Millennials grew up believing they’d inherit a bright future… then reality hit really hard.
Sandwiched between baby boomers, who got the best of everything, and Gen Z, who have the loudest voice online, millennials are often overlooked in conversations about the future these days. Stuck dealing with financial instability, mental burnout, and a world that doesn’t seem built for them, it’s no wonder many feel forgotten. These are just a few of the reasons are struggling to find their place in a system that seems to have moved on without them.
1. They were sold a dream that never materialised.
Millennials grew up being told that if they worked hard, got a degree, and followed the rules, they’d be rewarded with a stable job, a house, and a comfortable life. Instead, they graduated into recessions, skyrocketing house prices, and job markets that don’t care about their degrees. Many feel like they did everything they were supposed to do, only to end up financially worse off than their parents. The frustration is real, especially when older generations tell them to “just work harder,” as if that’s the missing piece.
2. They’re stuck between two generations that get all the attention.
Baby boomers still hold most of the wealth, power, and influence, while Gen Z dominates online culture and marketing. Millennials? They’re sandwiched in the middle, too old to be trendy and too young to be in control. Even discussions about the future tend to bypass them. It’s either “let’s fix things for Gen Z” or “let’s preserve things for boomers,” while millennials sit there thinking, “Hello? We exist too?”
3. They’re expected to fix the problems they didn’t create.
From climate change and economic instability to broken housing markets, millennials have inherited problems they didn’t cause, but are constantly told to “do something about it.” Meanwhile, the people who did create these messes rarely take responsibility. It’s exhausting being part of the generation expected to reverse damage done decades before they even had a say in the world. The pressure to be the fixers while struggling themselves is a constant weight.
4. The housing market locked them out before they even had a chance.
Millennials were the first generation in modern history to be told that owning a home might never be possible for them. While boomers bought houses for the price of a sandwich, millennials are out here needing a six-figure salary just for a deposit. They grew up watching TV shows where 20-somethings had big flats in city centres. In reality, they’re stuck paying absurd rent prices or living with their parents into their 30s. Not quite what they imagined.
5. They entered adulthood during multiple financial crises.
Millennials started their careers right as the 2008 financial crash hit, and just when things started looking up, they got hit with another economic downturn in the 2020s. Many have never experienced long-term financial stability. While older generations enjoyed stable job markets, pensions, and economic growth, millennials have been constantly adapting to a world where money feels fragile and temporary.
6. Work culture promised them purpose, then drained them dry.
Millennials were told to “follow their passions” instead of just working for money, but that backfired. They ended up burnt out, underpaid, and expected to sacrifice their well-being for jobs that don’t even pay enough to live on. Many are now realising that passion doesn’t pay the bills, and work-life balance should have been prioritised from the start. Unfortunately, by the time they figured that out, Gen Z was already demanding better conditions while millennials were too exhausted to fight back.
7. They were told university was a must — then got buried in debt.
Millennials were often pressured into taking out massive student loans because they were told degrees were non-negotiable for success. Then they graduated into an economy that either didn’t need their degree or refused to pay them fairly for it. Meanwhile, boomers got their education for next to nothing and still had the audacity to tell millennials they just need to “budget better.” How, exactly, do you budget around mandatory loan repayments and rising living costs?
8. They had to learn how to survive without a safety net.
Unlike older generations, millennials have little to no financial safety net. Many can’t afford to save, pensions feel like a joke, and they’re constantly being told that things like retirement won’t be possible for them. They’re stuck paying for rising rents, stagnating wages, and unpredictable job markets, all while trying to figure out how to actually build a future for themselves. Security? That’s a luxury previous generations had.
9. Social media turned their struggles into a joke.
Millennials were the first social media generation, and their problems got turned into memes before they even had time to process them. While boomers complain about “kids these days” and Gen Z fights for change, millennials are stuck in dark humour mode. Whether it’s jokes about dying inside at work or never owning a house, millennials have learned to cope through sarcasm and self-deprecation. It’s funny, but it’s also just painfully true.
10. Every life milestone is happening later (or not at all).
Millennials are getting married later, having kids later, and buying homes later, if at all. And yet, they’re still compared to older generations who did all these things in their early 20s with minimal financial stress. What people don’t realise is that millennials aren’t delaying these things by choice — they’re doing it out of financial necessity. You can’t settle down when you’re still trying to get a stable footing in life.
11. They were told mental health mattered — then shamed for struggling.
Millennials were the first generation to openly talk about mental health, but that doesn’t mean they’ve had any real support. While the conversation around mental well-being has improved, actual resources are still too expensive or inaccessible thanks to years-long waiting lists. Meanwhile, older generations still act like millennials are just too sensitive, brushing off their struggles with, “We had it harder in our day!” when the reality is completely different.
12. Parenting expectations changed, without the support to match.
Millennials are raising kids in a world where parenting expectations are higher than ever, but with way less structural support. Childcare is wildly expensive, work-life balance is a myth, and family finances are tighter than ever. Previous generations had more affordable childcare, lower housing costs, and single-income households that actually worked. Millennials? They’re juggling it all with barely any help.
13. They grew up in peak internet culture, and now they’re just… old.
Millennials literally built internet culture. They were there for MySpace, MSN Messenger, and the birth of social media. Now? They’re mocked by Gen Z for not knowing the latest TikTok trends. It’s a weird place to be — young enough to remember being the cool generation, old enough to now be labelled “cringe” by the next one.
14. They feel like they’re running out of time.
While Gen Z is fresh and full of energy to demand change, millennials are exhausted from years of just trying to keep up. The pressure to have everything sorted before 40 feels suffocating, yet the odds are still stacked against them. They’re working hard, trying to secure a future, and wondering if they’ll ever feel like they finally made it. But with each passing year, it’s hard to shake the feeling that they got the short end of the stick in a world that never quite had space for them. At the end of the day, millennials aren’t asking for a miracle — they just want the same chances previous generations had. But in a system that feels built against them, it’s no surprise they feel like the forgotten generation.
