"Figuring things out as I go and sharing along the way."
Despite some of the common stereotypes such as being the worst and laziest generation, Millennials have a lot going for them. Most are well educated, culturally diverse, technologically savvy, creative, and innovative, among other key characteristics. They’re also one of the largest generations, soaring past prior generations. According to new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2015, Millennials became the largest share of the American workforce.
That being said, the decisions we make today will impact the future state of the nation as a whole. First things first, we must recognize that we are the future. As a Millennial, know your cause and stick to your position, so you can form your own opinions. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by the media and/or celebrities. I can’t help but notice the common trend of millennials seeking radical change in the White House without properly educating themselves. It’s important for millennials to focus less on the radical differences and understand the true issues at hand. With a clear understanding of your own opinions, you can investigate which candidate is most closely aligned with your various positions.
The unfortunate reality is that our nation is facing several important issues. There is a ton of room for improvement, so the next President will be extremely busy.
Although I don’t want to take away from some of the other important issues like Same-Sex Marriage, Education, Climate Change, Environment, and Gun Control. In the spirit of keeping things relatively short and sweet, I want to focus on some of the other slightly more significant issues directly impacting the financial state of our nation as well as millennials. Some of these issues are; economics, spending, taxes, employment, student loans, immigration, health care, and foreign policy, among others. If these issues aren’t addressed, the consequences are detrimental to our nation in that we will end up in financial crisis. In short, if taxes aren’t reduced, and American’s cant afford to pay for Affordable Care (which is less than satisfactory medical coverage), nor can they afford their student loan repayment, spending will be dramatically reduced thereby impacting businesses, resulting in higher unemployment rates. With respect to immigration, there is a negative financial impact associated with totally cracking down on immigration. However, the real issue is related to security. So many undocumented illegal aliens mask terrorists is plain site. The nation is definitely in need of some regulation as it relates to boarder controls, not necessarily total elimination of the lenient controls in place today. Immigration (within reason) is necessary for the economy and employment market, so there just needs to be a better vetting process and a little tightening up on our immigration policies. There’s also no doubt we need to improve our relationships with other nations. However, negotiating with nations who go against everything we stand for as a nation and demonstrating poor negotiation skills by offering concessions for nothing in return isn’t the appropriate strategy. That being the case, foreign policy should also be important to you as it could impact our future and determine if we will ultimately fall victim to additional terrorist attacks.
If you still don’t believe me, here are 5 compelling reasons why Millennials need to be more involved in politics and stop following the fads:
- Millennials will not become homeowners:
Being well educated doesn’t come without a price. Millennials will struggle to become homeowners unlike other generations. Go to school they said… It’ll be worth it they said… Personally, I’m still accumulating interest while I try to figure out how on earth I am ever going to afford my student loan repayment. I know I am not the only one. Not to mention it’s a competitive job market. With an unemployment rate of 5%, Florida is ranked 26th out of the 51 states according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rising tuition costs is only going to make this issue worse over time.
- Millennials will be more likely to get laid off and less likely to recover:
Millenials may be more educated, but as the younger workers, they usually have less experience, and are viewed as “replaceable”. Unfortunately, that means they are more likely to get laid off. Once laid off, they’re forced to compete in the competitive job market against more experienced workers. They therefore tend to be among the last groups to fully recover, according to a report published by the White House.
- Millennials will encounter slow wage growth
Its no secret that if there is time to train and account for a learning curve, employers prefer to hire millennials. Not only do they tend to learn quickly, they can be easily molded, unlike the older generations who are set in their ways. Most importantly, employers can pay them much less than an experienced professional, and millennials are ok with that. After all, we have bills and loans to pay, so it’s better than being unemployed. Since millennials start off on the lower end of the salary range, it takes them years to catch up with the industry standard (unless they’re lucky). Additionally, most millennials are less demanding and afraid to ask for a raise, since after all, at least they have a secure job.
- Millennials will continue to have a bad reputation
For quite a while, I was embarrassed to be considered a millennial. There are so many negative stereotypes associated with millennials. They are sometimes characterized as lacking attachment or loyalty to their employers, being naive to the issues of the world, lazy, and the list goes on. I’ve had to seriously prove myself in my career. When I started, older individuals didn’t take me serious or listen to any guidance I provided. It was a struggle that I know others my age face. The only way we can begin to turn these negative perceptions into positives is if we collectively get more involved and educate ourselves on the common issues that affect the nation and start to make a positive difference. The first step to doing this is, understanding politics and picking the best candidate who can represent what’s most important to you.
- Millennials will negatively impact the economy
Having to pay the price of being educated, millennials are in debt, marrying and having children late, renting instead of buying a home, preferring to live in cities and not own cars. This will disrupt the U.S. economy as the nation’s total economic activity relies on people spending money that millennials don’t have to spend. It’s our job as a community to express these challenges until a polititian listens and vows to serve as an advocate to prevent the negative ripple effect. If we don’t get more involved, our voices won’t be heard and things wont get any better.
If you take anything away from this article, make politics an A-List priority in your life. Do your own research (don’t let anyone influence your opinion), pick a candidate who will help us millennials out of our rut, so that this economy doesn’t crash. Once you’ve done all that, go out and vote for creating a New American Century, since we are just that, a new century with new unique challenges that need to be addressed.
