The Millennial Generation and Popular Culturehttps://www.prowritersdom.com

 The Millennial Generation and Popular Culture

Thanks to digital communication and popular culture, the millennial generation is the most connected generation of the 21st century. They are the first generation to be born digital and grown with modern technology. Often referred to as Generation Y, millennials comprise individuals born between the late 1980s and early 2000s. This group of people is considered the digital natives who have grown in a world full of technology. Their attachments to technology and obsession with social media than real-life interactions make their life different and unique from baby boomers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This essay examines the millennial generation's representations in contemporary pop culture, including television, movies, music, and the internet.

 It also discusses how millennials are nfluencing the world through different media.

Figure 1:”Pixabay’’. Playing with a phone 29 April 2020. https://pixabay.com/photos/playing-with-phone-cellphone-5103236/

Technology plays a large part in the millennial sphere, with many pop culture references defining them. Everything they do is influenced by what famous people are doing, helped by the easy access to technology. As a result, their dressing, eating habits, and popular brands are influenced by their celebrities in movies and television. The internet has made it easy for millennials to instantly slice pop culture into individual moments through memes and GIFs. Social media has given people the ability to build friendships from across the globe and has become an essential aspect of society. Hashtags on social media have become a symbol used to group content together and for Black Lives Matter campaigns.

In recent years, the generation has been popular with selfies, TikTok videos, and the desire to change the world. With the invention of the front camera on smartphones, millennials use selfies to control how they look. At the same time, the iPhone is an integral part of the millennial generation that has replaced books, cameras, and in some aspects, computers. Everyone is waiting on the new iPhone to come out with a brand war against the Android.

Cinema is also an essential element of the millennial generation that has changed with technology, providing a cosmic fantasy while influencing how and where to watch the film. Notably, reality television has been popular with millennials, as seen with The Kardashians, one of the world's most famous families. This aspect of reality television has influenced millennials' language and approach to life (Burns 2017). Pop culture is shaping the gender and cultural factors among millennials. TV shows such as black-ish and Atlanta are typical among the millennials as they explore different social issues that affect the world. Because of technology, millennials view the world as more connected and agree with any initiative to make it peaceful.

Today, podcasts and video streams that address to the audience and less to the broader world are popular (Adgate 2019). Popular culture is being defined by streaming battles between Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney+, among other platforms. Disney Channel is the network that millennials knew throughout their childhood and remains popular when talking about growing up. Today, popular shows such as Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and The Simpsons are still popular among millennials as they are with the baby boomers (Rabbani 88). Other TV shows such as hunger games, harry potter, Batman, and The Lion King represent millennials' core.

Despite their popularity with technology, this generation has struggled with the burdens of global warming, economic inequality, and a ravenous social media that thrills them while stripping away the tender gifts of their youth. Millennials are still wandering through the wreckage of sexting, mass shooting, body shaming, and their lives playing out on smartphones. However, these events have been crucial in defining the whole millennial culture. Anxiety over the future has been seeping into the cultural landscape of millennials as they participate in social movements. This generation has taken part in the Black Lives Matter movement and MeToo walk showing solidarity with the race and gender minorities (Ince, Rojas, and Davis 1814).

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/people-man-guy-millennials-2562050/

The millennials are said to be more informed and aware of their environment than the baby boomers. They accept all types of people and believe everyone should get equality without discrimination. The gender and cultural equations are now redrawn along with the generations with millennials the most accommodating. Their worldview includes striving for a more peaceful world, accepting changing gender roles and relationships, and increasingly aware of social issues. Millennials are likely to embrace diversity than the baby boomers. While baby boomers are afraid of the demographic changes, millennials have been at the center of fighting for racial justice.

Because of their expertise in using social media, millennials have a strong sense of social power. The group can influence the actions and decisions of the previous generation due to their social reach. For example, they can use their smartphones to initiate discussions about critical social topics. Rising tides threaten the existence of certain countries due to the recklessness of some world leaders. As the subject of climate change continues to shape conversations, millennials are taking the mantle to restore their planet (United Nations 2019).

