Entitled, self-interested, unfocussed, narcissistic, and lazy. These are some of the characteristics commonly used by older generations when they are asked to describe millennials, or rather, those born in 1994 and after. These older generations are often quick to judge millennials because of the staggering differences that are found when comparing this generation to those of the past. However, many adults that belong to the Baby Boomer generation and Generation X refuse to acknowledge the major shift that has allowed millennials to be unlike any previous generation. This revolutionary change was the introduction and development of technology and social media. The oldest millennials were born as technology was introduced and became a common tool of communication in many households worldwide. Since then, technology and social media have developed rapidly and become an essential part of human life and communication.  Millennials were the first generation born and raised in a world powered by technology and with that came many new opportunities and challenges no generation had seen before. Growing up in the Digital Age has defined millennials as a generation and has allowed for both positive and negative effects to occur regarding their health and social behaviors.

The introduction of new technology brought forth many changes and revolutionized the way many went about their everyday lives. The late 20th century brought forth what is now known as the Digital Age. The exact onset of the Digital Age is unknown however, many historians argue whether this revolutionary era was initially caused by the introduction of the internet in 1969 or as mobile phones became increasingly accessible to the general-public in the early 1990s. Regardless of its origin, the Digital Age is marked by the instantaneous technological advances that have occurred during this time. These rapid advances have allowed increasingly intelligent consumer-friendly devices to be sold worldwide which ultimately caused the quick acceleration in people using the internet and mobile devices in their everyday life. For example, home computers became common during the 1990s but advances in computer technology and accessibility have allowed for the number of internet users to have risen 444% since 2000 (Hudson). While technology was first introduced to allow for easier and more accessible lines of communication, the introduction of smart phones and apps have provided a variety of new uses such as entertainment, shopping, and educational purposes (Argwal 171). Technology’s new uses have given humans many new opportunities and have altered the way people go about their everyday lives. Older generations have had to completely adapt to the introduction of technology and the many changes that came along with it. In many cases, adults have had to be willing to learn how to engage with and operate technology as its prevalence has increased during the Digital Age. In fact, technology completely challenged the way older generations operated and interacted with each other. For this reason, these older generations are referred to as “Adaptive Immigrants” during the Digital Age. This is also why millennials are referred to as “Digital Natives” (Hudson). Millennials were born during the Digital Age and because of that they have spent their entire lives with the technologies that most generations were not introduced to until they were adults. As Digital Natives, millennials have grown up learning, socializing, and developing in a way that no previous generation has had the opportunity to. Being surrounded by technology since birth is the main reason why millennials think and communicate differently.

Growing up with the complete accessibility of technology has caused millennials to become addicted to using and overusing their devices. Technology was first introduced to make tasks easier, however technology’s continuous development has allowed for an increase in the unnecessary uses it provides.  These unnecessary uses, especially social media, have resulted in technology addiction in people of all ages, however it is especially prominent during adolescence. It is important to note that most millennials are currently in their adolescence, which is why there is such a strong association between technology addiction and this particular generation. Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Kar of King George’s Medical University define technology addiction as, “a habitual and compulsive way of indulgence with technology deviating from meeting the life’s different issues” (171). Those who suffer from technology addiction feel a constant and compulsive need to constantly be on or to check their devices, whether it be a computer, smartphone, or any other gadget. This compulsion explains why one study found that the average millennial spends up to 18 hours a day using technology (Alexander). Scientific studies have even proven that interaction with one’s technology and social media accounts releases dopamine to their brain, which activates a pleasure sensation that is typically associated with food, money, and sex (Sinek). When individuals who are addicted to their technology are put in a situation in which they cannot use their devices, they become worried, irritable, and even desperate (Agarwal 172). This constant use of technology is not only causing changes in social behaviors, but experts have also found that is it causing the brain to physically develop differently (Alexander).  

Constant use of technology has caused new challenges regarding health for millennials. Because millennials are a young generation, there has not been a lot of research done regarding their brain development. However, some medical experts believe that millennials’ brains are physically developing differently because of their constant use of technology. In fact, excessive use of technology can break down the ties between different parts of the brain (Alexander). This can affect the way millennials communicate and interpret language and words. Excessive use of technology can even shrink the outermost part of the brain which makes processing information more difficult. There are even signs of physical changes that are a direct result of technology use. The most noticeable of these problems is called “tech neck”. The term is used to describe the wear and tear one’s neck takes when constantly looking down at a computer or phone. Health professionals have noted that there has been an increase in the need of corrective surgery on necks and spines due to increase in technology usage.

Growing up with technology, has caused millennials to use social media as a tool for self-promotion. Stereotypes about millennials have been around since the oldest of the generation became young adults. One of the most common stereotypes is that all millennials grow up to become self-absorbed narcissists. The generation has even been described as the “Look at Me” generation (Myers). This can be linked to the rise of social media and millennials’ social media presence. Because social media has become popular very recently, millennials are the dominant users of most social networking sites. In fact, Pew Research Center found that 90% of all young adults use social media (Alexander). It is very common for millennials to post frequent or even constant status updates about their lives onto Facebook and their latest “selfies” on Instagram. While this is viewed as normal social networking behavior to millennials, older generations often view these interactions as a cry for attention and a need for approval from their peers (Sinek).  This thought was the trigger in 2012 for a Western Illinois University study that investigated online Facebook behaviors and its association with narcissism in millennials. The study found that those who tend to display their abilities on Facebook are likely to use the social networking site for self-promotion and are likely to post more frequently than their peers (Alexander). But why do millennials feel the need to self-promote on social networking sites? Well, because almost all young adults are active on social media, it is the largest platform in which millennials can interact. In many ways, one’s social media profile is a way for he or she to show others who they are as an individual and give viewers a glimpse into their life. Self-promotion is often used because adolescence is a time in which an individual transition from seeking approval from their parents, to seeking approval from their peers (Sinek). 

