These Annoying Millennial Trends Have Got To Go
1 Tik Tok Challenges
Many millennials have flocked to TikTok, a video-sharing social networking platform. Most of the videos posted are of people dancing with their friends or lip-syncing to their favorite songs. Yet, there is a dark side to TikTok, and it can be a breeding ground for stupidity. TikTok challenges have gotten out of control.
Young people record 15-second videos of themselves attempting dangerous and downright stupid activities. For example, the “skull breaker challenge” involves kicking someone’s feet out from underneath them and sending their head crashing into the floor. This is just a bad idea. Stop it with the dumb challenges already.
2 Ok Boomer
“Ok Boomer” is a dismissive retort that a Millennial might throw around during an argument about social issues with a Baby Boomer. The divide between these two generations has everyone losing their minds. We get it. Boomers can be out of touch and close-minded, but this polarizing meme has got to go.
The younger and older generations of history have disagreed on just about everything throughout time but traditionally, the younger crowd knew better than to be so disrespectful to older people to their faces. Maybe if Millennials took a moment to look beyond their experience, they might learn something from those crazy Boomers.
3 The Man Bun
The man bun is self-explanatory. A male with long hair twists his hair into a bun, giving him that hipster edge. This annoying hairstyle surfaced in 2013 when celebs like Jared Leto and Joaquin Phoenix started wearing them on the red carpet. Unfortunately, the trend has held tight over the years.
Not to promote toxic masculinity or anything, but millennials need to move on from the man bun. It’s just not an attractive look, and it’s so 2010s. Let’s all move on to 2020 and agree to let this fad fade away into the annals of ridiculous hairstyles for men.
4 Feather Brows
Feather brows are having a moment and hopefully, it will pass quickly. This beauty trend is all over Instagram as millennial ladies try their hand at creating a feathered look on their eyebrows. The goal is to have a light and fluffy brow that follows the natural shape of the eye.
Millennials have taken this trend to the extreme, and now things have gotten out of hand. A natural brow is lovely, but this viral look is just bonkers. Tone down the feathering a bit, ladies. The goal shouldn’t be for your eyebrows to look like they might fly off your face.
5 Ok Karen
Let’s discuss another meme that has taken social media by storm. “Ok, Karen” is a dismissive term that millennials throw at older people who they think are demanding. The joke is that Karen is the typical name of a middle-aged woman who asks to speak to the manager when she’s unhappy.
It’s been used to address Gen Xers during social media debates and frankly, it’s another disrespectful term that proves Millennials have no chill when arguing with people who disagree with them. Maybe if the job had been done right in the first place, Karen wouldn’t feel the need to ask for the manager.
6 Overpaid Influencers
Millennials have cornered the market when it comes to brand influencers. Hipsters have taken over social media platforms like Instagram to peddle products and they’re making a ton of cash. From paid travel to free cars, it’s as if an entire generation has no problem selling their souls for free swag.
Do we really need to see another pic of a beautiful girl posing with a power smoothie? It’s hard to escape the power of brand ambassadors. Perhaps they could use their social media prowess to help others in need rather than trying to act like they love buying organic dog food.
7 Glitter Beards
Glitter beards became a thing in 2015 when men covered their facial hair in glitter and posted pics to Instagram along with the hashtag #glitterbeard. Now, every December the trend picks back up and we see the hashtag resurface, just in time for the holidays. Social media is once again flooded with this viral phenomenon.
This is another millennial trend that can be so annoying. Much like the man bun, it’s just not a masculine look. Is it necessary to bling up your beard? Do we need tutorials teaching our young men how to achieve this look? The answer is no. Make it stop.
8 FOMO
The struggle is real for millennials when it comes to FOMO, which stands for the Fear Of Missing Out. This social anxiety can send anyone into a tailspin, but young people are the most susceptible to falling victim to the very real urge to stay connected with what everyone is doing at all times.
Some symptoms of FOMO include checking social media every waking moment, changing plans, stalking friends online, and sharing pictures of everything. Millennials need to settle down, log off, and learn how to enjoy the art of being bored.
9 Helicopter Parenting
Many millennials are having children and becoming helicopter parents. They are way overprotective or have too much interest in their child’s life. We’ve all seen these parents at the playground, hovering around their kid to make sure they don’t get one bump or bruise.
Today’s parents don’t allow their children to experience any struggles and protect them from discomfort. Here’s the real truth. Overprotected children won’t have coping skills if they don’t fail sometimes. Millennials need to let their kids face adversity so they don’t grow up and become entitled like their parents.
10 Needing Constant Feedback
Millennials are joining the workforce and demanding that employers give them constant feedback on their performance. According to Business Insider, growing up with the Internet granted them instant gratification and created a generation that craves quick feedback.
