Some of my most viral articles this past year had to do with the great debate of whether Millennials are entitled all the time, or just some of the time.
It’s a hot topic to discuss.
Older generations and younger generations have been at odds since the beginning of time. Older generations tend to like how things were always done. Younger generations want to throw everything out the window and start anew.
Neither is right.
Both are wrong.
However, I’m starting to notice that members of older generations are starting to change the conversation — and Millennials too, are starting to realize they don’t really know what they don’t know.
Here’s what baby boomers and beyond are finally starting to get on board with:
1. Working remote is viable.
For a while now, the concept of working remote has been frowned upon. There’s something about it that’s seen as illegitimate, or that you’re not good enough to get a “real job.”
But if you look at the statistics, remote work is only increasing — and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
My guess is all the baby boomers who spend an afternoon on the couch with their laptops are now thinking to themselves, “Hey this is pretty comfortable.”
2. It’s better to be paid by the job — not by the hour.
More and more companies are starting to see the value in this — especially older generations who clocked in and out for years, even on days when their presence wasn’t really needed.
If you did all your work for the day, there’s no sense in sitting around. Overachievers will always be overachievers, and underachievers will always be underachievers. So why not build financial models that accept that, and allow both to either flourish or leave when their job is complete?
No sense in keeping people around just for them to refresh Facebook all day.
3. Social media isn’t just for wasting time.
On that note: older generations are starting to realize that all that time spent on Instagram isn’t necessarily for nothing.
Sure, there are people who waste hours scrolling through their feed, but there are plenty of others who have turned social media into lucrative careers.
The mindset that social media is a fad is dead.
4. Travel is important (and not that expensive).
I think baby boomers have had trouble with Millennials saying, “I want to travel the world,” because it just wasn’t that accessible to travel 30, 40, 50 years ago.
Today, it is.
5. You need more than just a resume.
To get a job today, you need a website, a portfolio, and I’d even argue you need a personal brand.
Older generations are really starting to get this. Half the inquiry emails I wake up to are from people older than me asking if I can help them build their personal brand and presence on the Internet.
6. There’s no shame in asking for help from someone younger.
For a while there, it felt like members of the older generation didn’t want to ask for help because they didn’t like the idea of admitting, “I don’t know what a Snapchat is.”
But more and more, I am seeing a willingness to learn — and vice versa, Millennials that want to change the world are realizing that older generations can provide great wisdom.
More can be accomplished when we work together.
7. Saving money is cool.
While older generations have tried to keep up with the Joneses, younger Millennials and Gen Z-ers see money as a means to freedom.
I’d argue this happened largely after the crash in 2008, and a lot of young people witnessed how quickly their parents’ style of living became unsustainable — and older people became humbled by how fast a nest egg can be blown.
8. You can start a profitable business when you’re young.
I remember in 2007, I asked my dad if he could withdraw the money in his PayPal account for me.
“I just made some money,” I said. I had written a few articles on the Internet for a gaming website. I was 17 years old.
My dad thought I was stealing money or something, and questioned me vehemently about what I was doing. And for many years while the Internet was maturing, I know I wasn’t the only alone who experienced this generational gap.
Today, older generations brag about their nieces and nephews who have monetized their Instagram accounts.
This article originally appeared on Inc. Magazine.
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