The snowflake generation

The snowflake generation or generation millennial is that of those who have reached adulthood in the 2010s. It is a term that is applied due to the supposed “volatility” or “volubility” that characterizes those who belong to it. According to the media, this generation differs from all others in its emotional instability, its susceptibility and its low resilience.

The name of the word arises as a confluence of factors: the word ‘snowflake’ (from the English snowflake) is chosen for its originality, since the snowflakes are unique in their shape. The snowflake generation is, according to some sources, a generation that comes from a childhood in which overprotection has prevailed.

When does the snowflake generation emerge?

During the 2010s, there is an entire generation (even more than one) that has come of age, and that “classifies them as millennials “. They have grown in parallel with the rapid development of new technologies and are practically digital natives. The term owes its coinage to Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight club, where it is explained that “no one is special, no one is a snowflake.”

Chuck Palahniuk defines the snowflake generation as a new Victorianism, characterized by the ease of offense of those who belong to it. He talks, for example, that each generation is offended by certain events, but it is surprising how easily students are offended by their teaching friends at the university, a space generally devoted to debate and critical opinion.

What is so special about millennials?

In general, people who belong to the snowflake generation They have an exaggerated sense of their uniqueness. They are accused of being capricious, susceptible and having an exaggerated sense of what is politically correct. (somehow society seems to miss in this generation the revolutionary spirit that seems to have always been the flag of youth). They are also labeled as a conflictive generation, since, according to certain opinions, they do not easily tolerate criticism, especially if it intelligently attacks their way of thinking.

But half of the workforce in 2020 also seems to have other advantages or virtues compared to other generations. As has already been seen, they are digital natives, which means that they know or learn any technological aspect of our time much faster. Thanks to their “little patience”, the millennials They often find creative ways to solve problems, which makes them adapt faster to changes. This ease of adaptation is an increasingly demanded requirement in jobs.

The snowflake generation It also has unique problems that on many occasions are despised by the rest of the generations. Anxiety in the face of new challenges, never seen before in society or in the world of work (in relation to social networks or instant communication, for example), is often ridiculed.

The real problem

Are the millennials really so characteristic or do they live in a society that is not prepared for them? Until half a century ago, the computer or advanced technology was not conceived as another part of the domestic/everyday ecosystem, not to mention the telephone or tablets. For the snowflake generation These inventions, in one way or another, have always been part of their interaction with the world. Thus, for the rest of the generations it is difficult to understand what this means and how this maturation process accompanied by technology can affect mental configuration.

It is understandable, for example, that someone accustomed to the speed of current communication may not make sense of a letter. We cannot unlearn natural processes, but we can learn to tolerate other ways of seeing the world. After all, This generation is labeled as intolerant when many media outlets only point out the negative aspects that seem to define it..

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