Inclusiveness Today

     There was recently a video I watched of a joke about millennials in a job interview. In it, the girl was on her phone, was al little rude, and seemed clearly out of place for the job as her definition of trained in technology was social media and Siri. She expected everything to go her way, even when she was told she wouldn't be hired. While the video does provide a good laugh, there are a few things that can be recognized following the theme of equity and inclusiveness from both sides of the interview.

    Starting with the girl, she wasn't being very inclusive towards the interviewer. She automatically expected him understand her point of view and judge solely based on that. She did not do research about what the job qualifications entailed and attacked him using a perceived defense mechanism when he told her she wasn't going to work out. People today tend to follow a pattern similar to this. While the video showed an extreme in this case, many people automatically expect others to understand their point of view and accept it as sole fact without considering how others feel. They want things to go their way with no hitches in their plans, and when something does go wrong, they jump into defense mode even though they are not being attacked. I myself admit to being guilty of this at times, so I cannot claim to be any better. It is a trait that seems to be present in most young adults, and continues to be taught to younger generations. In order to have a more equitable attitude and be more inclusive towards others, practicing self-control will make a difference. By holding the tongue whenever someone says something we may not like, we can have an opportunity to let them have a chance to be heard, and see things from their perspective. If we just shoot off the first argument that pops into our heads, that opportunity would be lost, and no one learns anything. It also provides a learning experience so we can know what to expect from other, similar situations. By practicing self-control, we can also gain more information to formulate better, more rounded arguments so they can better present our own point of view. 

    The interviewer wasn't so perfect himself either in the situation. A lot of times, companies, even retail stores, will hire people with more past experience rather than someone fresh out of high school or college, simply because they have the experience. It is harder for younger people to find jobs because they don't have the same level of experience as someone who has worked for years previously who also applies for the same job. The interviewer also did not consider the merit of the changing technologies and how they might be helpful to the job, or how someone who is skilled in the newer technology can apply that to the job. Of course, using the same technology would still be important to the job, a newer technology might make some aspects of it easier. 

    The video was clearly meant to show an extreme of a situation, and to get people to laugh at the silliness of how we all behave instead of always being upset at someone or take things so seriously. There is some truth to it, however, that needs to be considered. Not everyone will agree with us, and not everyone will consider the benefits to changes in society. There will always be something that will keep people separate, and while we cannot control what others say, think, or do, we can control ourselves. If we remember to be kind and considerate of others, we might find that we all aren't so different after all.