Category: Millennial Generation

Religions have existed for as long as we know. But the most common misconception for the most part of it was that religion and spirituality go hand in hand; you can’t be spiritual, and not be religious. But how far is this true? It was the millennial generation that started speaking up on spirituality by itself. Perhaps there’s more to life and the universe than God?

There have been tremendous lifestyle changes between gen x and the millenials, so it’s to say, this gives rise to existential questions. The millennials are considerably less religious than gen x and the baby boomers. There have been discussions about millennials’ spirituality being a trend within consumer capitalist culture. This isn’t just about specifically ignoring religion and its values, but it’s simply about having a choice. It’s hard not getting to choose what you consume. In this point of view, millennials’ spirituality seems to be about choosing whatever gives them a sense of meaning and purpose in life; mindfulness, prayer, yoga, meditation, a short trip to the beach, and so much more.

Spirituality existed long before too, but it was only after the millenials spirituality gained popularity. So whether you’re religious or not, everyone experiences and expresses spirituality in a way that gives them comfort. Spirituality is a very healthy coping mechanism for stress and other emotional difficulties. It is also a way of life for many.

What is millennials spirituality according to them?

All this talk about spirituality it’s beginning to sound like a cult. Many people feel a sense of connection to the universe; a belief in something beyond themselves. This is where it gets interesting. Millennials’ spirituality involves the belief in a connection to others and the world as a whole, whereas many religious people believe in a higher power, god, and are spiritual too.

Spirituality’s impacts on the millennials life

Knowing there’s so much more to this world helps some go easy on themselves. A belief in something beyond the self helps stay grounded and instills a sense of hope

Spirituality has been linked to better wellbeing. The following list of pros will help you understand more about it:

• Better mental and physical health
• Greater psychological well-being
• Reduction in depression
• Less hypertension
• Much less stress
• More positive feelings
• Gives hope

It suggests there is more to life than just what people see and experience. It suggests that there is something greater that connects us to each other and the universe. Some comforting things in millennials spirituality include asking questions about death, the meaning of life, opens up conversations about the universe, feeling connected, and all things positive.

Let’s not forget how spirituality and religion have been a source of comfort and relief from stress for many. Some people use many different religions and paths to express their spirituality, ​research has shown that those who are more religious or spiritual and use their spirituality to cope with challenges in life experiences.

Spirituality is not a single path. There are many ways to experience spirituality and reap the benefits of a spiritual experience. Some people use many different religions and paths to express their spirituality. For others, it may involve experiencing a sense of inter-connectedness with the rest of humanity and nature.

Benefits of being a spiritual person

Practicing spirituality helps in:

• Deepening connections with other people
• Experiencing compassion and empathy for all living things
• Experiencing a sense of interconnectedness
• Seeking happiness beyond material possessions
• Seeking meaningful and purposeful life
• Wanting to make s difference in the world so it’s a better place

Whether you are rediscovering a forgotten spiritual path, reinforcing your commitment to an already well-established past, or seeking fulfillment, exploring your spiritual side may help improve your overall well-being

Other impacts of millennials spirituality

• Helps to pay attention to how you are really feeling.
• Helps to focus on others and not just yourself.
• Cultivates an interest to meditate.
• Makes you feel the need to practice gratitude.
• Helps in being mindful: By being more mindful, you can be more aware and appreciative of the present. Mindfulness encourages less judgment and focuses more on the present.

Factors driving millennials spirituality

This has a lot to do with the political entanglement of religions. This does not mean they don’t believe in God. There are a number of millennials who still believe in God and even pray regularly. These people call themselves spiritual but not religious.

Think about how a millennial can access information about any religion in the world with just a few clicks. They are exposed to many different beliefs and ideas. SO many holy places make a money-making racket out of the vulnerable. This made the millennials turn more towards spirituality tas it combines elements from many. In one

Millenials want to be a part of something larger. They are on a path to spiritual belief, some to improve the environment, social justice, and so on. There is a deep amount of anxiety and a lot of care for the larger world and life’s big questions with them, rather than being shallow and selfish.

Overall, spirituality helps a person understand themselves better, in any weather. Now that you know the many impacts of millennial spirituality, it’s important to understand that spirituality is different for the millennials. They are mostly spiritual and not religious. Some practice meditation and yoga but are not rigid to do it all the time.

Spirituality is a way to live a happy life while understanding the meaning of life. It does not change the reality of life but it makes you more resilient to life’s challenges and blessings. Stress is the body’s response to the external environment as well as to a person’s inner thoughts and feelings. It is the way to cope up with this stress.