Seeking approval of their peers through social media can ultimately cause millennials to experience anxiety and depression. The need for their peers’ approval has proven to be a top concern for millennials. However, while using social media for self-promotion, another problem occurs. Social networking sites leave a window open for constant social comparison. Millennials often compare themselves and their lives to the lives of others. “Often times, this happens when students see pictures of other people traveling to cool places or doing cool things and can result in the user feeling unsatisfied with life, thinking other people are happier than them, or thinking life is unfair” (Dye 14). Millennials also compare their popularity on social media with others. The amount of “likes” one gets on their picture or status updates often serves as a measurement of how cool or popular they are. Some even use it as a tool to measure their self-worth. For example, if a person does not get a satisfactory number of likes on their picture they may begin to think of their self in a negative light. Some millennials will even take a photo down if it does not receive a standard number of likes. This is why a study conducted by the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found a link between depressive symptoms and Facebook. The study found that the more time spent on Facebook, the more likely someone is to experience depressive symptoms. The study recognized that Facebook itself does not necessarily cause depression, but that time spent comparing oneself to others on the site can (Dye 15). It is obvious that social comparison can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression, however, millennials are very good at covering this up. Social networking sites allow people to decide exactly what image of themselves they present to others on these sites. Millennials are so used to putting filters on things that they are constantly showing off all the good things that are happening in their lives while covering up the bad (Sinek). 

Constant access to technology has caused millennials to become impatient and in need of instant gratification. Another common stereotype and criticism of millennials is that they have absolutely no patience. While this is a stereotype, it is constantly proven to be very true. Technology has given people the ability to get information and complete tasks with a simple click of button. One can access the score of a basketball game, order pizza, and communicate with whomever they please with their smart phone. The ability to perform these tasks with technology is something that older generations are constantly amazed by and grateful for because it has made tasks they were used to doing in the past so much simpler. However, because millennials were born when these technologies already existed, they think of it as second nature. They have grown up believing that they can get almost anything they want and access any information they please in a matter of seconds (Myers). This desire to reach goals instantly has become a need for instant gratification in many other aspects of millennials’ lives. Many millennials make rash decisions to get what they want in the shortest amount of time, while using the least amount of effort possible. This need for instant gratification often leaves millennials unsatisfied because it is a strategy that does no work in all situations. For example, many millennials desire deep and meaningful relationships, however they do not know how to put the time and effort in to get them (Sinek). In fact, many of the relationships formed by millennials be superficial because they created through technology and social media. 

Growing up with technology has allowed millennials to communicate differently, which has ultimately revolutionized how all generations communicate. Technology has given the world the ability to communicate in ways that were never possible before. Through texting and instant messaging, one can communicate with others constantly and instantly (Alexander). Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, allow people to keep up with the lives of their family and friends that they may not talk to every day. They also give every generation a completely new platform to interact with new people and become friends with others with similar interests. While these all seem like benefits of technology, expert behaviorists believe that this type of communication may be harming millennial’s communication skills. The majority of millennial communication is now done through technology by text messages, instant messaging, and interacting through social media. Because of this, millennials are now lacking some of the basic skills used in in-person communication. It has been found the millennials struggle to hold an audible conversation because they are so used to hiding behind a cellphone or a computer screen (Sinek). Millennials new styles of communication has dramatically effected many entities of communication, especially communication in the work place. With technology, millennials are so used to getting information instantly, they feel as though it should be the same way with communication. Effectively communicating with millennials requires that one gets right to their point and give the most crucial details first (Franchetti). This is important because millennials are known for having a short attention span and being impatient. In fact, when the University of Massachusetts surveyed 6.7 million people, they found that the majority of viewers tend to abandon videos if they take more than two seconds to load (Alexander).

When technology was introduced to the public, it revolutionized the way the world communicated and how many went about their everyday lives. Previous generations had to completely adapt to the new role of technology in the Digital Age. On the other hand, millennials were born in the Digital Age and have always been exposed to technology and the many benefits and detriments it causes. Because of this, there are many characteristics and behaviors that millennials possess that have not been seen in previous generations. While some of these characteristics can be viewed negatively, it is important to understand that millennials had no control over when they were born. They did not decide that they wanted to be born with technology and many would acknowledge that technology is responsibility for many issues in society. Most millennials understand that they spend an abnormal amount of time on their devices, however to them it is normal. A lot of their time spent using technology is devoted to interacting with other of social media. Social media has the power to connect people of all generations and it has also aided in reshaping the way millennials communicate. Because they are the largest and most prominent group of people that use social media, millennials set the standards of what is normal to post. Posting frequent seemingly unimportant status updates and pictures comes off as narcissistic and self-interested to other generations, yet it is seen as very normal to millennials. Often, millennials use these sites as a tool to show off their lives and self-promote. They do this in order to feel adequate in comparison to their peers. Unfortunately, many feel inadequate when socially comparing on social networking and it can cause and or aid in feelings of anxiety and depression. Overall, technology has played a major role in how millennials are characterized. Its impacts can be seen by older generations which explains the many stereotypes that have been created about millennials. Technology continues to alter the world every day and millennials are the first generation to experience this throughout the entirety of their lives. 