As a millennial growing up, I, like many other millennials, was told the future would be bright. Work hard and follow the rules, and success and happiness will be yours. College is the key to your future, there are great job opportunities out there.
The problem is, it never panned out that way for most of us. We were left in the dark, trying to make sense of the chasm between the dream we were sold and the disillusionment we actually experienced. In this fog, there are a lot of us who feel completely lost and burnt out.
What’s more, these aren’t small lies. These are core beliefs that have been instilled in us, dictating the way we approach our lives. These are some of the most common things millennials mention online that misled them growing up.
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If You Work Hard, You Can Fix a Broken System
They said all we had to do was try a little harder. But many millennials have come to realize that you can’t work hard enough to fix a rigged system. The problems range from hiring discrimination to wealth inequality. So many factors can hold people back, and not all of them are in their control.
If You Do What You Love, It Will All Work Out
We heard it all the time growing up. You need to find something you love and do it every day. But, as many of us found, turning a hobby into a career is not so simple. Your dream job may not be what you think, and your passion could lead to a stressful paycheck.
Saving a Little Bit at a Time, You Can Buy a House
We were told to start small and we’d eventually be able to buy a house. But wages have remained stagnant while housing prices have skyrocketed. For many millennials, the math just does not work out. Renting is not a choice; it is a necessity.
Social Media Will Help Build Genuine Connections
The online world was designed to bring people closer in a different sense. But as time went on, many people realized that it is still possible to have superficial and toxic relationships with virtual friends. Scrolling for hours has only left people feeling more isolated.
You Need to Have Your Life Together By Your Mid-Twenties
There was pressure to have a clear career path, stable relationships, and a life plan by the age of twenty-five. But life does not follow a tidy schedule that anyone can control. Many of us found our way later in life, and some never figure it out. You should never feel like you have to keep up.
Starting Your Own Business Is Easier Than Ever
The dream of being your own boss and building something from the ground up sounded so cool and doable. But behind every “mom and pop shop” is a stack of unpaid overtime, personal stress, and financial risk. It takes more than just motivation to start from zero.
Mental Health Challenges Are a Sign of Weakness
We have been told this repeatedly for years: toughen up and stop complaining. As a result, it became extremely difficult to talk about anxiety, depression, or burnout. So many of us assumed that the pain we felt meant that we were weak. We now know that is not true, but the message from the past is still hard to shake.
You Can Retire Comfortably If You Save Enough Consistently
It was such a simple and achievable goal. The idea was to put aside a percentage of every paycheck, and one day you could stop working and enjoy life. Yet for most millennials, this has proven impossible. Saddled with student debt and other obligations, many people just do not see retirement as an option.
You Have All the Time in the World to Make Big Life Decisions
They told us there was no rush, and that we could take our time and have fun while we did it. The truth is that sometimes in life there is a window where things happen or do not happen. Fertility, home ownership, and career paths can be heavily affected by age and timing. Waiting can close opportunities.
Success Looks Like the Life You See on Social Media
Pictures of pristine homes, luxurious vacations, and six-figure incomes are hard to look at without wanting the same. But many millennials now realize those posts leave a lot out. Success does not have to be about showing off. To some people, it is stability, peace of mind, or just making it through another day.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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