Unscrambling the Millennial Paradox

Millennials. It seems the very mention of the word draws equally passionate and polarized responses from society members of all ages. With labels such as The Unreachable Generation, The Me Me Me Generation, and The Worst Generation, it is no wonder that our young people are the most notorious this world has ever seen. But beneath the surface, crises linger which drive an individual to wonder what is really going on within the minds of our youth. Suicide rates among this age group have escalated to an all-time high, while drug and alcohol abuse-related conditions have become top reported killers. Simultaneously, this populace is leaving the church by the scores, while such religions as New Age, Wicca, and Muslimism continue to gain momentum. Are Millennials really the narcissistic, self-centered, entitled, and lazy collective that they are accused of being, or is there a deeper problem lurking which creates division between this generation and those previous? Are young people of today truly the worst the world has ever seen, or has our modern church missed the opportunity to reach the most cause oriented, activist generation in the history of the world? Furthermore, if the Church were to combine efforts with this powerful, zealous populace, could this usher in the next Great Awakening?