One day Millennials will rule the world

I don't want to be too hard on Millennials because I was young and naïve once, too. 

At the age of 19 I was unaware of the 1995 Quebec referendum until I heard cheers around our dormitory's communal TV. 

"What's going on?" I wondered quietly to myself. "Quebec wants to separate from Canada? Why??" 

Today I would be all over that, gobbling up analysis like a turkey dinner at Christmas. I, too, would have cheered the results... If only I would have known what was happening at the time. 

It was in those highly insular teen years when I learned absolutely nothing about the broader world around me. All that concerned me were my friends, sports and school.  

Then I started working. In the real world, with real people, with real issues. I realized I was out of touch with reality. 

All that said, I'm still prone to slapping my forehead when I hear Millennials talk about rudimentary issues like, you know, where they live. 

It was in Fernie, BC, last summer when a man about the same age as myself (a fellow Gen Xer), tried to start a conversation with a Millennial who had just graduated from high school. We were all on vacation, so he asked her where she was from.  

"Calgary," she replied.  

He told her that he, too, had lived in Calgary for part of his life, so went on to ask what part of Calgary she was from. 

She smiled sheepishly and said, "I don't know. Just Calgary."  

Again, I understand, this is a teenaged girl who has probably lived at home all her life. But at the same time, I wondered how she would ever get home on her own if she ever had to. The fact is, she probably never would – she likely doesn't drive and doesn't want to, because she'll be attending a post-secondary school in Calgary, living at home while her parents continue to drive her to school in Calgary. 

This is the new normal. We've experienced it with numerous university students who board with us. According to author and psychologist Jean Twenge, Millennials are more dependent than ever. Compared to past generations, they're taking longer to leave home, get married and even obtain a driver's license. 

They're different than my generation, those risk-taking Gen Xers who wanted their driver's license the day they turned 16 and were in at least two accidents by the time they were 17. 

As a somewhat mature 40-year-old, I have trouble relating to these youngsters. They have no answers for simple questions like, "What do you think of the Bank of Canada's decision to raise interest rates?" or (more seriously), "What do you think of Justin Trudeau?" 

I typically stick to the easier questions, but it's lucky if they even know who Trudeau is... At best, they recognize him only because of his hair (and yes, it's great hair, but that's beside the point!) 

It's hard to imagine, but this generation will one day lead us. And while it's tempting to say they know nothing about the world, I presume they will eventually learn. 

And one day - some day - they will have to find their way home. Just hopefully not their parents'.