At the enlightened age of 19, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t know how to “adult” properly yet.

A little over a year ago, I left the nest as fast as I could because I felt like there was so much more to explore, and I wanted to do that on my own. I moved out without any idea of how to take care of myself and it’s a constant mental strain, but I never do anything about it.

Let’s be honest, it takes a lot of experience and knowledge to be able to coordinate through life in a productive way.

My parents take care of my rent, taxes, health insurance, dental insurance and car payments. I wouldn’t even know where to start if one day it was all on me.

I know I am not alone in this personal dilemma.

As a generation, millennials have earned a seriously bad reputation. Everyone born after 1980 falls into this age group, myself included. We’re viewed as materialistic, narcissistic and ignorant fools that will eventually wreak havoc on our planet.

I’d like to point out that many of us were never given the proper tools to lead us to success.

Some claim that parents are so overly involved that they have caused their children to become unable to independently cope with obstacles. I agree with this idea but I don’t think it is the sole problem.

No one was prepared for the recent turn of the century, and society has changed since generation X or baby boomers were growing up.

There tends to be a clear disconnect between younger and older age groups. There are drastic differences in our perspectives, and it has created an invisible social barrier that millennials now have to break through.

We are expected to adjust to an advanced world when we were taught to function in the society our parents grew up in. And as times change, older folks have become frustrated when the youth can’t do things the way they do.

It’s true, we live through our phones and expect instant gratification, but it is what we have been born into.

Advanced technology has been apart of our everyday lives for as long as many of us remember. We are used to having the power to do anything at any point with our handheld computer that we thrive on. We tend to work better in groups and maintain great communication and collaboration with others.

There needs more understanding of the differences between generations, and parents need to stop sheltering their kids to the point where they are unable to ever support themselves.

Of course, millennials need to step up and take control of their lives. We have to really want it too. We are tricking ourselves if we think we would be totally fine on our own.

I know personally, I need to take responsibility for my actions and manage my time more efficiently.

However by allowing us to mess up a little to gain experience, our generation will become a very progressive and successful group.

I have faith in myself and those around me.