In December of 2016 Simon Sinek gave a 15-minute speech on the “millennial question” that sent tsunami-sized waves through the Internet, racking up over 5 million views on YouTube. Sinek, a corporate consultant and TED phenomenon, tapped into something big when he explained — in his clear, compelling and humorous way — why social-media obsessed millennial’s are having such a rough time adapting to the workplace.
In the interview Sinek identifies millennial’s as a generation of people born in 1994 and after. This group are often accused of being entitled, narcissistic, self-interested, unfocused, and lazy. These claims and his solution to workplace adaptation is what created a stir among millennial’s.
Personally, Sinek’s no-nonsense approach combined with humor sheds light on generational issues like technology, social and work place issues. Pieces of his interview transcribed below identify potential risk factors for substance abuse among millennial’s and beyond. Whether you watch his interview or read the transcripts, I believe we can all relate.
Patti Miller
SACK Coalition Coordinator
Kanabec County Public Health
Click to Play the YouTube video below.
Excerpts of transcript from Simon Sinek’s “Millenial Question”
“…we’re growing up in a Facebook/Instagram world. In other words, we’re good at putting filters on things. We’re good at showing people that life is amazing, even though “I’m depressed.” Everybody sounds tough, sounds like they’ve got it figured out. The reality is there’s very little toughness, and most people don’t have it figured out. You have an entire generation growing up with lower self-esteem than previous generations through no fault of their own.”
“…let’s add in technology. Engagement with social media, and our cellphones, releases a chemical called dopamine. That’s why when you get a text, it feels good. We’ve all had it — when you’re feeling a little bit down or lonely, so you send out 10 texts to 10 friends, “hi, hi, hi, hi, hi.” ’Cause it feels good when you get a response. It’s why we count the likes, it’s why you go back 10 times to see . . . and if it’s going . . . “My Instagram is growing slower! Did I do something wrong? Do they not like me anymore?” The trauma for young kids is to be unfriended.”
“Dopamine is the exact same chemical that makes us feel good when we smoke, when we drink, when we gamble. In other words, it’s highly, highly addictive. We have age restrictions on smoking, gambling and alcohol. We have no restrictions on social media and cellphones.”
“They don’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with stress. So, when stress starts to show up in their lives, they are not turning to a person, they’re turning to a device, they’re turning to social media, they’re turning to these things which offer temporary relief. We know, the science is clear! We know that people who spend more time on Facebook suffer higher rates of depression than those who spend less time on Facebook. These things balance. Alcohol is not bad, too much alcohol is bad. Gambling is fun, too much gambling is dangerous. There’s nothing wrong with social media and cellphones. It’s the imbalance.”
“That’s what happens. The fact that you can not put it away? That’s because you are addicted. If you wake up, and you check your phone before you say good morning to your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse, you have an addiction. And like all addiction, in time, it’ll destroy relationships, it’ll cost time, it’ll cost money and it’ll make your life worse. So, you have a generation growing up with lower self-esteem that doesn’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with stress.”
“Now you add in the sense of impatience. They’ve grown up in a world of instant gratification. You want to buy something? You go on Amazon, it arrives the next day. You wanna watch a movie? You log on, you don’t check movie times. You wanna watch a TV show? Binge. You don’t have to wait week to week to week. Right? I know people who skip seasons, just so they can binge at the end of the season. Instant gratification. You wanna go on a date? You don’t even have to learn how to be like, “Hey . . .” You don’t even have to learn and practice that skill. You don’t have to be uncomfortable. Swipe right! You don’t have to learn the social coping mechanisms.”
Source: NY Post