Top 15 Reasons Why Millennials Can’t Grow Up

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Millennials are not growing up fast enough as per the given societal timeframes. Most of them cannot move out of their parents’ houses and those who do struggle with proper time scheduling, taking good care of themselves, spending wisely, and other personal decisions. Here are 15 reasons why Millennials cannot grow up.

Lack of jobs

Job prospects are currently very low yet getting a job is the main way through which Millennials can fend for themselves as they figure out the next step. This makes it impossible for them to accomplish tasks associated with adulthood such as moving out.

Hard economic times

Not only are jobs scarce, and low paying, but the cost of living has also increased significantly. The cumulative effect of these factors is that they both inspire fear in Millennials to take a jump of faith into adulthood while also making it impossible for them to do so resource-wise.

Over-dependence on parents

Parents are partly to blame for their children’s refusal to grow up. In their love and attachment, some parents over-spoil their kids by virtually doing everything for them even when they are old enough to be considered adults. Consequently, the kids get into a comfort zone of extended adolescence.

Longer life spans

Longer lifespans are a psychology-backed reason for Millennials not growing up. Life expectancy has almost doubled in the last hundred years which means that scientifically, the chances are higher that Millennials will live long into their sunset years. With time on their side, the rush to grow up is diminished.

Soft upbringing

Millennials have had probably the best upbringing compared to the previous generations. Bar the recession; they did not have to face war like the Greatest Generation, or witness the cold war and broken homes like generation X. As such, they have not faced occurrences that have forced them to grow up like the last two generations.

Higher labor market standards

While generation X enjoyed the privilege of easily breaching the job market with only a high school degree, Millennials have to grapple with increased labor market qualifications such as getting a degree. Since college takes four years, they end up in limbo as semi-independent – a status they then find hard to overcome.

High expectations

Millennials have been brought up in a dignified way; this makes starting from the bottom to finally make something of themselves an unfathomable thought. Add in the peer pressure of social media regarding what an okay life should be like, and many Millennials become reluctant to knock on adulthood’s door despite advancing in years.

Narcissism

Research has unearthed that Millennials have an inflated sense of self-importance and self-entitlement, compounded further with a short attention span. When they put their foot into adulthood’s door and realize that the actual world is very different, they retreat. Some eventually get depressed.

Nostalgia

Childhood is good. Everything is simple and straightforward, and parents make sure all needs are met. Faced with the very different challenge of growing up, some Millennials just refuse to let their blissful childhoods go.

Comfort in numbers

Through the internet, Millennials are more connected to each other than any other generation. As such, they find comfort in their state of semi-adulthood since the majority of them are on the now super-extended bridge linking adolescence to adulthood.

Indiscipline

Many Millennials know about discipline and its importance, but practicing it is not a priority. As such, even when they get jobs, they spend unwisely and end up calling home every other month to request for support.

Used to supervision

Intrusive parenting has created a scenario where Millennials are so used to parental supervision that they simply cannot chart their own paths. According to reports, some are even requesting parents to accompany them to job interviews and other landmark life occasions generally regarded as solo undertakings.

Focus on academics

Generation X and Baby Boomers highly valued education as a key to success. They drummed the principle into their children forcing them to become academic over-achievers. In the process, the emotional aspects of growth were not addressed adequately. The effect is that Millennials are unable to cope with adulthood’s curveballs.

The instant gratification syndrome

Highly exposed to technology when growing up, Millennials think that instant gratification is the norm – what they deserve, rather than the exception. As such, many of them are unable to process the demands of adulthood which call for patience to build a career, save enough for a home, etc.

Lack of personal interaction

Actual, face to face interactions are crucial in the building of emotional intelligence and emotional maturity. With much of their engagement done online, this is a privilege many Millennials did not have. Without polished people skills in addition to a low frustration tolerance, Millennials find adulthood very challenging and they, thus, retreat.

As the most information-endowed generation ever, Millennials can offer much in terms of taking humanity forward. However, they simply have to embrace adulthood, the environment notwithstanding, and adopt a forward-thinking mindset to realize their deep potential.