized, many feel robbed of access to the American dream. They did everything “right.” They went to college, got excellent grades yet they can’t find employment in their field, or high paying positions in their
field.
Many college graduates are stuck working as adjunct professors since most universities and faculties are relying on part time faculty (again due to credential inflation) and minimizing their tenure track positions.The fear that awaits us upon graduation far exceeds the hope. These graphs and statistics are not abstractions that do not remotely affect our lives. They are people we know who took out large loans, or who are debt free but are underemployed, or in the worst case are underemployed.
As I read all these statistics many personal friends and acquaintances came to mind. This is a very real and tangible problem. Some Millennial critics have borrowed Gertrude Stein’s epithet and referred to us as a “lost generation.” Cynical and pessimistic, yes, with every right to be so, but lost? No.
I believe we will overcome these current setbacks through transference of power, when our generation is in congress, when we can attach personal faces to legislation and social reform. When we can create jobs through our intellectual capital; and when we have the resources to battle the monsters of our industries.
opinion@fiusm.com