Jason Dorsey is Quoted Throughout CNN’s Feature Story on Millennials Turning 40!
Exciting news!!! Did you see the CNN feature story with my surprising take on Millennials turning 40?!? Yes, 40! This was an engaging, vulnerable story because of the journalist’s personal narrative and how she weaved in both insights from experts and myth-busting. Please give the story a read! Now that Millennials are entering this key life phase—and the many layers of it emotionally, career-wise, physically, family, and more—I believe this is an important and timely conversation to have.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the CNN story, which ones most resonate with your own journey or the Millennials in your family or on your team?
From the CNN story opening by Catherine Soichet, “For years I believed a lot of what I heard about millennials – those avocado-toast eating, latte-guzzling, selfie-taking narcissists who still live in their parents’ basements and can’t get their lives together.
Then I realized something that surprised me: I’m a millennial, as are many of the people I know and love…”
I was born in 1982. And this year, I turned 40. So did millions of other millennials in the United States.
The generation long portrayed as young and naïve is entering middle age.
It’s a notable milestone, and a good opportunity to point out something important: the Myth of the Millennial is very different from the reality many of us are living….
But for me and many others, what it really means to be a millennial these days is something quite different. We are the newest sandwich generation, feeling growing pressure between raising young children and caring for aging family members – or at least wanting to care for them, given all they’ve done to care for us, but struggling to know what to do….
Jason Dorsey tells me he often asks a question when he’s invited to visit companies and speak with their employees: “How many of you are millennials?”
Generally, he says, just a few hands timidly go up.
“They’re expecting it to be negative, because that’s unfortunately what we’ve been framed as for the last 15 years,” Dorsey says.
That’s around when Dorsey says he saw anti-millennial hype intensifying. Back in 2007, he appeared on a “60 Minutes” segment ominously titled, “The Millennials Are Coming.”
Reporter Morley Safer didn’t pull any punches in the piece’s introduction: “A new breed of American worker is about to attack everything you hold sacred: from giving orders, to your starched white shirt and tie.”
He went on to warn that “the workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the millennials have the upper hand,” describing a generation that can “multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text.”
“They talked about us like we were space aliens,” Dorsey recalls….
Dorsey says that during his presentations, details about millennials often surface that surprise many people in the room.
“It turns out they’re the largest generation in that company’s workforce,” he says.
He finds that many employees had bought into the stereotype and assumed millennials were slackers or flakes. But actually, he says, millennials are often among a company’s most successful workers and managers. And by the end of his presentation, all of them are raising their hands.”
Here are the Five Myths Catherine wrote about in her great Millennials entering middle age story:
Myth 1: We only think about ourselves
Myth 2: We all share the same experiences
Myth 3: We don’t want to own homes
Myth 4: We don’t take our jobs seriously and don’t stay in them very long
Myth 5: We’re forever young
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on these myths and Millennials turning 40+ (millions of them, actually…). It’s an exciting time to focus on the positive in every generation and how we navigate different life stages. Please share your thoughts as Comments on my LinkedIn post here. Thank YOU for being on this journey with me!
Posted: January 17th, 2023
Categories: Generations | Inspiration | Jason's Story | Keynote Speaking | Leadership | Media | Research | Research Findings | Trends
Written by Jason Dorsey
Jason Dorsey is an acclaimed generations and behavioral researcher and speaker. He's received over 1,000 standing ovations for his unique keynote presentations. Jason has led over 120 research studies. Adweek calls him a "research guru." His mission is to deliver new insights and practical strategies that solve business challenges for leaders.