Employers report that their millennial employees need a weekly check-in. Communication is a great tool, but it might be time for these whippersnappers to outgrow the sticker chart and learn how to self-check themselves. It has to be frustrating for a boss or manager to drop everything and constantly take the time to pat a millennial on the back.
11 Nose Hair Extensions
Nose hair extensions are an Instagram beauty trend that has everyone wondering if they’re a joke. You may ask yourself, is that really a thing? Yes, shockingly enough, it’s a thing. Millennial beauty influencers are gluing eyelash extensions onto their nostrils and we have questions.
Who came up with this idea? Do these women think they look attractive? How bored are these people that they would do this to their faces? It’s not a good look, and it’s doubtful that we’ll see models on the runway wearing nose hair extensions. This is wrong on so many levels.
12 Participation Trophies
The era of the participation trophy seems to be here to stay and millennial parents are a big part of the problem. Back in the day, kids earned trophies by showing some skill or strength in sports or other events. Then someone thought it would be a good idea to give everybody a trophy just for showing up.
This raised an entire generation to celebrate mediocrity. Now they’re becoming parents and raising their children the same way. This madness has got to stop. Most children who are given a participation trophy won’t appreciate it because they didn’t earn it.
13 Insta Filters
Instagram and other social media platforms have added the option for users to put filters on photos. Now, millennials are going nuts and posting pics of themselves with cat ears and whiskers. We can admit that this is a harmless trend, but it can be annoying.
We can look back at pictures of grandparents in their youth and see what life was like in that decade. The sepia-toned snapshots are like a time capsule. It will be hilarious for future generations to discover a pic of Grandma with a rainbow puke spewing out of her mouth.
14 Selfies
Millennials love taking selfies and have no shame when it comes to turning their camera on themselves. This generation is beyond self-obsessed and social media is filled with pics snapped at arm’s length. Young people live for likes and will do just about anything to bring attention to themselves.
Here’s a newsflash. We all know that you didn’t wake up like that, and no one cares about what you ate for breakfast. We’re over your duckface, and you look ridiculous. Maybe it’s time to stop striking a pose and take photos of the real-life photo-ops you’re missing out on.
15 Job-Hopping
When it comes to their jobs, millennials like to keep their options open. They’re unattached and have no problem job-hopping. According to Gallup, 21% of millennials say they’ve changed jobs within the past year. It’s been estimated that millennial turnover costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually.
The current younger generation typically isn’t as engaged in the workforce and tends to “check out” on the job. This is a disturbing trend and one we hope cycles its way out. We miss the days when company loyalty was rewarded and people cared about being present at work.
16 The Cancel Culture
Millennials are all about the mob mentality which has given way to the cancel culture. If a celebrity makes a controversial remark or posts a questionable opinion on social media, the masses boycott them out of existence. They have ruined many careers because of one stupid remark.
Speaking truth to power is important, but the current climate is ruthless about canceling people out. Whatever happened to tolerance and giving people a second chance? Humans make mistakes, and millennials know nothing about giving grace. Promoting social justice is one thing, but ruining someone’s livelihood because you don’t agree with them is brutal.
17 Face Tattoos
Tattoos are mainstream, and it seems like everyone has at least one or two these days. We’re all for self-expression through body art, but the trend of facial tattoos could be regrettable. A current rash of celebrities has been getting their face inked; from Post Malone to Amber Rose, celebs have added tatts to their collection.
This is one millennial trend that we hope will find it’s way out soon. Facial tattoos are a permanent decision that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. What is cool today might not be so cool tomorrow.
18 Earbuds All The Time
Millennials are obsessed with music and always seem to be wearing earbuds. Human interaction isn’t on the top of this generation’s list because they’re more concerned with listening to their playlist.
According to Mocha Man Style, 73% of millennials admitted to wearing headphones to avoid interaction and 48% revealed that they wear their earbuds at school or at work. Who can blame them when they have constant access to music on their phones? Here’s a novel suggestion: take the earbuds out once in a while and talk to your neighbor.
19 Vaping
E-cigarettes are popular and Millennials are leading the way when it comes to vaping. Forbes conducted a survey and found that 44% of vapor users were Millennials. While it’s good news that cigarette smoking is down, there are still several health risks associated with vaping.
The liquid in the devices may taste like bubblegum or cotton candy, but they still contain nicotine and other harmful substances. This is another fad that could be harmful to the younger generations and we wish that they would think twice before they vape. It’s just not healthy.
20 Tech Neck
Cell phone use has dominated society, and no one is more gripped by technology than millennials. Young people are starring at their phones so much that it’s affecting their bodies. According to USA Today, tech neck is caused by spending too much time in “text position”.
This can cause the ears to not align with the shoulders. Maybe it would be a good idea for them to get their eyes off the phone and spend some time engaging in reality for a change. There’s a beautiful world out there, and they’re missing all of it by constantly staring at their devices.