By Alyssa R

Millennials. We’ve all heard the term and the negativity surrounding it, but just who are the millennials and why does it seem that they get such a bad rap?

Millennials are anyone who was born in between the 90s and the early 2000s. so most of us here in Central are a part of this most controversial generation. One of the negative characteristics that people usually associate with millennials is that they are arrogant.  “It’s really frustrating that just because I know and express that I am good at something I am seen as a person that is rude or self centered,” sophomore Elizabeth Bobr said. “I have the right to be proud of myself and I shouldn’t have to worry that I am thought poorly of just because I am proud or confident.”

Along with our ‘arrogant’ personalities, millennials are seen as lazy and unmotivated. Its is seen that we are not putting in work to better the community or ourselves and are in fact making things worse, but it is millennials who are the ones fighting to create an environment that is in fact safe and that gives everyone an opportunity to be an equal individual.   

While there are those who choose to focus on the “bad” qualities that millennials have , there are others who see and share the good things within us. It has been duly noted that millennials are more aware and willing to fight and discuss social issues such as sexism or homophobia, two of the most pressing topics circulating through the country today. Sophomore Sharon Thomas said, “Being a teenager in such a crazy and chaotic time in our country’s history is stressful, but also rewarding. There are so many opportunities for us to voice our opinions and to put a stop to these issues as our country grows and changes everyday.”
Being a millennial presents its challenges, but just like any other generation, millennials have their good and bad qualities just as any other generation does. But it is important that we take the good and bad and put them to good use to help create a better world to live in for generations to come. “I have been told I am a ‘stupid millennial’, but that won’t stop me from voicing my opinion and doing what I can to change my community,” junior Katie Percha said,