Millennials are considered independent, confident, optimistic, focused, and dreamers. They are born after the 20th century. They are high-risk takers and are self- motivated. Millennials find motivation or peace through adventure, meditation, singing, traveling, etc. The meaning of spirituality is noticable different for millennials than the older generations. The older generations still relate spirituality to god and prayer, but for millennials spirituality is the continuous ongoing work in which they feel peace and satisfaction.

The millennials are more spiritual than any other generation. They believe in themselves and are in search of their own meaning. They don’t believe in going to a specific place to pray or practise spirituality. It can be done anywhere. Millennials seem to be more interested in doing more good to the world rather than focused on what they should believe or are told to believe. They are more in control of themselves.

Many millennials are not affiliated with any religious community. It was the millennial generation that was more accepting of marijuana and homosexuality as well. The older generations thought they both were a sin, and many still do. But perhaps it is this backward thinking that leads people away from religion and towards spirituality.

These people believe evolution as a way of explaining human life.

There are different kinds of millennials are as follows:

• Committed Traditionalists: There are the committed who have a strong religious faith and live out their lives practicing those beliefs.
• Selective Adherents: They believe and practice certain aspects of their religious traditions but ignore or neglect others
• Spiritually Open: These adults are not very committed to a particular religious tradition but are receptive to or mildly interested in at least some spiritual or religious matters.
• Religiously Indifferent: These people are not interested in practicing religion, but they do not actively oppose it.
• Religiously Disconnected: These adults are neither interested in nor opposed to religion. They have little or no connection to religious ideas, persons, or organizations.
• Irreligious: These people are skeptical about religion and often make critical arguments against religion in general. They comprise no more than 10 percent of the population of emerging adults.

So it’s pretty clear that not all people, specifically the millennials have the same interests or needs as others. But everyone would benefit from spirituality as it helps them develop meaningful lives and contribute to society. Belief in God may be lower among the millennials than among older adults. But for this generation spirituality and humanity go hand in hand.

There you have it. An article on the numerous impacts of millennials spirituality in an ever-growing, scary yet beautiful world. What are you waiting for? Go out, take a walk in your neighbor, appreciate the trees, the birds, the sun and the sky. It’s time we support ourselves in being more aware and present. Help yourself, to help the world. We owe it to ourselves to live a conscious life.

References

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323826146_Role_of_spirituality_in_the_life_of_millennial
2. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-millennials-religion-embracing-spirituality.html
3. https://www.elca.org/JLE/Articles/1050
4. https://www.pewforum.org/2010/02/17/religion-among-the-millennials/
5. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-and-physical-health-3144807

The causes of the overpopulation can be put in different categories, which combined represent the cause of this destructive phenomena. One of these issues is represented by the early marriage. The origins of child marriage in India are deeply rooted into its historical and cultural background. Early marriages were made backwards societies in order to maximize the chances of survival of the children due the high rate of mortality. Therefore it was advantageous for the Indian people and also to other cultures to marry at a young age. Nevertheless, child marriage Nevertheless, child marriages also created further economic, political and social relations due to the high rate of poverty and by the fact that sometimes the only chance of survival for a family was to marry the daughter and have one less mouth to feed.

The role of woman in the Indian society is defined by their deeply rooted culture, which gives women a lower social status than to men. This cultural factor has a very large influence upon the development of society from many points of view. Firstly, since the women have a lower social status than men, families struggle to give a male heir, therefore they tend to produce as many children as it takes until one of them will be born a male. Therefore, the family is enlarged rapidly, without taking into consideration the economic issues regarding their welfare. This act of increasing the number of family members in order to have a male heir has a negative effect upon its lineage.

When the family realizes that has no possibility to sustain economically, decides to give into marriage one of the young daughters, in order to obtain economic stability in the family. In this case, the family of the bride receives different kind of material reward from the groom’s family. This practice is widespread all over India, especially in rural areas, but can lead to domestic violence affecting the bride. It is considered that the younger bride is more valuable than an older one, because it can contribute more to the family of the groom, that is why the prices offered for the young brides are higher than for those for example who are older than 18 and have a legal marrying age

In India the poverty and illiteracy are the second biggest factors for the overpopulation phenomena. India’s high population growth is another factor which maintains the rate of poverty and vice-versa, poverty sustains overpopulation. One of the reasons why this is happening is because of the Indian economic stagnation. The productivity rate in the agricultural sector is not increasing due to the farming methods of the population. Millions of people are able to survive only relying on farming, and knowing that the Indian arable land is too small in comparison with the population’s desired exploitation quota, farming becomes less efficient. In order to achieve the necessary self-sufficiency levels, many people choose to migrate from the rural to urban areas, where they can find jobs only in mass-production factories.

