Life of Millennials
Jewel Treesa Jomy
VI SEM JPEng
The term Millennial is used to refer to people who are born from 1980s to late 2000. They are often characterized by their proximity to technology, communication and media. In simple terms, their life is imbibed in technology and purely dependent on it. They can also be regarded as a generation with the highest risk of suicide, depression, and issues related to self-esteem. Ever wondered why they fall prey to such mental health issues?
In my opinion there exists a connection between mental health issues and close proximity to technology; in other words, social media. This generation is very much immersed in social media. The platform provided by social network is quite immense which works on the simple principle of immediacy. Immediacy within the context of social media can sometimes result in human weakness or more aptly an obsession or compulsion to update their status on social media immediately. Immediate pleasure, immediate feedback, and immediate friends are common aspects of a Millennial’s life. It feels easier to be a part of society behind the mask that one creates on social media. It is quite obvious that many things that people do on social media are mostly for the sake of the number of likes that they may get. They begin to live in this make and believe world that they create in the virtual world. The social network begins to direct their life to such an extent that may start feeling that life which a people lead online, is more important than the people right beside them. Since this is so easily possible, it is also possible to shatter the person’s identity as well.
This generation has long been fed with immediacy and quick solutions that they are no longer ready to face the hardships of life or even the reality. Acceptance with reality and their compulsions to project their life on social media can slowly lead to mental health issues.