As concerns over the coronavirus pandemic escalate, many businesses are shuttered, schools are closed, and numerous states have mandated “stay at home” orders. Yet, a crowd of “young people” descended upon beaches for spring break this past weekend, seemingly indifferent to the risks of contracting COVID-19. While it’s easy to call them careless, let’s set the record straight—these spring breakers are not millennials, despite widespread mislabeling.
The misconception that millennials are responsible for this behavior gained traction after Dr. Samuel Thompson, a senior advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO), mistakenly categorized millennials with the carefree twenty-somethings basking on the sand. “What worries me is the sense of invulnerability among millennials,” Thompson stated in an interview.
Understanding the Generational Divide
Let’s clarify: according to Pew Research, millennials are defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1996. This means the oldest millennial is 39, and the youngest is currently 24. Spring breakers, on the other hand, are typically college students, most of whom are under 22, categorizing them firmly within Generation Z. It’s astonishing that a health professional advising the WHO would confuse such basic demographic information, but these are indeed confusing times.
Millennials are not synonymous with “young people,” as they are no longer considered youth. The average age of a millennial today is nearly 32 years old. As someone who falls into this category, I can assure you that millennials are not the ones you should be looking to for irresponsible beach parties. At the time of writing, I am 31 years old, own a home, go to bed early, and can’t even recall when spring break occurs. Did it happen already? I wouldn’t know, having graduated from college a decade ago.
Setting the Record Straight
The notion that millennials are out there at 22 years old spreading COVID-19 is a frustratingly common misconception. Even major news outlets and journalists seem to be confused about the age of millennials.
Numerous millennials have stepped up to defend their generation, emphasizing that they are, in fact, too old to be part of this spring break debacle. You wouldn’t find a millennial caught dead partying on any beach.
If there’s anything millennials should be held accountable for, it’s the panic-buying of toilet paper on Amazon Prime—yes, that one we’ll take responsibility for.
Further Reading
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Conclusion
In summary, while the pandemic has led to a misattribution of blame towards millennials for the irresponsible behavior of spring breakers, it’s crucial to recognize that these party-goers are predominantly Gen Z. The confusion stems from a lack of understanding of generational definitions, underscoring the need for accurate representation.