One quick Google search of millennials years will bring up hundreds of thousands of results detailing just how selfish, unsatisfied, and narcissistic people born from 1981 to 1996 are.
To that we say…yes, we are selfish! We love investing in ourselves and the experiences that form us into the adults we are becoming.
The millennial generation is spending more on travel than more traditional investments on material things. More than any other generation, those born within the range of millennial years value experiences over things, adventures instead of vacations, and a lifetime of memories instead of a white-picket fence.
But, why? What’s turned millennials into the wanderlust generation and why do we all have this incessant desire to fill our passports with stamps and runaway to faraway lands every six months? Here are the seven main reasons we can think of as to why.
Why People Born in Millennials Years Love To Travel
How do these rankings work?
1. We Can’t Afford A Traditional Life
Maybe it’s because we’re the generation that grew up with mounting student debt or maybe it’s because we all lived through the Great Recession, but let’s face it – our parents’ dream life just isn’t possible for us.
Instead of working our asses off trying to buy a house we don’t want and live a life we don’t identify with, we’d rather spend our money on experiences that enrich the soul. It’s not like we could afford the mortgage anyway.
2. We Want To Experience Culture
In recent years, studies have shown that millennials aren’t travelling just to travel. The goal of millennial travel is actually to experience culture in a truly immersive way.
This is why local cuisine, local experiences, and a city’s walkability have become so popular and important in recent years. We want to get to know the locals, not just infiltrate their city for the sake of a good Instagram shot.
3. We’re Part Of The Airbnb Generation
Why do we love to travel so much? Because we can! The millennial generation came of age in a fantastic time filled with budget-friendly travelling apps and websites.
Whereas our parents had to pay for high-end hotels and costly resorts, we’re able to book a cheap Airbnb online, stay at a hostel, or even couch surf for free. This likely adds to the appeal of wanderlust living.
4. We Have Access To Travel Photos
What’s a millennial’s age right now? Anywhere between 38 to 23. Instagram debuted in the fall of 2010, which means we were all in our teens and 20s when this photo-sharing app really made it big.
Easy access to travel photos is one of the reasons why we love to travel. It’s inevitable, right? A few swipes through the #GreekIslands and you’re overflowing with envy and reaching for your credit card to book that flight to Mykonos.
5. We Have Remote Working Opportunities
Again, we’ll make the argument: we want to travel because we can. We’re arguably the first generation that has total access to remote working opportunities. Not only is it common now to work remotely, but it’s becoming so popular that entire companies are shifting to the business model.
Millennials are so tech-savvy that we can work from anywhere, which therefore frees us up for travelling all over the world. It will be interesting to see what the generation after millennials do with this kind of working culture.
6. We Grew Up With Films That Questioned Authority
Ask any millennial what their favourite movie growing up was and they’ll likely say something like Fight Club, American Beauty, Donnie Darko, or even The Matrix. With films like that influencing our malleable minds, it’s hard not to believe that the message reached us loud and clear.
Now that we’re older, we always feel the need to question authority and do things differently – like spending our lives travelling instead of sitting behind a desk.
7. We Want To Make A Difference
It’s hard to deny the fact that millennials grew up in a time of profound social, political, and cultural upheaval. From a worldwide recession and the growing threat of terrorism to the more recent Black Lives movement, we’ve been surrounded by social and cultural change all our lives.
Maybe that’s why we want to be “selfish” and spend our money on enriching cultural experiences in remote parts of the world instead of investing in a 401k. We’re filled with the desire to get to know other cultures in order to improve our own. We’re filled with the desire to invest in ourselves in order to later invest in others.
If that’s selfish, then damn we’re the most selfish generation on the planet. If you need us we’ll be enjoying the remote-work life from a cheap Airbnb in Bali or volunteering in Colombia.
