Millennial Maze: The Quest Of Finding Concord Through Twists

“How can you be yourself when you are being blown in a million different directions you can’t control?”.Creating an entanglement of their own, Gen Y is finding peace by mindful engagement and disengagement.

Creating an entanglement of their own, Gen Y is finding peace by mindful engagement and disengagement. They are channeling the confusion within in a positive flair. The millennial generation has figured out playful escapades giving birth to three vital mindsets for the millennial cohort. Through this layered journey of self-discovery, Gen Y has taken various detours to include the elements of fun in the process. Overcoming the grave issues of mental wellbeing, unemployment, etc, millennials are using these creative escapes as ways to uplift their mood. The escape mechanism through playful means will henceforth be visible in their conduct.

Talking about the three vital mindsets that are a result of this journey of finding self, the very first one stems from the excessive use of social media. The line between what we want and what everyone wants to see is fast blurring giving rise to this mindset of Hide and Seek. The millennials have the desire to be seen, to be heard, and to be recognized. As a result of which, they turn towards the glitz and glam of social media. However, making Hide and Seek even more interesting is the fact that it brings wisdom into the play as well. The millennials are not just using the platforms blindly. They’re showing what needs to be shown, and hiding what needs to be hidden, keeping the IRL and URL separate.

This hide-and-seek temperament has given birth to apps that don’t require any facial recognition. The growing popularity of Club House, an audio-based social networking platform is a leading example. We can also see the creation of digital avatars that suffice the need to “hide”. Gen Y can now create a digital version of themselves without disclosing their true identity. The e-avatar platforms also lend them the opportunity to play with various traits of their appearance, which ends up changing their identity.

Simulation games were already a great way of escaping. Think styling an apartment when you’re struggling to afford your own place or playing Episode when you’re trying to take a break from your own social life. Sounds like a great way to break free. Millennials and GenZ were already living their lives digitally, and thanks to the pandemic, it has become a necessity. When these e-games are proving themselves as a way of escape, the avatars of these games are helping with the issue of identity. The industry of esports is hence growing to keep up with the need of gaming and growing consumers. It’s an evolution, and it being an inspiration for many other ventures is also giving birth to new entertaining yet productive escape mechanisms by various industries.

Taking this idea of escapism to a whole new level, Iceland came up with the platform where they popularized the idea of “letting it out”. The idea was to satiate this need for escape by providing the audience a chance to scream at some of the scenic places of Iceland. Along with this, we can witness a surge in virtual escape rooms. Another interesting take on this idea was presented by the cloud-based video communications app by giving us options to change our surroundings for a while.

Memory maze is about introspecting the growing-up process. When we aren’t content with our present scenario, finding solace in the past always helps. Gen Y is realizing adulting is not as fun as they thought it would be and now are turning their backs to the time lost. The youth indulge in anything that takes them back to those times that not only make them feel better about things that they do but also gives them a purpose as they trace back their lives. Millennials want to have fun, but also want it to have meaning. Maybe productive, purpose-driven enjoyment is where they’re heading.

We witnessed the growing fondness for retro. Be it entertainment or fashion, elements from the past are resurging to suit our nostalgic needs. As Gen Y finds it endearing and uses it as a medium to escape, Gen Z relates to it as the elements seem amusing.

As the millennials grow through this course of the puzzle, the youth trend report chalks out various aspects of the consumers surfing through the future implications of these changes. Navigating through the change becomes easy and the steady transformation in the mindset directs the course of the market.