Introduction

“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury is a thought-provoking short story that explores the dangers of excessive technology and its impact on human relationships. Set in a futuristic world, the story depicts a family’s dependence on their high-tech nursery, which eventually leads to their downfall. In this critical essay, I will examine the themes and messages in “The Veldt” and discuss its relevance to the millennial generation, with a personal perspective on the role of technology in our lives.

The Dangers of Technological Dependency

“The Veldt” serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of becoming too reliant on technology. In the story, the Hadley family’s obsession with their advanced nursery leads to a breakdown in human connection and a loss of control. This theme resonates strongly with the millennial generation, as we find ourselves immersed in a digital age where technology dominates every aspect of our lives. The story raises important questions about the boundaries we set between technology and our personal relationships.

Disconnect from Reality

Millennials, often labeled as the “tech-savvy” generation, have grown up in a world surrounded by gadgets and digital media. While technology has undoubtedly brought numerous benefits, it has also created a sense of detachment from the physical world. Like the children in “The Veldt” who become consumed by the virtual African savannah, millennials can sometimes find themselves more engaged with the digital realm than with real-life experiences. This disconnection from reality can hinder meaningful relationships and personal growth.

Loss of Face-to-Face Communication

In “The Veldt,” the Hadley parents struggle to communicate effectively with their children due to the technology-driven isolation. Similarly, millennials have become accustomed to communicating through screens rather than engaging in face-to-face interactions. The prevalence of social media and messaging apps has altered our communication habits, often resulting in superficial connections and a lack of genuine human connection. The story serves as a reminder of the importance of fostering real-life relationships and the value of face-to-face communication.

Escapism and Instant Gratification

Millennials have grown up in an era of instant gratification, where information, entertainment, and social validation are just a click away. “The Veldt” highlights the dangers of using technology as a means of escapism, where individuals become trapped in their virtual fantasies. The story’s depiction of the children’s obsession with the nursery reflects the millennial generation’s tendency to seek constant stimulation and instant gratification through digital devices. It reminds us to strike a balance between virtual experiences and the present moment.

The Need for Intentional Technology Use

“The Veldt” suggests that technology should serve as a tool rather than a replacement for genuine human connection. Millennials need to be mindful of their technology usage and its impact on their well-being. By recognizing the potential dangers of excessive reliance on technology, we can actively make choices to prioritize meaningful relationships, practice digital detoxes, and engage in activities that foster personal growth and connection with the real world.

Personal Perspective

As a millennial myself, I have experienced firsthand the benefits and drawbacks of living in a digital age. While technology has undoubtedly enhanced our lives in many ways, I recognize the importance of setting boundaries and consciously managing our relationship with it. “The Veldt” serves as a wake-up call to reflect on our own dependency on technology and the potential consequences it may have on our well-being and relationships.

Conclusion

“The Veldt” offers a compelling critique of the dangers of technology and its impact on human relationships. Its themes of technological dependency, disconnect from reality, and the need for intentional technology use resonate strongly with the millennial generation. By examining the story’s messages and reflecting on our own experiences, we can gain valuable insights into the role of technology in our lives and make informed choices to prioritize genuine human connection and personal growth. It is crucial for millennials to strike a balance between the digital world and the real world, ensuring that technology serves as a tool for enhancing our lives rather than a substitute for meaningful experiences.

Introduction

“There is a desire for change. There is a millennial generation that does not like what they’re seeing, but doesn’t quite know what the solution is” -Ken Moelis

This report has been written to explore how the complexities, dynamics and uncertainties of the modern business environment impacts on the organisation of work and the contempered employment relationship. Specifically focusing on the relationship between a healthy psychological contract, employee resilience and engagement among millennial workers in the retail fashion industry. This has been written focusing on flexible work, the gig economy and precarious employment. This paper will critically outline the nature of the UK’s retail workers and the skills perceived to fit in within the fashion industry. The UK retail market makes up 1 in 10 jobs for the population, the sector is made up of two groups: Female workers and young workers (Johnson,2007) it is whether you can develop healthy psychological contracts within millennial workers that will determine the impacts on your organisation. Retail as a sector focuses on fighting competition to become the best brand in the market, it means having the best store and layout but this paper will show that it goes much further than having a strong brand image, retail workers are effectively branded and moulded to fit the businesses wanted appearance. This paper will explore if businesses can create healthy psychological contracts within their employees.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this paper is to critically examine the relationship between a healthy psychological contract, employee resilience and engagement among millennial workers in the fashion industry sector:

The objectives of the paper are to produce persuasive recommendations on whether mangers can develop such healthy PCs in millennials.

