Millennials are constantly taking the heat from their parents for many things. Previous generations call them lazy. They are also considered to be too reliant on the internet. Millennials reject these claims. They say that they just have different values from their parents.
It is acceptable to let those members of Generation Y be who they are. After all, they are the most diverse and educated American generation in history. They also happen to make up the largest labor force in America. America needs millennials because they are its present and its future.
But Millennials also bring something undesirable to the table: a heavy reliance on social media.
Millennials are more likely to remain independent from religious groups and political parties. Yet, they are more likely to vote for Democratic Party candidates with liberal views when it comes to social and political issues.
When they do get involved in politics, they turn to the platforms they know for information. Social media is where an estimated 88% of Millennials find news.
While social media is great for bringing people together, it is even better for driving people apart.
Using social media for information on important political issues is problematic at best. But what is more, it increasingly drives polarization in politics. This polarization does not suit anyone. The current state of the Republican Party can attest to this.
Donald Trump would have no platform in the traditional media horse race. But with Twitter, Periscope, Facebook and other social media, he has grown an audience worthy of a reality TV star.
As the first generation to grow up with the internet and the reality of ID theft, Millennials were bound to live their lives differently. But while working fewer hours and disrupting industries are often seen as positive things, stumbling across news from a friend online is less positive. In fact, it is dangerous.
The reason that this sound-bite culture is problematic is because it does not put politicians or events in context.
On social media, everything happens in a vacuum. This is because the events that preceded it were forgotten only five minutes ago.
This does not contribute to helping society moved forward. It only holds it back. This backwards motion can be seen in the government's all-time-low approval ratings.
Opinions should be not formulated from an article that someone on one side of a party line once shared on Facebook.
This serendipitous approach to public and social policy is problematic for several reasons. First, it does not hold the politicians accountable for not making improvements. Second is that because of this approach to policy, there are few Millennials who can offer a new approach.
It cannot be said that young people do not vote. Both Obama elections prove that the youth vote can be a deciding factor.
But with this new found freedom that Millennials seek comes responsibility. The American President should not be decided on whose viral video is the most shared online. Unlike viral videos, poverty and social injustice do not happen in a vacuum.
If Millennials want to take the disruptive change they seek from Silicon Valley to Washington, social media is not the way forward.