11 Things Millennials Still Believe That Are Just Not True Anymore
Millennials still believe we'll make it big, and we might, but there are several things we still believe that just aren't true anymore.
Stokkete / Shutterstock Millennials came of age during a time of rapid growth and change in institutions and technology. The old ways of doing things, like relying on cheap college to get ahead on a career path, were no longer efficient due to state-funded cuts. As governments continued to siphon money from programs that benefited previous generations, millennials bore the brunt of the blame for the fallout.
On top of growing up amid the anxiety caused by the War on Terror, which cost countless lives and reshaped global politics forever, millennials witnessed the outsourcing of labor overseas and the collapse of once stable industries. This widespread industrialization, along with the growth of automation, led to the decline of blue-collar job security in many parts of the U.S. As traditional career paths vanished, millions were told to take loans to secure a better future, only to discover it was all a lie. But despite these societal shifts, there are many things millennials still believe, even if they're not true anymore.
Here are 11 things millennials still believe that are just not true anymore
1. A college degree guarantees a good job
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As millennials, we once believed the adults around us when they told us to go to college for a good-paying job. However, just like them, we were duped by our government, which claimed this approach would work. While they had good intentions by encouraging students to go, they failed to account for the rising cost and changing labor market. As we change what we invest in as a country, some career paths will be obsolete due to artificial intelligence.
This leaves many students who gambled on STEM degrees finding out that their services won't be needed as much anymore once they graduate. Around 52% of students who graduated in 2023 were underemployed one year after graduation. This bleak reality is that a college degree no longer guarantees a high-paying job or a low-paying job either.
2. You'll figure everything out by the age of thirty
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We have this notion that if we don't have our life together by the age of thirty, that we've somehow failed at the game of life. Millennials who don't have a house, a car, or children by this age get extremely depressed, thinking that they are falling behind. Social media makes it even worse because you are constantly comparing yourself to your peers who seem to have it all and look as if they have figured everything out.
The truth is, they haven't figured things out either, and you shouldn't feel bad about postponing your life for a bit. The global economy is shaky right now, and everyone in the world is struggling financially. Around 33% of millennials rate their current financial situation as weak. So, those photos online of people you know who are vacationing might not be as nice as you think it is.
3. You need to hustle to be successful
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As we head into our mid-life crisis, millennials will experience the 'is this it' syndrome, where we wonder what the point of everything was if we are still not happy. The only thing that seems to bring us joy is finding a niche that becomes a side hustle or a small business for us. Millennials with side hustles earn an average of $1,129 per month, the highest among all other generations.
While it's nice to have something to fall back on, we don't have to hustle in order to be successful. Every millennial I know wants to join the gig economy to help pay their bills, but no one wants to run for office. We have nothing left to lose, and holding public office is a job after all.
4. Your credit score is everything
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Credit scores are only good in a system where a critical mass of people are in good standing, which is not the case for younger generations. A credit is more for access than anything else, and when millennials are already being priced out of homes, loans, and rent, then what is the point of caring where your credit score is at? Even responsible users can have their credit scores lowered due to debt or a temporary job loss.
Despite us thinking that it is an elitist system meant to keep people in poverty, there are some things about credit scores that millennials get wrong. Around 47% of millennials believe that credit bureaus are run by the federal government, when they are actually run by private for-profit companies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The biggest critics will say that it is unfair for consumers to have no say in how their data is collected and sold to third-party creditors; unfortunately, this is just the way they have regulated it.
5. Facebook is better than MySpace
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Before there was Noplace, there was MySpace. Back in the day, MySpace was the millennial generation's main social media app before Facebook completely dethroned it. In 2008, the great migration from MySpace to Facebook happened, with many millennials believing that Facebook was going to be the next big thing because it allowed photo albums, but boy, were we wrong. We traded a larger friends list and a couple of photo albums for an HTML web design goldmine.
MySpace had young teens learning how to design web pages and bootleg programming our favorite songs onto our pages. Programs like Napster and LimeWire were used to illegally pirate music with the click of a button. Yes, we were breaking our computers like crazy, but it was an experience we all share and still remember to this day. Unfortunately, we tricked ourselves into believing that Facebook would be better and left poor Tom behind.
6. Loyalty is everything
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Everyone always talks about how cool millennials are because we appear as our authentic selves with no shame or guilt. We love our childhoods and will stand behind every show or film that came out during those times. Loyalty means everything to us. This doesn't seem to matter as much anymore, as companies don't really care about employee loyalty as long as you are doing the work.
Our loyalty didn't just show up in the companies we work for, but with the brands that we stuck behind. Around 73% of millennials were loyal to their preferred brands in 2024. Brands like Nike and FUBU were always seen as reliable shoe brands by us.
7. You need to be on every social media platform to stay relevant
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With MySpace gone, what other social media platforms are left for us as millennials, other than ones that put more emphasis on body image than actual creativity and expressions of art? Many millennials are frustrated with constantly switching between platforms to keep their businesses afloat. Several of us have expressed our concerns about Instagram being a place where people hate on you rather than support you.
Millennials need to understand that they don't need multiple social media platforms to stay relevant in today's world. You just need at least one major one that shows off what your brand is about. The rest should be for your own personal enjoyment rather than trying to get validation from other people.
8. You should time your major milestones
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Many of us have put off getting married or having children until we feel financially stable enough to do so, but now it's time to stop timing your major milestones and just go for it. Postponing your milestones until you're financially ready can lead to regrets and resentment when the time comes and you still aren't financially stable. While it's okay to not want the same things as others, using money as an excuse to not live your life to the fullest will lead to regret later on.
As millennial women, we have our reasons for not wanting to have children that we shouldn't be shamed for, but to believe that unless you have money in this society, then you shouldn't have children is classist thinking. You're restricting your own reproductive choice based on an economic system that isn't real to begin with. The system that defines financial readiness is not an absolute truth, but a social construct.
9. You need to be a homeowner to build wealth
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The millennial dream may be over in terms of owning homes, but it's not over yet. Millennials still have an opportunity to build wealth without the need for homeownership. Investing in the stock market or starting a business are just two examples of things we can do as millennials to ease the sting of not being homeowners.
Besides, renting is now considered a cheaper investment than putting money towards a mortgage and having to pay property taxes after. If homeownership is one of your ultimate goals, then go for it, but it shouldn't be the end-all, be-all. After all, there are other, more important things you can invest your money in, like yourself.
10. Tattoos will ruin your job prospects
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Adults often used this as a scare tactic towards the more rebellious millennials who were more artistic with their bodies when they got tattoos. Adults would rant and rave about how if you got inked, then you wouldn't be able to get hired by anyone. Contrary to popular belief, there has been no empirical evidence that tattoos are associated with lower chances of getting hired or receiving a lower wage.
In fact, many places will hire a person simply because they have tattoos. Trying to stop someone from getting a job over a tattoo seems silly and absurd. If we need people to work, then we should accept them regardless of their appearance.
11. You need to live in a big city to be succesful
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Millennials have the potential to do great things if society would allow them to do what they do best. We are the most creative, imaginative generation that grew up with a sense of whimsy and mysticism. However, many of us never leave our hometowns due to financial constraints in order to fulfill our dreams.
I'll be the first to tell you that you don't need to move to a big city to succeed or do what you want to do. Major cities are beautiful and well-connected, but they can also be terrifying places to live in at night. Big concrete mazes that feel like they're closing in on you. We need to remember who they are and all of the fantastic things that we used to do before society tried to reprogram us.
Sylvia Ojeda is a screenplay writer and journalist who covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest stories.
