We’re not as stupid as you think we are

In TV shows and movies, there’s always a stereotype that surrounds young adults. They’re seen as the less-than-professional ones that no one takes seriously or the kid that everyone laughs at. 

Ryan from The Office is a prime example. 

Before his rise to the top (and inevitable fall), he was known as the temp that no one took seriously or treated with respect. He didn’t have any real responsibilities and was in the show for purely comedic reasons. 

Another example is how Peter Parker is portrayed in the Avenger’s movies. He’s known as “the kid” that makes nerdy references and witty one-liners that makes the older characters roll their eyes. At one point in Avengers: Infinity War, Tony tells him that “the adults are talking.” He isn’t portrayed as a character that has risked his life to save New York, he’s not treated like a hero unless it’s his own movie.

But why is it that young adults are portrayed that way in the first place? Maybe it’s because that’s just the way young adults are treated in the real world. 

When ‘real adults’ view young people, they think of a tall version of a child that has no idea what they are doing. We are in no way prepared for being adults and the only way to help us get there is to patronize us as much as possible. 

After all, that’s what the generations before did to their young people. That same ideology continues when we enter the workforce. 

Instantly, we’re told that the lack of trust and respect we receive from our older coworkers is just part of the process and in order to succeed we have to pay our dues. 

But why is that necessary? 

Why must I be treated like I’m not valued because I’m a young adult? Shouldn’t you want to help me succeed and carry on the legacy you leave behind by continuing to teach me rather than lowering my self-esteem? 

Isn’t that how the world keeps progressing?

So, to the ‘real adults’ that might be reading this: we’re not as stupid as you think we are. You don’t have to talk down to us when it comes to work or the world. 

Trust me, we’re equipped for living. We understand that the world isn’t a very wonderful place to be right now. It’s full of war, social discourse, and debt. 

Those things have been made abundantly clear to us. You tell us  every time you flip the switch and treat us like adults because the burden of fixing this ramshackle planet now lays on our shoulders. 

We also understand that being an adult and having a job can be hard sometimes. Life sucks, but rather than putting us down and destroying the excitement we had about joining a career and our future like the generations before you did, you can help lift us up and build our careers. 

Take a chance on us and watch the great things we do with just an ounce of confidence. I promise you it’ll be worth it. 

The world doesn’t have to be as tough as you claim it is. We’ve got enough on our plates, don’t you think respect is one thing you can give us?