Is romance the only aspect that innovation has touched, or twisted? I discussed this with some of my closest peers and found that the scope is really much bigger than just modern romance.
Innovation plays a huge role in our lives because it affects our mindset and lifestyles, and leads to standards being established on what the definition of “success” and “happiness” is. This is a very broad topic but I’m going to focus more on how fast-paced lives today affect the modern millennial’s passion and drive to achieve some purpose in their lives.
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Let’s take the concept of value. The law of scarcity dictates that the less available a certain phenomenon is, the higher its value. It’s normal human behavior for individuals to chase certain phenomenon in their lives that they see as having a higher value. The more difficult a certain phenomena is, the more enticing it becomes. Once it brings about a certain degree of love, it evokes passion—one of the most significant aspects of human lives.
Passion is dealt a heavy blow as the thrill of having achieved something vanishes too fast.
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Achieving goals isn’t as difficult for the youth today as it was for the previous generation, and so the value of any dream fades quickly. Passion is dealt a heavy blow as the thrill of having achieved something vanishes too fast. Whether it’s the pretty girl that we intend to pursue or our dream job, at the back of our heads is a nagging voice that tells us “it’s not that important because it’s replaceable”.
Things are easier now because you have technology. In terms of level of difficulty, the cynical critics do make a point. At a younger age, I’ve seen my much older siblings use a very large collection of encyclopedias and an incredibly slow functioning bulky computer just so they are able to pass an assignment whereas right now, all we have to do is open the Internet and do some research—voila, assignment done! When you compare what they had to endure in order to get a certain job done with what the current generation does, it’s quite easy to come up with the notion that millennials are lazy and self-obsessed.
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However, if you look at it more objectively, we need to consider how much is expected of the current generation because of these advancements today. Standards are far more demanding than they were before. You are expected to accomplish tasks at a much faster rate. You have very little time to contemplate, let alone rest.
Not much thought, creativity, or love is put in the production process.
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Competition has also increased dramatically and you need to be on your toes at all times for your next move or someone else could beat you to it. Whether it’s a new business idea, promotion for a higher position, or even finding a romantic partner, millennials face constant pressure to move fast, else the opportunity may just pass them by. This leads to lesser quality of output—not much thought, creativity, or love is put in the production process.
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Motivation deteriorates and people learn to settle for mediocrity. It’s this kind of pressure produced by expectation that has driven a lot of people to tolerate a mundane 9 to 5 job rather than chase or even develop something they are passionate about. This leaves a huge section of men and women feeling lost and aimless in the modern age.
Passion has diminished either because everything is replaceable or because things feel phony. I’d like to believe that it will all work out at some point in the future since we as humans have a strong knack for adaptation and growth. It also helps to have a more open mind. And right now, I think that’s the only mindset we need if we hope to instil some meaning in our lives.
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Photo: Avinash Kotekar/ Model: Sai Shraddha Suresh