Although generational differences are often overstated, millennials do face a set of challenges that were not as pronounced or did not yet exist for preceding generations. Thanks to the ceaseless communication and social media made possible by digital technology, millennials are subject to "ruthless comparison" with their peers.
In an article published by the Harvard Business Review, Emerson Csorba, a director of Gen Y and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, found that social networking sites and the media at large lead millennials to constantly compare themselves to their peers and mentors, creating anxiety, uncertainty and self-doubt.
After interviewing hundreds of millennials across the United Kingdom, Mr. Csorba narrowed his findings down to the three reasons millennials are so hard on themselves.
1. They are constantly exposed to misrepresented achievements on social media. Millennials often feel pressured to keep up with their peers' achievements that they see posted on social media sites. Although most of them acknowledge that these posts highlight successes while ignoring failures and shortcomings, the vast amount of time millennials spend on these platforms makes comparing oneself — and the deflated feelings that follow — inevitable. Mr. Csorba cites a recent study by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that suggests a positive correlation between the time a person spends on Facebook and their level of negative emotions.
2. The media favors hypersuccessful millennials. The media's enthusiasm for young people realizing huge success creates unrealistic ideas of success and unattainable expectations among the general population. Mr. Csorba calls lists like Forbes "30 under 30" a "double-edged sword," because while such publications help celebrate their peers' successes, they also tell millennials that they aren't doing enough.
3. Innumerable options for career paths and constant striving to realize potential. Mr. Csorba cites the book Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life, in which author and psychologist Adam Phillips writes, "We are always haunted by the myth of our potential." While many millennial interviewees indicated they believe it is possible to achieve their dreams, the growing ability to seek and try new experiences also increases the opportunity of missing possibly important chances.