Politically, millennials are more democratic than previous generations, though less than 1 in 4 individuals vote. The 2008 recession had a significant impact on the millennials, causing them to get married and have children later in life. However, the high cost of living and the obligation to pay school fees force millennials to push back homeownership and marriages because they cannot afford it. High unemployment among millennials with huge school debts defines their lives.

Image surce: https://pixabay.com/photos/demonstration-show-me-5267931/

Therefore, the millennial generation serves to bridge young generations as they look to shape the world. There is a generational gap between baby boomers and millennials because of social issues such as higher approval of same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization. Compared to the older generations, millennials have loosened boundaries of religion and are increasingly leaning towards atheism. Individuals are encouraged to seek their faith as they redefine religion with exposure to various religious views.

This is the generation that is not waiting for permission to be invited to the table. They are ready to represent the communities they live in and educate older generations to understand the rapidly changing world. For example, they are aware of the dangers of global warming, as seen with climate activists, courageous enough to admonish their leaders for failing to take charge of their planet. There is also a growing aspect of the cancel-culture, allowing millennials to reveal the prevailing sins of those in power. The restless of the millennial generation has spread to the country's politics as more young people venture into politics. Soon, they could be a millennial in the white house as the president of the United States.

Millennials are optimistic about the future and believe in the American Dream.  They are characterized by technology, immediate gratification, confidence, and acceptance of religion and relationships. The last of the millennial generation are still in their teens, but their connectedness makes them crucial to the world's future. There will be more tolerance and open-mindedness that will do away with discrimination and inequalities in the next world. Imagine growing up in a social media world where everything revolves around the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

ABC. "Diane Confronts Her Family - black-ish." YouTube, ABC, 16 Jan. 2019, youtube.com/watch?v=fB812yqDwPM

Adgate, Brad. "Podcasting Is Going Mainstream." Forbes, 18 Nov. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2019/11/18/podcasting-is-going-mainstream/

Burns, Sydney. "A Decade of the Kardashian’s Influence on Teens Today – Triton Times." Triton Times – Student News Site of San Clemente High School, 27 Sept. 2017, tritontimes.com/14182/artsentertainment/a-decade-of-the-kardashians-influence-on-teens-today/.

Butler, Bethonie. "‘Blackish’ tackles ‘light-skinned privilege’ in an emotional episode about colorism." The Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/01/16/blackish-tackles-light-skinned-privilege-an-emotional-episode-about-colorism/.

Ince, Jelani, Fabio Rojas, and Clayton A. Davis. "The social media response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter users interact with Black Lives Matter through hashtag use." Ethnic and racial studies 40.11 (2017): 1814-1830.

Rabbani, Farhanaz. "The millennial generation and popular culture in EFL classroom." Indonesian EFL Journal 1.1 (2017): 88-97.

United Nations. "Greta Thunberg (Young Climate Activist) at the Climate Action Summit 2019." YouTube, 23 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KxE4Kv9A8

The role schooling plays in our society

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The role schooling plays in our society

Place: Mathematics at Dundalk Institute of technology. Year: 2017, as a Freshman. Mrs. Linda, our mathematics teacher, has brought a continuous assessment test for the class to test our understanding of Algebra and calculus. This was a significant test that would be used to grade us in the final exam, and the grades would determine if we were going to progress to the next class. Considering that we had studied half of the term without any interruptions, the teacher was sure that it was an appropriate time to bring the test and try our ability to handle the calculations in the test. As we were doing the test, the teacher noticed how uncomfortable I was during the test and asked where everything was okay, and I murmured yes - I - aaa aam – fine though the teacher was not satisfied with my answer as I continued showing discomfort while handling the test.

Unfortunately, time was up, and we handed over the test paper, yet I had not answered most of the questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            During my stay days in school, I ensured that I attended all the mathematics lessons where the teacher had a syllabus to cover each specific term. I learned different calculations, including Algebra, Calculus, pre-calculus, linear programming, statistics, differential equations, and probability. Our teacher taught Mrs. Linda, whom we saw as a great scholar in mathematics, as none of the questions that we felt was indeed challenging was difficult for him to handle. I found these topics quite challenging and had always had fears attending any math lesson during my college years (Nathan 1).

