The Culture of the Millennials

Take a trip down memory lane and remember your first understanding of culture. It revolved around the concept of characteristics of a group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, food, social habits, music and arts. In recent times, we see the evolution of a culture that will affect the world as we know it from policy-making to family patterns.

It is the culture of the people born during the 1980s, mid 1990s and early 2000s known as the millennials. Millennials are changing the playing cards as they represent a large group of people positioned in future key roles as they have reached their prime and are the newest generation of politicians, parents, teachers, leaders and executives.

Pivotal to the DNA of this generation is the role of technology and the internet. On several occasions, Nigerian millennials have used their favoured tool of Twitter to fight for social issues and effected change, from raising money for a cause to challenging legislation. Statistics show that millennials are more likely to have a mobile phone and a personal laptop which only enhances the interconnectedness of this demography despite geography, culture and religion. According to Huffington Post, the millennials, “With their unprecedented access to data and education, will be a driving force toward either cultural integrity or globalisation” which indicates that all their heritages should be respected, counted and acknowledged. Basically, unifying the world one hashtag at a time.

In the workspace, the millennial seeks a work-life balance, social consciousness, production of meaningful work, finding a creative outlet, and immediate feedback which validates productivity and purpose. The millennial is civic-minded with a bond to community locally and globally. They are also the least likely to be religious amongst the current generations. These traits show a shift in the paradigm of the previous generations.

Despite the greatness to be achieved by this generation with the tools of liberation, there is also the battling with people hiding behind a false sense of security provided by these tools and traits to spread anger, hate, cynicism and negativity online and offline. Regardless, this generation is poised to foster a world of peace, understanding and harmony by bringing nations, ethnicities, religions, and races together in loving relations.

We need to do this for the culture!