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Duly Noted
Millennials Are Crybabies

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MAFIA MILLENNIAL Kate Levering (Photo: Getty Images)
Just when we thought we knew all there was to know about those so-called "Millennials"—the most recent group of young professionals now filling the ranks—Ad Age comes through and tattoos a few final defining characteristics: Not only are they tech savvy, but Millenials are also of a shady work ethic ... and are emotionally unstable!

That's right, beyond this post-Generation X clan's unabashed fondness for social networking sites and its thorn-in-the-side role to upwardly mobile middle-management, the group as a whole are lazy babies. In the explosive AdAge article on "getting the best out of Millennials," a marketing instructor has this advice: "Handle with care.... Many Millennials lack the resilience to shrug off setbacks; a misdirected frown or a curt e-mail can send them into a tailspin.... Use criticism sparingly, frame feedback positively—and keep the Kleenex handy."

And Hollywood's not helping. Television producer Darren Star bestowed a minor Millennial character upon us in Cashmere Mafia—one who tries, with varying degrees of success, to scheme and sleep her way to the top. Lazy? Not especially, but her senior execs are left cleaning up the mess and wiping away tears. And, nothing stains the shoulder of a Theory suit-jacket like the Maybelline-laced tears of a me-generation office slut.

So next time you feel a crying jag coming on at work, don't feel so bad. Maybe it's not you or your failing antidepressants after all. Could be it's just an effect of being surrounded by—or being a part of—a generation of lazy, no-good, tear fountains.

By Hailey Eber   02/13/08 11:17 AM
Related: Cashmere Mafia, Duly Noted, Millennials, Pop, Work
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