Much of the work that is currently available to millennials takes place in the digital world, it is unreal, it is disembodied, and it does not engage the senses, which means the results of this kind of work are rarely seen. This separation between the work one does and the results of that work, the separation between action and consequence, results in this type of work leaving those who do it unsatisfied.
Due to the abstract, virtual nature of most "white collar" work, the identities of many of the individuals in the millennial generation are nebulous, unformed and constantly changing.
It used to be the outlier in society who was undergoing a nervous breakdown, an identity crisis, or suffering from the anxiety and stress of undergoing an existential crisis; but it seems that in the first quarter of the 21st century most people, specifically those born since the mid-80s, are either in, have been in, or are constantly in and out of crises of identity.
The shifting economic landscape, the empty promises of education, and the misunderstanding that previous generations cast on the pursuits of many millennials, has caused much of this generation's disenchantment and disorientation.
The millennials are the disenchanted generation.
Could the stereotype the pundits propagate about millennials being lazy free-loaders be not so much a product of their work ethic, but a product of their disinterest in becoming another cubicle dweller or member of the office chattel?
Could it be that millennials simply haven't found anything that deserves their attention?
Is there a way for them to get out of their disenchantment, a way to re-engage them?
The issue is not that they are lazy, but that they are bored by the abstract nature of many of the jobs they are constantly being told to pursue.
Maybe it is time to let them know about all of the opportunities that are available to them that they have never heard of, opportunities to work with their hands, see the fruits of their labor out in the real world, and find fulfilling work that can become a long, meaningful career.
Encourage the millennial generation to take a look at the opportunities that a career in the construction trades offers.
In the trades they will get a chance to do real work in the real world; work that produces results they will see every day. Work that is satisfying in a deep way.
