Why Millennials Are Screwed

Throughout the article, Hobbes uses sarcastic humor and hyperbole to not only get his point across, but to also be relatable to his audience; the millennials. Hobbes uses this to seem credible and therefore worthy of our trust. Hobbes states that older generations say “our problems are all our fault: We got the wrong degree.”
This statement not only reeks of sarcasm but also subtly points out the foolishness of the generations whom would say this in Hobbes’ opinion. He also goes on to say we have “killed cereal and department stores and golf and napkins and lunch” which out of context makes little sense and yet in context, still makes little sense. He does not go on to explain why he mentioned these specific items nor does he dive into any of the topics he described, but he does makes a great attempt to get the reader to laugh and therefore create the first moment of trust.
Continuing to use sarcasm not only helps the reader to find humor in an unpleasant and gloomy topic but establishes relatability to Hobbes. Exaggerating his own situation by saying, “my rent consumes nearly half my income, I haven’t had a steady job since Pluto was a planet and my savings are dwindling faster than the ice caps the baby boomers melted,” helps the reader to relate to Hobbes even more and therefore trusts him to be providing accurate information. His ability to write as though he is writing to a friend through humor relaxes the reader and establishes a deeper connection.

In addition to humor, statistics flood this article and subtly attack the readers fear. Hobbes provides that 1 in 5 young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are living in poverty and that they are half as likely to own a home(6), which are alarmingly figures. Giving such dramatic statistics makes the reader think about their own situation and whether that statistic includes themselves, and perhaps worse, themselves in the future.
This creates a sense of concern that fuels the reader to care more about the topic and follow Hobbes as he continues to scare. Although Hobbes did not create the visual aspects of his article, it is important to note that the updated animations throughout the article contribute to him implanting terror into the mind of his readers because of their dramatic context.
The use of a graph regarding 2007 and 2009 graduates and their earnings yearly is a great example showing us how a 2009 graduate could earn almost sixty-thousand dollars less than a 2007 graduate (16). Those are relatively large numbers that generate anxiety among the millennials reading this article because not only does it make them think about the statistics but also how it could relate to themselves.
Undoubtedly Hobbes provides endless amounts of information as to the topic: why millennials are screwed. In fact I believe he is right. Our generation is heading for disaster and Hobbes does an immaculate job at recording why. His use of humor and sarcasm is what made this piece of writing so enticing and relatable.