Ah yes, the selfie. In the wise words of Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, selfies say exactly one thing about modern society: people have more cameras. Nevertheless, according to some members of the previous generation, these seemingly innocent self portraits are nothing but evidence of our narcissism. We take pictures of ourselves and post them ON THE INTERNET! We might as well start smoking meth in the school bathrooms.

While we’re at it, let’s dismantle the social safety net! Why not devastate the environment and start two baseless wars while we’re up? Or we could develop housing bubbles to destroy the global economy as we outsource manufacturing in plenty of time to catch graduates and their $30,000 debt! The opportunities are endless!

If my complaining is annoying you, I’m sorry. I just can’t stand the frequent references that millenials (the generation born between 1982 and 2004) are vapid, shallow and lazy.

Recent college graduates, whose tuition was 1,120 percent higher than in 1978, according to dailyfinance.com, are not refusing to get a job because they’re lazy. They are unable to get a job because they are graduating into an economy where they’re overqualified for most available jobs and too inexperienced for the rest. As a result, this generation of young adults is not one for creative abandon; it’s more inclined towards secure dissatisfaction.

Are the adults who genuinely believe kids are getting more arrogant not aware of the fact that every single previous generation has said the same thing about the one that follows? The only major difference here is the incredible technological advancements occurring in the last century. If they believe their generation’s coddling has caused such a fatal change in the teenage and young adult psyche, why do they blame us for it?

I realize that, as a teenager, I am neurologically different from adults. My hormone-addled brain is more inclined to be impulsive, self-centered and destructive. That is not the issue.

The issue is that, according to psychcentral.com, 25 percent of college students are affected by some form of mental illness and 19 percent consider or attempt suicide each year. Despite this, adults continue to tell them to stop being so lazy and just get a job.

If the skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression don’t alert you to the situation, I don’t know what will. I’ve been fortunate to have parents whose expectations are very appropriate for me personally.

Many people, however, are pushed into a competitive perspective from a young age, and whether this is instilled by their families or themselves is irrelevant. Needless competition is more of a social expectation than ever before. This is a recipe for mental health problems.

Teenagers are not nearly as irresponsibly irrational as we’re given credit for, and our cynicism and pessimism, if they even exist, are simply the result of our upbringing. A progression towards a more balanced society will only begin when this is realized.

There are certainly bright sides; here at South we definitely have a voice and that’s fantastic. We’re more educated and globally aware than past generations. These are facts that can be celebrated, even if we do spend too much time on Facebook. After all, we’ll be complaining about the next generation in 30 years.