**TL;DR - Millennials are labelled as lazy, but are actually innovative!** (JUST TO CLARIFY - I am understanding millennial as a person born between the years 1981-1996) The media attention on the laziness, self-entitlement and whiny nature of millennials is constant. However, I think the labels of the ‘brunch-loving’ and ‘avocado eating’ millennials over-looks the innovation that they bring to society. They are innovative, progressive and creative. This ‘self-entitlement’ label that is often branded as lazy, but it could not be further from the truth. Millennials are asking more of society in order to improve it for everyone and give people a voice, who in the past have been pushed aside. This laziness and self-entitlement label that is put on millennials is just [a reflection of society’s and previous generations’ reluctance for change.] (https://starkraving.medium.com/millennials-the-lazy-entitled-screen-obsessed-generation-building-a-better-world-1f98588c5146) Millennials also are a generation all about self-improvement. The ‘wellness industry’ is something that thrives on [millennials need to improve.] (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/77109/myth-lazy-millennial) This is anything but lazy. The need to push yourself in many different ways (virtues, career or physical health) is the antithesis of laziness. We also live in a world where Facebook, Amazon and other big online business make things quicker and easier to access. Does it make millennials lazy to take advantage of the ability to access things quickly? I don’t think so. Times change, society changes and what is ‘normal’ changes. Millennials wanting things quickly, whether it is a gift from Amazon or a delivery from Deliveroo, isn’t out of laziness but out of using and adapting to the word we live in.

**TL;DR - It's easy to write off entire generational groups as 'lazy' or 'entitled' from an outside perspective.** - In Devon Prince's article ['Laziness does not exist'] (https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01) he writes, "when you don't fully understand a person's context ... it's easy to impose abstract, rigid expectations on a person's behaviour." - It's easy to observe someone being unproductive and project ideas of laziness and entitlement upon them. It is perhaps even more tempting to do this from an older generational perspective that assumes their youngers have it easier than they did. However, continual shifts in how young people navigate life mean that the struggles faced are simply different. "People do not choose to fail or disappoint. No one wants to feel incapable, apathetic, or ineffective. If you look at a person's action (or inaction) and see only laziness, you are missing key details. There is always an explanation ... Just because you can't see them, or don't view them as legitimate, doesn't mean they're not there."

Just to let you know, if you're Gen-X and you genuinely think that Millennials or Gen-Z's are lazy, just realize that YOU would have to be the ones who taught us that behaviour! If we're lazy it's because you raised us that way

**Millennials have a conflicted relationship with their elders, but ultimately have the same goals to improve their societies.** - The previous generations (Baby Boomers and Generation X) refer to millennials as the lazy generation, in comparison to them, as they served in the war, and according to them worked a lot harder. Thanks to the work of these elder generations, millennials have been able to adapt their work and create a society that works for them. - The claims that millennials are entitled (especially in the workplace) stem from the expectation to have a job after graduation, demanding certain salaries/asking for more than expected. Furthermore, a [study](https://www.spring.org.uk/2016/09/personality-trait-leads-chronic-disappointment.php) by the University of Hampshire found that millennials scored 25% higher in entitlement-related issues compared to the baby boomer/generation x participants. - However, millennials may contend that if they are perceived as lazy and entitled, it is because of their baby boomer/generation x predecessors who have passed this behaviour on. - Millennials have made a name for themselves, pioneering the movement of making money out of your hobbies, and enjoying your work as opposed to working in the same job for 40 years. According to this [research](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/14/millennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2/) Millennials have a higher percentage of a female workforce (72%) compared with the previous generations. - The same study found that only 46% of millennials are married, compared with 67% of baby boomers and 83% of the silent generation. This is indicative of a careers focused attitude, which allows millennials to concentrate on developing themselves before settling down with a family should they choose to do so.