Notions surrounding Generation Y often paint a picture of us as designer-shoes-and-clothes-wearing, latest-technology-desiring, quick-to-spend and spoiled individuals.

With these attitudes attributed to “millenials,” the demographic becomes exclusive and is synonymous with an upper-middle class standing. But it is unfair to group this generation as merely spoiled rich kids. In reality, millennials come from all diverse financial backgrounds.
On Oct. 10, The Kansas City Star reported on research by Barkley, a Kansas City marketing and advertising company. In studying the “consumer records and attitude surveys” of approximately 10.8 million millennials, it was found that we don’t share the same consumer spending habits across the board.

The study found that although millennials are considered “brand and trend-conscious consumers,” they are in fact more pragmatic than they are frequently made out to be.

With the financial status of our nation constantly at question — as seen in the recession of 2008, the debt crisis and even the current shutdown — the primary concern of most young people is the security of their financial futures.

Although movements such as Occupy Wall Street have brought recent acknowledgement to the wealth gap, concerns about money have been lifelong struggles for some millennials.

As Harvard researcher Jennifer M. Silva explained during the summer on the Minnesota Public Radio news site, the media focuses on young people in the upper to middle class, while forgetting about those who are working class.

Silva conducted research interviews with more than one hundred young, working-class individuals out of Lowell and Richmond, Va. and found that the economic crisis in America has severely impacted them in a way their middle to upper-middle class counterparts may not understand.
More affluent students are preparing for life after college and feel secure that their lavish dreams of wealth will be eventually attained. However, in a New York Times piece published in June, Silva explains that many working-class students have to drastically reimagine their adulthood due to financial reasons.

We often hear about unimaginable and even horrific stories about bright young students who are forced to delay or entirely give up their college experiences and career aspirations because they are unable to afford the huge costs. Silva explains in her New York Times piece that students who can no longer work their way through school and are forced to drop out often feel betrayed by the major institutions in their lives.

These feelings of betrayal and already-standing class rifts divide millennials.

As college students, we often make light of the concept of a “broke college student” and surviving off of meals consisting of Ramen noodles, Easy Mac or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But many of these notions are truths for a number of young people — the idea clearly didn’t pop up out of nowhere.

Phrases such as “the struggle is real” often downplay the reality students often face when coming to campus with a family background that does not include middle-class in the description.

As we throw around the word “millennial” we should be cautious of the assumptions behind the term regarding class. Assuming that most millennials are middle to upper-middle class citizens is not only inaccurate, but can lead to feelings of isolation.
A term that describes an entire diverse generation should be more thoughtful of such a perception.

Nina Rodgers is a sophomore sociology major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at nmrodger@syr.edu.

Published on October 15, 2013 at 2:15 am