I recently watched a documentary about Lego. From that I learned that Millennials, such as myself, are probably the most important generation for their success. I believe that, because I still remember playing with Lego fondly and it certainly was an important part of my childhood. That makes it even less surprising that Lego has introduced many sets targeted at adults. But this post is not about Lego. It’s about one sentence that was said in the documentary which nearly caused me to spill my drink on the floor. It’s about the claim that “Millennials are the first generation that has the luxury to stay a child on the inside”.
What does that even mean? What circumstance gives Millennials that “luxury”? And is it actually a luxury to stay a child forever? The sentence certainly has a true core. I observe that many members of my generation behave very much differently than the generation of my parents in many regards. And much of it seems a bit childish. It’s not just the fact that toy companies like lego have learned they could keep selling their toys to an aging demographic. It’s also how naïve their expectations are sometimes, how many of them have an unhealthy aversion towards stress and negative emotions and how they rebel against well established social standards without properly comprehending their purpose. You could say that this one sentence from that Lego documentary hit way too close to home for me. It pours salt into that wound caused by how disappointed I am with my peers.
The “luxury” we are enjoying in this case is a complete lack of autonomy, the absence of responsibility and accountability. And while this might sound good to some, it’s nothing but a complete lack of power. Always outvoted by the Babyboomers in every election, we are a generation that has to play the game without any say in its rules. We get to compete in a hostile job market while probably never being able to own anything. We get to watch as our future is disregarded by those who will not live to see it. But at least we get to build Lego sets play video games.
”Don’t hate the player, hate the game” one might say. But I can’t help but be incredibly disappointed by how well my generation has adapted to that situation. Looking into the future and assessing one’s own agency in the world is stressful and anxiety inducing, so we escape into the fictional worlds of stories and games. Not watching the news anymore because it only makes you depressed has become socially acceptable. Opposing opinions are no longer a reason for productive discourse but simply something to be avoided. Attending a party with Millennials sometimes feels like sitting in a group of children but with less energy.
If you are a Millenial, you might think this is a call to arms. That I’m trying to convince you to form a movement. That we need a revolution that will finally put those in charge who actually care about the future. But most of these “activists” are even more childish than the ones playing with Legos. Is it really so difficult to understand that all I want is a rational discourse? We don’t live in a dystopia. The world is not “completely fucked”. It’s fine. We might have some problems but as far as societies are concerned it’s daily business. All I want is that my generation finally mans up and takes part in that. What I want is to be an adult in a world of adults. Is that really too much to ask?
And don’t get me wrong, if you like playing with Lego that is completely fine. I like playing video games. Keeping a few sparks of childhood, a few splashes of color, in this gray, adult, world is probably a good thing. But that childlike mindset of seeing the world as a game that one can simply tune out from when it gets stressful or boring is only going to work as long as times are as peaceful and prosperous as they are now. And I’m very worried that too many people in my generation seem to think that it will continue like this forever. People seem to think that Covid was bad, but Covid (at least in rich western countries) was laughable compared to other crises that human civilisations might encounter.
So, if you’re a Millennial, ask yourself some tough questions. How much responsibility do you have and is it enough? Are you prepared for the future? Are you in control of your own life? If it’s too scary to confront these questions on your own, why don’t you discuss them with your peers? You might even do it while building a Lego set together.
