The following was originally published in The SHPiEL, a bi-weekly student-run Jewish newspaper out of the University of Florida.

The Millennial Mania – Part One of Two

My childhood was peppered with vinyl records, the Pong video game, the dawning of break dancing and the Beastie Boys. You all, the Millennials, are categorized as having been born roughly between 1980 and 1994. People of your generation most likely have not owned backpacks that did not have an inside sleeve for a laptop. The concept of a ?helicopter? parent being intimately involved in your college life does not strike you as bizarre or inappropriate. You have been described as the techy generation, masters of multi-tasking and sufferers of extreme distraction.

There are major studies being floated around academic and professional circles that are beginning to name the major attributes assigned to your generation. One of the more popular studies has been compiled and written by Howe and Strauss. They have distilled their findings to a list of seven major character traits they have observed in millennials. I will list them here with their descriptions and follow each one up with some Rabbi Thoughts. I will not address the question of whether I agree or disagree with their findings; rather I will react to the study on its own terms.

1. Special Older generations have inculcated in Millennials the sense that they are, collectively, vital to the nation and to their parents? sense of purpose.
Rabbi:
Good news- The concept of an individual playing an important role in giving form to the future is difficult to communicate with effectiveness ?big plus if this is an already-ingrained understanding.
Something to Ponder- Living out our ?parents? sense of purpose? can be significantly challenging to our own self-discovery and exploration (crucial to realizing our own personhood and in gaining healthy self-esteem) This generationally imposed self-importance can lead to the other character trait associated with Millennials; ?feeling a sense of entitlement.?

2. Sheltered Millennials have been the focus of the most sweeping youth protection movement in American history (due to surge in child safety rules, post-Columbine lockdown of public schools, hotel-style security in college dorms).
Rabbi:
Good news- If there is one thing that has been compromised throughout Jewish survival it is a sense of security, specifically, security for our physical well-being. Jews have too often been the target.
Something to Ponder- Being sheltered can lead to being soft. There are some harsh realities that have value. There is also the false sense of security that quietly tells us that if we take the necessary precautions, everything will work out fine. Not always the case-it is better to be awake to harsh realities rather than to be woken up by one.

3. Confident A newly-felt connection to parents and to future-Millennials can equate good news for themselves with good news for the country.
Rabbi:
Good News- From a Jewish perspective, our stock is and always will be invested in the next generation. They are our future and will continue the progress and perfection of the world. Millennials seem to get that.
Something to Ponder- Confidence, from a Jewish perspective, can flirt dangerously close to ?ga?avah? or ?arrogance.? Being cocky can be a serious impediment to performing well in life, personally or professionally. ?Bitul? or ?self nullification? is a Jewish value that serves as a healthy counterpart to the mandate to ?fix the world,? a responsibility which can often be accompanied by a misplaced sense of self-aggrandizement.

In the next edition I?ll address the remaining four traits that are attributed to the Millennial Generation. As a preview, I will list them now: Team Oriented, Conventional, Pressured and Achieving.