Say what you will about Millennials, but you cannot deny their notorious reputation. Generation Y, also known as the “Millennial” generation, is loosely defined as the group of individuals born between 1978 and 2008. As TIME magazine succinctly puts it, Millenials are the “Me Me Me” generation — “narcissistic, overconfident, entitled, and lazy.”

The stereotypical Millennial is promiscuous and flaky — you will not catch them getting politically involved, but they do not hesitate to complain about their problems on social media. They will not leave home without their smartphones — they will not leave home in general.

Yet, every generation has had its problems, and with each one older people have scarcely failed to comment on what the young are doing wrong. Members of Generation X were referred to as “slackers”, disinterested in working or otherwise contributing to society. Author Tom Wolfe called the 1970s the “Me Decade”, due to how self-absorbed he believed the Baby Boomers to be.

The Millennial situation is therefore not unique. Nor should we be perpetuating the cycle of disapproval when many of these stereotypes are misleading or altogether untrue.

Take “hookup culture” as an example. It is true that the stigma around being single has disappeared (to the relief of young female Millennials, who no longer feel the burning pressure to get hitched before they get their first grey hair). In fact, a Pew Research Center report says that 25 per cent of Millennials will likely never marry at all.

However, there are explanations for this phenomenon aside from the alleged lack of sexual integrity. Economic pressures have resulted in a job market that is rocky at best, not to mention the evolving family structure, and the rise of common-law relationships and cohabitation before marriage.

What’s more, long-term effects of the sexual revolution, civil rights, and increasing college enrolment of the 1960s and 70s have resulted in Millennials choosing to wait longer before settling down.

That is not to say that young people do not want to get married — around 70 per cent of them do, according to the Pew study — they’re just waiting for the right time.

As for civic engagement, Millennial involvement in politics is actually increasing. Moreover, they’re bringing new life to tired political institutions. Millennials are twice as likely to identify as liberal compared to seniors, and are generally more likely to support reproductive rights, comprehensive sex education, and LGBT rights. They are also likely to hold idealistic goals, give to charities, and contribute to society in general.

This is all going on in an economic atmosphere that has proven increasingly problematic. The costs of living and schooling have skyrocketed, and reliable jobs are few and far between.

It is thus unsurprising that some Millennials move back in with their parents after post-secondary; and why should this trend be of any concern, if the share of young people living with their parents today is only 4 per cent higher than in the 1960s?

None of this is to say that Millennials do not have their shortcomings. Yet, the aforementioned stereotype of the 25-year-old narcissists draining their parents’ life is a bit exaggerated, to say the least.

It is detrimental to continue to perpetuate negative labels, when many of them have been proven false. If you want young people to be engaged, upright, and respectful citizens, do not dismiss them. At the very least, do not judge an individual based on the group’s alleged shortcomings.

Furthermore, it is unrealistic to expect that the stereotype will disappear without young people themselves working to discredit it. Millennials should voice their concerns on their own behalf, and continue making positive contributions to the world around them. Stop the slander, and let the generation’s future successes speak for themselves.

Teodora Pasca is a second–year student at Innis College studying criminology and Ethics, Society & Law.