The Future Belongs to the Millennials

My last post was about the responsibility Generation X and Baby Boomers must take for the way Millenials are.  In that post, I mentioned that there were some great things about the Millennial generation, so I would like to devote this post to that.  Whatever their flaws may be, Millennials do have gifts that the generation before did not.

1. Adaptability - Because of their short attention span, kids of this generation don't plan weeks in advance.  I'm not saying that is entirely good, but it does make for less stress when you need to change plans on them.  As a teacher, I find myself having to make occasional changes based on what happens in class.  They don't mind as long as I change it on our web calendar.  Since new technologies are obsolete by the time we take them out of the box, it is good that they can adapt.

2.  Technological Confidence - Being a digital native has its advantages.  When I first started at GRACE 13 years ago, we didn't have a lot of teachers using computers.  I wrote a simple spreadsheet formula for calculating grades, and there were teachers who thought I was magical in some way.  When we began introducing them to new tools, some of our people were afraid.  They asked, "What happens if I push the wrong button?"  You hit undo, of course.  Our pioneering IT person, Diane, said to me, "I have to constantly remind some people that they can't break the internet."  Millennials don't think twice about using trial and error to figure out new devices.  They don't fear messing anything up because they know that there is nothing that can't be undone (except for hitting the send button).

3.  Creative Problem Solving - Millennials are less likely to look for the "one right answer" to a problem than they are to think of a new way.  Some of their thinking needs development because they are sometimes a bit all over the map, but it is a critical skill.  Challenge Based Learning has arisen to help them develop this skill because we are living in a world that increasingly needs this type of thinking.  The problems they will face don't have one right and accepted answer because the problem doesn't even exist yet.

4.  Unbridled Enthusiasm - While I wish they would direct their enthusiasm at more important pursuits, I can't help but admire the amount of energy my Millennials put into the things they care about.  Despite their short attention span, they will pour every ounce of their energy into leveling up in a video game, making memes and vines, or learning every detail of the filming of their favorite TV show.  They are sporadically curious about all kinds of things and devour every detail of it for as long as their their interest lasts.  As their thinking matures, that level of dedication may be directed into more meaningful pursuits.

As the future approaches at breakneck speeds, it is important that those who face it have these skills.  They will apply their enthusiasm and creative problem solving to the issues that are to come, adapting their lives to the technology before them.  As with every generation, we must teach them to harness those gifts they have to face the uncertain future.  If we stop focusing on their negatives and teach them to mature in these positives, we can feel more confident about unleashing them on the future.