11 Things People Wouldn't Be Allowed To Do Anymore If Millennials Were In Charge
Millennials are known to push back against the status quo.
Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock Millennials were promised a version of the world they never actually received. They accepted the unexpected realities they were faced with: sky-high rent, stagnant wages, and a housing market they had no access to. If there's anything millennials know how to do, it's pivot.
Because they always question the status quo, there are very specific things people wouldn't be allowed to do anymore if millennials were in charge. Millennials keep pushing for structural changes that benefit every generation. They hold mental health and emotional awareness above all else. And if millennials had all the power, people wouldn't be allowed to do things rooted in harm and, instead, the world would focus on healing.
Here are 11 things people wouldn't be allowed to do anymore if millennials were in charge
1. Enforce a five-day work week
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If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to enforce a mandatory five-day workweek. They would shift the status quo, pushing corporate powers-that-be to embrace flexible schedules and remote work. Working a four-day week would provide true downtime, which millennials have been waiting their whole lives for.
A series of trials out of Boston College show that a four-day workweek benefits everyone involved. Companies reported growth in revenue and an increase in worker productivity, and workers reported lower stress and less burnout, and better health overall. Companies see lower healthcare costs and less employee turnover, and workers see a way of life that's balanced and fulfilling.
"The pandemic created such levels of stress and burnout, and led many employees to say, 'I want to live my life differently,' and this created more of a space for reimagining work — and, as part of that, the four-day week," sociology professor Juliet Schor explained.
A four-day week boosts productivity by giving workers an extra day to take care of appointments and errands they'd normally try to fit into gaps in their schedule. The more flexibility and free time they have, the more balanced their lives become. They can take care of household chores and have time leftover to relax.
A four-day workweek releases us all from a live-to-work mindset, and gives us back the time we've been missing.
2. Ignore professional boundaries
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People wouldn't be allowed to ignore professional boundaries anymore if millennials were in charge. Your workday would end the minute you closed your laptop. You would be free to have dinner with your family without any urgent interruptions. Your weekends would be for relaxing and recharging, not catching up on emails.
Millennials would maintain a clear divide between personal life and professional life, without allowing for any blurred lines. If they were in charge, millennials would reimagine the way we approach work. Being stressed out and busy wouldn't be seen as a badge of honor. Overworking would no longer be celebrated as the employee ideal.
Clinical psychologist Alice Boyes, PhD made the case for setting boundaries and rejecting the "live-to-work" mentality that defines our society. "We all face internal and external pressure to do more," she explained. "But, in the pursuit of career success and fulfillment, overwork is your enemy, not your friend."
"If your boss is the one pressing you to overwork, that's one of the most basic signs of an abusive work culture," Boyes shared. "Make your boundaries clear, and, if the behaviors don't stop, consider... different organizations with managers who have more realistic expectations."
3. Dismiss burnout as 'just being tired'
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As a generation raised to believe that "leaning in" was the only way to find success, millennials spent half their lives pushing past their limits. They fully committed to hustle culture, but all they got in return was chronic stress and extreme burnout.
If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to dismiss burnout as "just being tired" ever again. They would take mental health days seriously and restructure their schedules to allow for everyone the time and space they need to truly decompress.
"Millennials are burnt out, disengaged, stressed, and treading water daily, all for the sake of the dollar and someone else's dreams of increased profit," burnout recovery coach Bethany Sadler-Jasmin explained.
"To reverse this culturally conditioned work ethic and finally feel fulfilled, we must challenge these societal norms and redefine work/life balance on our terms," she continued. "Rest doesn't always mean sleeping; it means leisure. It means giving our brains and bodies a break. It means refueling."
As it turns out, making their jobs their entire identity didn't bring millennials any closer to success. Now, they're seeking joy, prioritizing their peace, and letting themselves rest.
4. Owe student loans
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Owing and paying back student loans is one of the important things people wouldn't be allowed to do anymore if millennials were in charge. People wouldn't have to worry about living under the crushing weight of student loan debt. They would flex their influence and cancel outstanding student loans for any generation who still has them.
Millennials were taught that going to college would provide job security and instant upward mobility, but graduating into the Great Recession proved them wrong. Millennials have never really stood on solid financial ground. They carry a significant amount of student loan debt, which stops them from investing in their future.
The Education Data Initiative shared that millennials hold the largest share of total student loan debt, with an average outstanding balance of $40,438. Paying off their student loans means they can't afford to buy houses or start their own businesses. Millennials know how hard it is to afford adulthood, and they wouldn't wish those struggles on any generation coming up after them.