            I felt that I should have been introduced to simpler topics while studying mathematics. The topics would include geometry, simpler Algebra, and simpler math topics that we had learned while still a freshman. Mathematics was not my favorite subject, and at one time, I felt that it should have been abolished and a better subject introduced in our schools. The fact that I did not perform well and had difficulty understanding and even practicing the mathematics questions made me believe that mathematics was not the best subject. The teacher's approach to explaining how to calculate the math problems was hard and made me hate the subject in its totality. I felt that the school should have introduced a better engaging subject that any student would not feel worthless while reading it or have much difficulty like the one I faced when learning mathematics.

Conversely, I was not too fond of a doing math calculation and read on something that I knew I would not apply it in the future. I felt that math problems like Algebra, calculus, and linear programming could not be applied in contemporary society, and thus, there was no need to read these units in mathematics.

 

 

I was discouraged that I would sit for so many math lessons

But still would not understand much or have the ability to perform well during exams. Therefore, I firmly believe that mathematics would be better substituted with another subject that fully engages the learner and one with skills that the learner can apply in the future.

Figure 1: Google map. Lecture halls Dundalk institute of technology – Entrance on campus". Inside Dundalk institute. Dundalk institute of technology. Marshes upper, Ireland. July 2016. https://goo.gl/maps/46orqfqKqeLZPWUPA. Accessed 3^rd March 2021

Learners go to school to gain knowledge and skills that are important in their future life. The skills and knowledge achieved help the learners be better people in society, earn employment, start their own companies and create employment. I have always believed that any subject learned in school should help me become a great person in society, so any unit that would not have any future importance in the real world made me feel disappointed (Idris 1).  Subjects that the students feel do not directly impact the "job skills" make students feel disgruntled as that is not what they have signed for having paid the school fees. According to Idris, the dissatisfaction could be due to individuals investing so much in the college instead of the benefits evident from society. Sternberg notes that one creature's meat is another creature's poison. As a result, a student may decide to pursue a course that will quickly give him a job and even employ himself and assist society. Still, another will do a course that will take longer to get a job such that he will be employed and practice what he did not learn in school.

Being in school has taught me to be disciplined, get management skills, computer skills, and knowledge, and was also able to get a slot in Tennessee tech university. Idris notes that school is of great importance in the 21^st century as it imparts children with skills essential for competition with countries around the globe (1). Students in countries like China, Singapore, and South Korea are imparted with skills to compete in the global economic playing field. They have created a communicative curriculum, one that is tech-savvy, and students learn many languages that prepare them for jobs yet to come (Sternberg 207).

            After completing my schooling at Dundalk tech institute, I applied and joined Tennessee tech university. I joined the university to study computer science which had no relationship with mathematics. I had to drop engineering as I could not continue pursuing the course, having failed in mathematics. Computer science is a marketable course and will help me get the necessary skills to be employed. A university degree is vital in the 21^st century as one's success in today's workforce is dependent on education and skills (Anyon 1). I am in university because I understand that a university degree will help in job career satisfaction and success outside the workplace. Being in the university will help me get a job as a computer teacher, software engineer, computer scientist, and I can easily get a job at any data company. I can also start a business dealing with computer hardware and softwares.

 

 

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Work Cited

Anyon. J., Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. Vol. 162, No. 1, Education, Ideology and The Hidden Curriculum (Winter 1980), pp. 67-92 (26 pages)

Idris. F., Hassan. Z., Yaacob. A., Gill. SK and Awal. N.A.M. The role of education in shaping youth's national identity. UK, teaching and learning congress 2011. Sci Verse ScienceDirect. 59 (2012), 443 -450

Sternberg, Robert J. "What is the purpose of schooling." What dogmatic beliefs harm creativity and higher-level thinking (2012): 207-219.

Nathan. R. Lessons from My Year as a Freshman." Pages 132-39