J.D. Vance was the best person Donald Trump could pick to be his vice-presidential running mate. This is not because he served honorably in the military, attended Yale University, shows great intelligence, or understands the plight of the working class after growing up poor in small-town Ohio, although all these qualities are certainly helpful. Vance’s main virtue is that, at 39 years old, he is a true millennial.
Being part of the same generational cohort (I’m the same age as Vance), I’m well aware of how millennials are characterized. In his book The Dumbest Generation and its sequel, The Dumbest Generation Grows Up, English professor Mark Bauerlein laments that millennials are largely ignorant, lazy, boorish, emotionally fragile, shallow, and narcissistic. They have grown up with the internet and Marvel movies and thus developed no patience or empathy, which has stunted their maturity and intellect.
As far as his diagnosis goes, I agree with Bauerlein and have said as much in a favorable review I wrote for The Dumbest Generation Grows Up. Moreover, most social science data currently supports this conclusion: Compared to previous generations, millennials are far less likely to marry, have kids, go to church, or even have friends. And despite being the most educationally credentialed, few millennials I know actually read books, attend cultural events, or demonstrate strong reasoning and conversational skills. Rather, they usually busy themselves with social media, pop culture, and creature comforts like avocado toast and Costco pizza.
These problems with my generation alienate us
