There’s a lot of confusion about who is and who isn’t a millennial. Although millennials are the ones writing for Vice, .Mic and other youth-oriented news, half of the people reading this particular article are not millennials. The cut-off is close for all of us at Chico.
If you’re about 20-30 years old right now, you classify as a millennial. Younger than that you’re part of the Y-Generation, or “me” generation. Chico State right now, between the freshmen and super seniors, is harboring a generational gap.
Even if you’re a couple years above the Y-Gen cut off, or too young to join the millennials, the gap isn’t a firm separation of personality and attention span. Most of those in the middle can easily categorize themselves between the two groups.
One thing is certain though: The Y-Generation is fucking radical.
If baby boomers really complain and hiss about millennials, they’re going to be traumatized by the Y-Generation. Not enough statistical information is available about the young pool, but anecdotal evidence is enough to distinguish them as easily one of the most radical groups yet.
Much like the flappers in the 1920s or punks in the ’70s, young people now are excellent at screwing with convention and causing anxiety among the dominant social groups.
I lost my virginity when I was 13 but now I hear about kids that are only 12 years old having anal. Weed isn’t introduced in early high school anymore, but early middle school. When I took child development we learned about the “secular trend” – the phenomenon that children are starting puberty younger and younger, either because of nutrition and diet or other unknown influences.
So not only are humans living longer, they’re starting their lives earlier too. And they’re actually accomplishing a lot.
In the immortal words of Casey Veggies, “all the young niggas run the world.” It’s true. Most of the artists I listen to recorded their music before 25, take Travis Scott for example, and my favorite producers are under 18.
“My favorite beat-maker is 16 years old,” I tell myself with bewilderment everyday. He’s a prodigy. I party to the background of a 16-year-old’s bass lines. Toddlers don’t diddle around with xylophones anymore, they play with DJ software and drum machines.
There’s an entire legion of SoundCloud producers creating beautiful, complex music – theoretic and experimental compositions all trap-inspired that are post-millennial.
Although this next generation is, based on observable trends, likely to have an insanely short attention span and ingrained cynicism, they’re unified, they’re accomplished, they’re cultured and they’re apt to change the world in ways we never imagined.
William Rein can be reached at [email protected] or @toeshd on Twitter.
