Has your generation ever been accused of having everything handed to them? Are you constantly arguing with your elders on your differing political views or what is acceptable in today’s society? Do you feel some type of divide between your generation and the next? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then welcome to what I like to call, The Millennial Mayhem.

To clarify, when I say “mayhem,” I am not necessarily calling all millennials rowdy and disorderly. Nor am I referring to their generation as a concern to society. The use of the word “mayhem” simply implies that this is how the media portrays them.

Too often, articles produced by outlets discuss on how millennials are “killing the business industries” or “are bad for society.” But that is just not true.

Our society unfortunately participates in “the generational blame game.” This is when older generations begin to blame newer generations for perceived “problems” that they created and or made up and have no means of solving. For example, Baby Boomers (1946-1964) were accused by the Silent Generation (1928-1945) of misconduct when their political views on minority groups began to change. Then, the Baby Boomers went back and accused Generation X (1965-1979) of being spoiled and having their every want and need served to them on a platter.

The cycle of generational blaming has sadly become one of America’s greatest pastimes. Now, Millennials (1982-2000) are being accused of everything, ranging from destroying the economy with their lazy habits to being unprincipled due to their more socialist mindset.

Contrary to popular belief, Millennials are not the problem that America sees them as. Studies have shown that the generation is the polar opposite of lazy and unprincipled. According to the The Boston Globe, Millennials are considered to be “workaholics”. And with access to unlimited resources and data, they have shown to be more driven than their older peer group. Yes, Millennials are proving to lean more towards a specific mindset, but shifting political views does not automatically make them “unprincipled.”

Millennials are like magic, no matter how much they prove to be doing great for society, there will always be those skeptical of their advances. The generation will unfortunately continue to take the blame for society’s perceived problems and until Generation Z becomes the main focal point of the workforce, there is nothing that can be done to stop it.