Millennials have many reasons to be anxious in their career – fewer, if any, benefits, most of their paycheque going to rent, non-existent savings, etc.
Oh, and finding work in the first place.
A recent study in the Harvard Business Review, however, has found that the real reason most of us exist in a persistent state of insecurity is because of something called ‘ruthless comparison’.
Take your eyes off Instagram for a moment – you probably know where this is going.
“We are a generation that is ruthlessly comparing ourselves with those around us and our role models at the same time. And if we are not doing something exceptional or don’t feel important and fulfilled for what we are doing, we have a hard time,” said one millennials cited by the study’s author.
Hundreds of millennials across the United Kingdom were interviewed for the study, many of whom said today’s 24/7 communication cycle invited feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty.
Three main reasons for millennials’ work anxiety emerged: false representations of achievement on social networking platforms, the sharing of stories of hyper-successful millennials, and the rise in choices and options that millennials have in building their careers.
This all makes plenty of sense, of course. Any given Facebook feed is littered with posts about that friend whose “home office” is a converted loft with pool three days a week, the 12-year-old who sold his app that’s like the Uber of dry cleaning for $800 million, and stories of people turning the most hobby of hobbies into thriving, profitable ventures.
So while many will tell you being active on social media is essential to growth in your career, perhaps a better idea would be to practice a little abstinence.