5. Complain about safe spaces
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Under millennial social code, people wouldn't be allowed to complain about safe spaces. They wouldn't be allowed to make sweeping generalizations about young people being "too soft" to handle the real world. Emotional intelligence and awareness would be guiding lights, leading us all into a more compassionate, tolerant future.
Social work professor Nafees Alam described safe spaces as "environments designed to provide individuals — particularly those from marginalized groups — with a sense of security and freedom from harassment or discrimination."
"These spaces aim to foster supportive atmospheres where people can share their experiences and perspectives without fear of judgment or attack," he explained. Even though safe spaces are centered on compassionate intentions, they're far from a perfect model for hard conversations, which is why Alam proposed the idea of "brave spaces" as a "compelling alternative."
"Unlike safe spaces, which prioritize emotional comfort, brave spaces encourage participants to step out of their comfort zones and engage with challenging ideas and diverse perspectives," he shared. "The goal is not to avoid discomfort but to recognize it as an integral part of the learning process."
If millennials were in charge, safe spaces and brave spaces would both be accepted, and recognizing everyone's inherent humanity would be the norm.
6. Opt out of therapy
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People wouldn't be allowed to decline therapy anymore if millennials were in charge. Any remaining stigma around mental health would disappear and people would embrace therapy for exactly what it is: a tool to build deeper self-awareness and commit to a practice of self-care.
According to The Mental Health Foundation, millennials are more likely to suffer from depression than older generations, yet they're also more likely to seek out support. Millennials focus on the value of self-care, which the Mental Health Foundation described as "the conscious decision to take care of oneself and focus on your interests and needs rather than focusing on the success of others."
There would be no such thing as "putting your head down and pushing through it." Therapy would be the rule, not the exception.
7. Equate worthiness with productivity
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Millennials spent way too much time buying into the belief that their worth was based on their productivity, but they're past the point of caring what anyone else thinks. They're pushing middle age and they're pushing back against the hustle culture they grew up in. If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to evaluate their worth by measuring how productive they are.
As Sadler-Jasmin revealed, millennials were raised with the false "belief that success and fulfillment are tied only to productivity, career advancement, and material wealth." She explained, "The idea that one must constantly work hard, sacrifice personal time, and prioritize the company's financial goals above all else doesn't bring humans true happiness, as we are now discovering."
Now that they're older and wiser, millennials are all about realignment. They value rest and balance and they refuse to be defined by anyone else's idea of success.
8. Criticize the healing process
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Millennials know that healing isn't an endpoint, it's a journey, one that everyone walks at their own pace. If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't criticize anyone for putting themselves first and making the decision to heal.
Committing to the hard inner work of healing can open up a person's life. At its core, healing is a precipice, a threshold they have to cross. If they want to embrace an authentic existence, they have to let go of the things that no longer serve them.
Even though they leave behind people who aren't on the same journey, they're also creating space for a world of new possibilities.
9. Expect emotional support to be given freely
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If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to rely on someone else for emotional support without reciprocating. Relationships can never be entirely equal, but they can be equitable. Millennials would help people honor their emotions. They would give everyone permission to walk away from relationships that drained them.
Intuitive coach Sarah Lawrence described energy vampires as "people that drain us, bring us down, and spread negativity... just by being in the room." Millennials would teach people how to raise their emotional intelligence, meet their own needs first, and release the expectation that other people are responsible for how they feel.
10. Use the excuse 'I don't believe in labels'
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Millennials spent their young adult years steeped in irony. They absorbed the message that it was entirely uncool to care. That message extended to all aspects of their lives, from the way they interacted with pop culture to the way they conducted romantic relationships.
If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to use the excuse "I don't believe in labels" to avoid commitment. Open communication and emotional honesty would be the cornerstone of every relationship. Languishing in unnecessary ambiguity wouldn't be allowed. Instead, everyone would own their feelings and acknowledge how cool vulnerability actually is.
11. Demand forgiveness without accountability
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If millennials were in charge, people wouldn't be allowed to demand forgiveness unless they took accountability and made genuine efforts to repair the relationship. According to psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasala, authentic forgiveness isn't about accepting someone's apology, it's about healing yourself.
She posed complex questions about trust and betrayal, asking, "How many times are we expected to forgive? How are we supposed to forgive if there are no consequences for the person who keeps harming us?"
"Authentic forgiveness doesn't mean you just forgive," Dr. Ramani added. "It means you engage in a process that is not mandated or scheduled. It means that you put your healing first and work on feeling whole and safe again."
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