Psychological contract

A psychological contract described as “In many organisations the drive to achieve high levels of performance, quality and output, often linked with policies about securing employees’ commitment to and integration with business goals … has been advanced alongside organisational restructuring, downsizing and employment change” (Saunders & Thornhill, 2006)

Work characteristics and values of the millennial generation affect the dynamics of psychological contract management that has become more focused on flexibility and employability skill development (Shields,2020). Employers can put in place learning algorithms for millennial workers that will help them learn through social interaction (Everly, G.2011) . To maintain competitive advantage managers, have to focus their efforts on “motivating individuals to contribute enthusiastically to the process of organizational knowledge generation” (Child, 2005). This process of sharing knowledge will help improve the millennial workers decision making, problem solving skills and communication skills within the business (Kochan.2019). Millennial workers are faced with constant pressures of performing to a high standard in the workplace, millennial workers are looking for a better work-life balance. Among millennial workers in the fashion industry 57% have said that a better work-life balance and flexibility in the work place will help them grow in their job and increase in confidence (Mccarthy,2016). This proposition also helps those workers who are parents, carers and workers who are highly qualified. There will be uncertainties regarding income for many families, the economic crisis in the world place uncertainties on job security and if businesses can survive the economy crashing. Through crisis wages become low and income is at an all-time low coming into households. Projections show that millennial workers could face the hardest inequalities between households as projections show low income earners salaries will rise by 1-2% whereas high earners salaries will increase by 5-6%, as the cost of living rises many low paid workers will not be able to afford everything and will have to spend on necessities only (Chapman,2019). The UK by 2030 is on route to have a population where 65 years plus will continue to work, this for millennials will cause a massive issue when looking for work. This aging process will limit availability of jobs and will go against the core wants and desires of millennial staff to have a work/life balance (Nash,2016). Work forces will become more multi-generational and all generations will work together to create success for businesses. (Gay,2017)

Resilience

Resilience is described as “being able to bounce back from setbacks and to keep going in the face of tough demands and difficult circumstances, including the enduring strength that builds from coping well with challenging or stressful events”. (Cooper, Flint‐Taylor & Pearn. 2013)

A consistent theme among the range of definitions of resilience is a sense of adaptation, recovery and bounce back despite adversity or change (Luthar,2000). Most of those working in this field identify resilience as a dynamic process that involves a personal negotiation through life that fluctuates across time, life stage and context (Mastem,2001). Everyone is born with innate capacity for resilience. Resilience can be learnt and develops with personal skills, like problem-solving skills, communication skills and feelings of competence or efficacy (Howard & Johnson, 2004)

Building resilience among millennial workers will help them have a solid career. Not only does resilience help you recover from set backs it helps your manager as most managers are often too busy to deal with everything in the business as they have to little time (Schoon,2008). Managers do not want to be constantly intervening in small situations so having the ability to deal with them will be appreciated. Mangers value employees who come with solutions not problems. (Everly, G.2011)

A number of millennial workers do not have the psychic armour or powers of recovery they should., having this mental ability and resilience will help you stand out among your fellow peers (Brown,2005) Having the mental capacity will help you progress and withstand job pressures and will also serve you well dealing with pressures at home also. (Fisk,2010)

Fixed mindset v.s Growth mindset

With a fixed mind set if you believe that your qualities are unchangeable — the fixed mindset — you will want to prove yourself correct over and over rather than learning from your mistakes (Dweck.C.2017). Success is about being your best self, not about being better than others; failure is an opportunity, not a condemnation; effort is the key to success. But those with a fixed mind set – their belief in fixed traits – can’t put this into practice because their basic mindset is telling them something entirely different: that success is about being more gifted than others, that failure does measure you, and that effort is for those who can’t make it on talent (Dweck,Yeager.2018). Whereas a growth mind set, Dweck’s work shows the power of our most basic beliefs. Whether conscious or subconscious, they strongly “affect what we want and whether we succeed in getting it.” Much of what we think we understand of our personality comes from our “mindset.” This both propels us and prevents us from fulfilling our potential. (Dweck.2015)

Environment

Resilience is wholly dependent on the experiences that a person has with their environment. So, factors external to the individual will determine how resilient a person is, such as how much social support they receive (Kets de Vries, M. 2015). The person’s personality is not seen as relevant: ‘a multi-faceted process from which people draw and learn from the best they can find in their environment, which can include family, school or the community’ (Greef 2002).

