WINNIPEG — Millennials are a generation that’s been under the spotlight often for their connection to social media and the ‘instant society’. But what can we expect from the next generation?
Hillery Taylor pours over her bulletin board at Next Family Centre, where her spring classes are filling up fast with parents, eager to get informed answers to their never ending list of questions.
“Dr. Google and the internet in general, whether it’s blogs or parenting forums, which are very, very popular. And fine, those things are great. But they are a bit of information overload,” Hillery Taylor, a registered nurse and owner of Nest, said.
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It’s a complaint the mother of two hears from her clients constantly.
“There’s almost too much information out there. I’ve made it a rule that I don’t read anything on the internet anymore,” Amanda, a new mother attending classes at Nest, said.
“There’s too much information about what to do, what not to do, what’s safe and what’s not safe.”
The internet is arguably the biggest factor in young children being raised today, by millennial or late generation x parents, in an era like no other. Parents pull out their cell phone, snap a picture, kids ask to see it, and get instant gratification.
“Technology will really change the way our children grow up, the pressure, the judgment and that picture of what it’s supposed to be,” Taylor said.
“As a nurse it concerns me, as a mom it concerns me. I think it will change how our children will be, starting from a very young age unfortunately.”
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Family experts like psychologist Dr. Syras Derksen admit while it’s hard to speculate what traits are being passed along to the post millennial generation, he worries less about technology, pointing instead to parents’ increasing anxiety levels.
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Initial signs show that the next generation might be even more anxious, and maybe more distrusting, more pessimistic, having those kinds of issues, said Derksen.
He urges parents today to push their kids to compete, not just participate.
“Instead of calling your child smart, focus on something like hard work. Then they won’t be so anxious to get the trophy. Because when they’re really anxious about getting the trophy, they’ll probably do easy tasks to get the trophies.”
Fight the urge, however, to chase ‘social media’ trophies.
“It actually really scares me as a mom,” Taylor said. “I’m scared for my kids to have Facebook, the bullying, etc. But I think it’s also living in fear of not always being Instagram perfect. Not wanting to reveal too much of ourselves that is not perfect or that looks glossy.”
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