If there's one thing everyone loves bashing besides the Kardashian sisters, it's the millennial generation. Even the ones who technically (as much as they would hate to admit) fall into the millennial bracket. Before you diss the millennials with your holier-than-thou grimace, let us tell you anyone born in or after 1981 is a millennial. Yes you, born in 1983, playing your guitar in the corner, you sire, are millennial too. The official millennial age is from 1981 to 1995. Anyone born from 1996 is Gen Z. 

Whether it's the selfie craze or Instagram food addiction, there's ample fodder for old school online pundits to pick on millennials. Called the snowflake generation, known to be too touchy, or too picky, or too obsessed about things, millennials have been dismissed a little too harshly, not that they care. While every generation has its idiosyncrasies and anomalies, it's the redeeming traits that set it apart and gets evolution rolling. There's much more to the millennial generation than we are willing to acknowledge. 

© Instagram_Ranveer Singh

Virat and Anushka, both 29 year old, host their wedding reception at Mumbai today. One is a cricket sensation, the other a Bollywood star, there was a dream wedding, with designer wedding trousseau and a starry guest list – that's a millennial power couple for you right there. Not blinded by success, not swayed by a crazy fan following, Virat and Anushka have been grounded enough to value love.

© BCCL

As I put Insta stories of Christmas lunch, I came across a stunning picture posted by a travel account called Bruised Passports. It is a travel account of a couple who post the dreamiest travel pictures. Most of us would think perhaps they are just one of those blessed millennials with lots of money to live the dream life. Except that it is not true. 

High tea à la Oman @anantarajabalakhdar - kahwa and dates anyone? ðµðª â¨â¨ #bruisedpassports #onlyinoman #travel #love #sunset

A post shared by Savi and Vid (@bruisedpassports) on Dec 13, 2017 at 2:04am PST

Savi and Vidit, the couple behind Bruised Passports, have not had everything on a platter. While Savi spent all her savings and salary trying to earn a scholarship (which she did get) from one of the best universities in the world and managed to get a PhD, Vidit sponsored his own education through a hard-earned scholarship and a part-time job in Singapore. What the outside world sees as luxury travel, is an unconventional career built by 2 people who decided to pursue what they love. That's a millennial for you. Yes, we are online all the time but so is the business. 

Winter nights in Iceland come with a side of Northern lights and carpets of snow and stars - impossible not to stand and stare ðððð

A post shared by Savi and Vid (@bruisedpassports) on Dec 24, 2017 at 4:37am PST

That's the thing – millennials dare to dream and choose what they love. 

They are risk-takers, they are entrepreneurs, they are go-getters, they may instagram their food before eating but they are also the ones who will earn a million bucks out of instagramming that very food. It is the age of social media and millennials know very well how to use it to their benefit. 

From investing in bitcoin to becoming YouTube stars, millennials are 'killing' it and how. It's a great time to be alive – you can become a millionaire by typing on your keyboard from the comfort of your home. While Superwoman aka Lily Singh is one of the highest YouTube earners, back home young standup comedians have been holding houseful shows and releasing brilliant content online. Abhishek Upmanyu's 'Thoda Saaf Bol' saw tickets being sold out like hot cakes weeks before the show, while another young comic Sumukhi Suresh created a web series 'Pushpavalli' whose dark humour managed to make the viewer uneasy and hooked. 

© Youtube_Kenny Sebastian, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Zakir Khan

The age of successful entrepreneurs is alarmingly young today. While 24-year-old Ritesh Agarwal started OYO Rooms at the age of 20, Ola Cabs' co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal was only 26 when he started the cab service with co-founder Ankit Bhati. Running a successful business is no longer the prerogative of the middle-aged. 

© BCCL

And it's not just money that's caught their fancy. The millennial is socially aware. They stand up for what's right and what matters. Unlike the previous generations, they are not content with the status quo and are ready to fight what's wrong. From speaking against net neutrality to driving a viral campaign (#MeToo) against sexual harassment on social media, they have been keyboard warriors with a mission. The phrase 'MeToo' was created by social activist Tarana Burke to raise awareness about abuse, and thanks to social media and young women who did not hesitate to share their stories, it soon gained momentum as a worldwide campaign. 

The Humans of Hindutva page, that started this year, has been brutally breaking down, one sardonic post at a time, the fundamentalist dialogue that is threatening to take over the country.  With over 123,302 people following the page presently, Humans of Hindutva has been functioning like the virtual batman of modern India. 

© Facebook_Humans of Hindutva

Whether it was coming out to celebrate queer in gay parades or voicing their dissent on social media, young guns have been perceptive enough to discriminate between the good and the bad and pick sides. One can't afford to be neutral anymore is one lesson they learnt early. When the nepotism debate rang hollow in Bollywood that was conspicuous in its silence, All India Bakchod came out with a tongue-in-cheek parody which called out the double standards and sexist codes that run our Hindi film industry. 

The very millennial generation you accuse of being too narcissist is slowly and steadily bringing a social change. From breaking stereotypes to choosing to settle on their own terms, the young generation is chasing a life of happiness and satisfaction. They are speaking out in open mic poetry sessions and on their Twitter profiles. We are so far from the dumb stereotype the older generations would have us fit in. 

Young, successful, bold, independent and sharp – the millennial generation is anything but a shallow reflection of the previous generation. We work hard, party hard and love hard. We can move on after heartbreak and failure, but we can also stay put when the situation demands. We create memories and we spend money on experiences rather than on material things. We can stay up all night partying but we can also stay up late to work on that presentation. The thing is – the millennial generation might be living high on foodgasms and social media likes, it is so much more than just that, and it's time the world sees it for who it really is.