Resilience is a product of a person’s personality in combination with environmental influences such as family, peers, and social environment: ‘…categories that promote resilience, namely individual dispositional attributes, family support and cohesion, and external support systems’ (Richardson 2002). (Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological model)

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological model shows the microsystem is resilience within. The exosystem is resilience between and the macrosystem is resilience out with the persons control. Resilience can be helped by the following, Collective belief that we have the capacity to make things get better, a sense of autonomy & control in your work, a culture in which it’s ok to make mistakes – and learn from them (Kahn, W. A. 1990)

Resilience at Organisational level

Defined in the same way as it is for individuals but with a different focus: It must include not only the individuals within the organisation, but also the processes and culture those individuals work with on a daily basis (Halbesleben, J. R. B., and Wheeler, A. R. 2008). Organisational resilience looks at how well the organisation can ‘weather the storm’ or adapt to challenges it faces. This requires a combination of resilience and an understanding of the circumstances which pose the greatest threat to survival: for example, organisations may become more susceptible to adverse events if they have faced previous crises, as their resources are stretched and defences weakened (MacLeod, D. and Clarke, N., 2009).

Engagement

Employee engagement described as’…the perceptions of the two parties, employee and employer, of what their mutual obligations are towards each other ‘(Emmott 2006)

What they increasingly say they are looking for is an engaged workforce (Schmidt et al. 1993). But the problem is – nobody agrees on the definition of employee engagement. Customer service has been described in numerous ways across a huge platform. It is often described as a business giving the best customer service to their customers. (Hothschild,1983) argues that customer service is a rehearsed act performed by workers to interact with customers and use induced or suppressed feelings to connect with them in order to achieve a sale. (Bauman,1998) states that it is much needed in a world of consumer driven society and it is unbelievably valuable to every business.

Engagement has three dimensions

These three dimensions define employee engagement as how engaged workers are and how positively present, they are when at work. This van be measured through their intellectual effort, positive emotions, and connections with other staff. This helps create an engaged work force. (Roden.2012)

In the fashion industry the role of woman will become dominant and the woman breaking into the industry will dominate the senior more advanced roles. Projections show that by 2030 women will be in two thirds of the highly skilled jobs in the industry (Dromey,2017) Technology will help the advancement of bring together different cultures, backgrounds, languages, and races in the fashion industry, this will change and become clearly visible of the distinctions that are in place today in workplaces.

Actively disengaged

Actively disengaged workers are unhappy and resentful and spread unhappiness in the organisation. Such employees are bad for the organisation since they are always provoking and convincing the other employees to leave their jobs and move out of the organization (Brewster,2007). However, these employees last longer in the firm and remove the prospective employees whom they perceive will attain higher position or move to the next job level in the near future. (Brown, D. and Reilly, P.2008).

Non engaged

Non engaged workers this is the category in which majority of the employees in the organisation fall. (Buamruk.2004) These are the ones who seek directions from their superior and do only that work which has been asked for. Such employees do put in their time, but not passion and energy into their work. They like to receive only one instruction at a time and lacks innovativeness (Khan, W. A. 1992) These employees can hold either a negative or positive attitude towards the organization. (Kular.2007)

Positive engagement

Employees who have positive engagement at work are constantly looking for ways to do their jobs better. They are half as likely to leave the organisation as the average employee and are nine times more likely to stay with the organisation than the “disaffected” (Towers Perrin 2005)

Conclusion

My recommendation for millennials would be to change their mind set in regard to working, they need to be willing to relocate, work long hours and working in different nature environments within work. They need to adapt and be willing to work continuously with the new technology and embrace it in the work place. The workers need to take responsibility in ensuring they are up to date and have the necessary skills to continue performing at a high level within the workplace. The only way to progress and keep developing is to take initiative and learn new skills, this for some workers may require taking a step back in terms of jobs or starting from the bottom in a new job but it will help them progress and be strong in the workplace. While embracing technology the workers will need to be open to working in different approaches for example working in peer to peer learning. The highly skilled staff members of the workforce need to be willing to step into demanding roles and go out their comfort zones.

My recommendation for employers would be to let the employees take initiative for their own learning and development in the work place, let them learn on the job as they go, by pushing initiative on the employees it will give them drive to be successful and make them feel like they have more responsibility in the workplace. I would advise employers to work collaboratively as one to ensure all staff get opportunities to develop not just in selected workplaces. I would advise employers to work with schools, colleges, and the government to help young people have a career pathway and show that their opportunities to succeed in the fashion industry even though you are just starting. Employers need to prepare for a more diverse work force, in both culture and multi-generational levels, they need to also be prepared to offer employees a greater range of flexibility in working, this will add more value to the employee’s work.