Lucky Us and the Generational Divide
Sometimes, the big picture that frames your life can just happen without much thought, mostly by luck. I guess not everyone who has good fortune like this will admit anything other than hard work and true grit got them to where they are now. Take myself; I claim some credit for what I've achieved, but I had a lot of good tailwinds that certainly helped immensely.
I was part of the last UK generation eligible for free higher education. I entered the housing market when prices were still reasonable and just before the property market ballooned. During my young adulthood, the UK economy experienced a strong economic boom, well above historical norms. I had no input or influence on these things; they just happened at the right time, and I was in the right place to benefit from the lucky tailwinds I stumbled into.
Recognizing luck and external factors doesn't diminish your achievements. I believe in myself it has fostered a humbleness that extends to being able to recognise the much harder conditions the current generation has encountered in trying to thrive financially.
There seems to be a very judgmental narrative in play, for reasons I don't understand but possibly a lack of awareness of systematic shifts in the world. I've had a lot of contact with today's generation, through employing them, to the children of friends and my own children, and while I have great reservations over the digital/influencer social media elements of the group, I don't recognise the generational stereotype used to depict them—lazy, no ambition, financially irresponsible, etc.
Of the millennials I know, most have identified the need to purchase over renting and have made a first step onto the property market or are renting and trying to save for a deposit. The landscape around pensions has changed to an emphasis on personal responsibility over employer responsibility.
They face challenges I never did, like inflated property prices, less security in employment, and tighter restrictions around lending. The shadow of covid loomed large and stunted their early social and educational life. With these challenges, I can understand why emotional wellbeing is an issue; when you have little control over your future, it must manifest somehow.
I try to mentor, support and give helpful advice where I think it will be useful and where I have some competence or lived experience to share. I think it's a duty to help a generation that has certainly not had the tailwinds that eased my journey. I would urge you to take time to gain more understanding of a generation that has had a hard start to adulthood.
I was part of the last UK generation eligible for free higher education. I entered the housing market when prices were still reasonable and just before the property market ballooned. During my young adulthood, the UK economy experienced a strong economic boom, well above historical norms. I had no input or influence on these things; they just happened at the right time, and I was in the right place to benefit from the lucky tailwinds I stumbled into.
Recognizing luck and external factors doesn't diminish your achievements. I believe in myself it has fostered a humbleness that extends to being able to recognise the much harder conditions the current generation has encountered in trying to thrive financially.
There seems to be a very judgmental narrative in play, for reasons I don't understand but possibly a lack of awareness of systematic shifts in the world. I've had a lot of contact with today's generation, through employing them, to the children of friends and my own children, and while I have great reservations over the digital/influencer social media elements of the group, I don't recognise the generational stereotype used to depict them—lazy, no ambition, financially irresponsible, etc.
Of the millennials I know, most have identified the need to purchase over renting and have made a first step onto the property market or are renting and trying to save for a deposit. The landscape around pensions has changed to an emphasis on personal responsibility over employer responsibility.
They face challenges I never did, like inflated property prices, less security in employment, and tighter restrictions around lending. The shadow of covid loomed large and stunted their early social and educational life. With these challenges, I can understand why emotional wellbeing is an issue; when you have little control over your future, it must manifest somehow.
I try to mentor, support and give helpful advice where I think it will be useful and where I have some competence or lived experience to share. I think it's a duty to help a generation that has certainly not had the tailwinds that eased my journey. I would urge you to take time to gain more understanding of a generation that has had a hard start to adulthood.
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