Article June 18, 2018 Issue

Redeeming the ‘millennial’ label

Robert Witney

The term millennial is a pretty loaded one. Millennials, or Generation Y, are usually defined as those of us born sometime between the early ’80s and the early 2000s. That’s a wide range, and sometimes it feels as if “millennial” is a stereotype that encapsulates a lot of sometimes contradictory definitions.

Millennials are often seen as having a good knowledge of technology. We’re also thought of as activists, with a habit of speaking our minds about issues we feel passionate about. But, as with all labels, those positives tend to come with a downside: Many also associate our generation with always having our noses stuck in our phones, or see us as “bad listeners” or “too opinionated.”

How do we get past these kinds of stereotypes? Through my study of Christian Science I’ve learned that because God is one, the spiritual reality for every single one of us as His children must be that we are also one, because we are His expression. This means that our individuality isn’t stereotype-based, but God-based. And rather than creating divisions, this divine diversity is completely harmonious, because it’s sourced in God.

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