Millennials will be the only generation in modern history to not "kIdS tHeSe DaYs"
Millennials are a different generation. We generally know we had it better. We know that when we were kids the political atmosphere was generally simpler and less stressful. We know that we had an easier time with dating and friendships. And just as we became adults we watched the entire world order that we grew up in begin to collapse around us in real time. Today, everyone is bombarded with constant stresses. We are all forced to carry around little stress rectangles that really just exist to add constant stress to our lives.
I think because of that unique experience we are far more empathetic to younger generations (namely Gen Z'ers) than any other generation. Every other generation before us is convinced they had it harder (despite any and all evidence to the contrary), and so their ability to empathize is stunted by that. But in reality, they generally had opportunities to build a stable life for themselves before the social foundations began breaking apart. Meanwhile, I'm really starting to believe that many Gen Zers are following the same path. They aren't old enough to remember when times really were better, their whole lives have always been in the collapse, so they are falling right back into the generational finger pointing game of every other generation.
Millennials will ultimately remain the most emotionally sympathetic generation in history. The social institutions we grew up with and believed in are shells of what they once were. We get it. We understand your struggle is real, and like a big sister we'll do the emotional lifting for the family as civilization ends.
