Not a day goes by without some think piece on Millennials. A quick Google search shows that, within the last 24 hours, articles have been written about whether we're ready to lead, how we stare at our phones for 30% of live shows, how apps might help us think buses are cool, how we're not interested in average cars, how we think dropping the atomic bomb on Japan was way harsh, and on and on.
Two years ago, Time Magazine called us the "Me Me Me Generation" and branded anyone born between 1980 and 1995 as "narcissistic, overconfident, entitled and lazy." Many of the essays on Millennials tend to be written by Baby Boomers and come from a place of judgment. But there's a shift happening. Now pieces about how you can get in with or learn how to deal with Millennials are cropping up. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?
The Huffington Post published an article today called "5 Ways To Impress Tech-Savvy Millennials." The post is harmless and doesn't condescend like most of the other articles written by someone from an older generation. It also happens to be hilarious in how it misunderstands what will actually impress a young(ish) person.
Jan Golden, the writer of the piece and founder of something called BoomerWebSchool.com, wants to help older individuals avoid judgment from "the most notorious eye-rollers." These shady Millennials might be "heading up an event for a nonprofit you're passionate about" or sitting in the "audience at a meet-up you're holding to promote your new book," after all. How does a Luddite get the Millennial stamp of approval?
Tip 1: "Instead of taking out a pad of paper, open your notes app and take notes on your smartphone."