Generation of meaning

There’s a stark, strong contrast between twenty-somethings of today and every generation before us. We crave meaning and purpose in life more than any other before us. What caused this sudden awareness of mortality and lit the flame to make the most out of the one life we have?

Globalization is definitely a huge factor. It is now cheaper and much faster to travel and live like a digital nomad. If your country isn’t offering the kinds of opportunities for a career you want, it’s not difficult to find an online gig in a different country, build a network, and eventually move there. Flocks of people have expatriated to find better lives elsewhere. This kind of freedom wasn’t quite available to those before us.

Empowerment in the workplace is another big one. Employees are feeling more confident than ever to simply quit their jobs and find another one. Gone are the days of finding a company and slowly progressing within it. With the pace at which technology is rapidly evolving, the tech-savvy are able to carve out unique niches and solve interesting problems. Getting fired is no longer a big deal.

Chasing meaning over money is hands-down the defining feature of this generation. I personally have plenty of friends who have turned down six-figure salaries at established, well-reputed Fortune 500 companies to work at startups or smaller companies for much smaller starting salaries. If the work isn’t interesting or exciting, reputation or brand name of the company doesn’t hold much water.

Our generation also loves to shun the notion of outdated institutions like marriage and having a family. Global access to the internet has created a massive network of like-minded people rallying around a single idea. Turns out that Billy in Montana wasn’t the only one who felt that the idea of spending your entire life with one person was a terrible idea. It’s now commonplace to either just stay single or not get pressured into marriage in your twenties or thirties.

With the baby boomers retiring around now, we’re seeing a sudden shift in the world about how technology and individual empowerment is perceived. People in general seem more confident and comfortable in themselves. Arguably, we’re also more isolated than ever before. We’re more conscious of our actions and we’re a lot more introspective. We might be getting lazier, but we’re also getting smarter.

It’s going to truly fascinating in 2040 when we’re all 50 to see what social norms have been uprooted and which new ones have been established. As the generation that grew up with the rise of the internet, we’ve been fortunate enough to have experienced a brief span of a few years where information wasn’t able to be transferred from one end of the globe to another in the fraction of a millisecond.

As architects of our own destinies, our heads are constantly swimming in thoughts of our next move, the next thing, the new job, a new city, a new life. The pace of life is thrilling, and we’re enjoying the speed at which it coasts. We’re adaptable and kind, accepting and loving, and like to pretend that we’re optimists. At the end of the day, we have the same fears, hopes, and dreams that every other generation has had. But we’re the first ones in history with the tools to actually accomplish them.