If you were one of the lucky ones to buy Monopoly for Millennials for MSRP consider yourself blessed.
For the rest of us, it’s nearly 5 times the price of the classic edition of the game. And when you look it up on eBay, I think a lot of people are hoping it becomes the most wanted present this Christmas, much like Tickle Me Elmo, Hatchimals, and BB-8 in previous years.
So what is Monopoly for Millennials and why does it matter?
It’s Hasbro taking a dig at millennials. It’s them putting all the stereotypes of millennials into a box and selling it for a profit. I wonder if any millennials were even on the team creating this, or if it was just a bunch of boomers and Gen Xers?
Let’s try and list all the millennial stereotypes that we find on the box:
- The tag line is: “Forget real estate. You can’t afford it anyway”
- The Monopoly man is taking a selfie of himself
- He’s wearing a medal of participation
- He has his ear buds in
- He’s drinking expensive coffee
- There’s free parking
- The game pieces are an emoji, camera, bike, hashtag, and a pair of sunglasses
- Instead of the classic car game piece, you can choose a bike
- And apparently every millennial is a vegetarian since there’s a picture of a cow crossed out
Inside the box, instead of buying property, you can purchase experiences.
“Money doesn’t always buy a great time, but experiences, whether they’re good—or weird—last forever,” says the description on the box. So forget Boardwalk! On this version of Monopoly you get a week-long meditation retreat instead. And instead of Park Place, you can buy a 3-day music festival.
Who takes the train anyway? On this version, you can use bike share instead. And instead of staying at cheap motels, millennials apparently just live in their parent’s basement or on their friend’s couch.
And let’s not forget that avocado toast that millennials are so famous for. Or that live/work loft that all millennials envy—if they can actually afford it.
I’m a millennial
Does that surprise you? Albeit, I’m an older millennial, but I’m still a millennial—so stereotypes like these are getting pretty old. And knowing how long it takes to create a physical product and then get it out for distribution—this wasn’t someone’s side hustle. Hasbro invested a lot into this, they bet big, and it’s paying off.
The game is sold out in most places, so third party sellers are pretty much the only way to get it.
Here are a few comments from the Twitter storm that ensued after Monopoly for Millennials hit the shelves:
Next, Monopoly for Baby Boomers: where you buy property for below value price, only people of color go to jail, and when you pass “Go” you get to complain about Millennials!!! pic.twitter.com/Nb8vSl79AW
— Jon (@jknit135) November 12, 2018
I’m surprised at how many people are upset at @Hasbro making a monopoly for millennials. Is it because the loser doesnt get a participation trophy? #monopoly #hasbro #crybabies
— Sparks (@JMFingSparks) November 14, 2018
@Hasbro Can you provide the URL for the Hasbro-official website featuring “Monopoly for Millennials,” where you trash on my age demographic because baby boomers caused an economic catastrophe that rendered us financially impotent for a decade? Thanks! pic.twitter.com/wmm0WQwnld
— Steven Briggs (@TrnDaBeatAround) November 11, 2018
So why does this matter?
If you’re a boomer or Gen Xer and love making fun of millennials, just stop. It’s not constructive.
Just think about it when others stereotype you or make broad generalizations about you, your age group, ethnicity, or country of origin. Or when they used to do so when you were in your 20s and 30s trying to make it. Did you like it? Did it help you? Or just annoy you?
So please STOP with the millennial stereotypes.
Instead of criticizing, seek to mentor, coach, and encourage the millennials around you.
The gift that you can offer them is perspective. So tell them about the financial mistakes you’ve made. Encourage them for the value they’re placing into family and experiences, but also what financial position they might be in if they’re spending more than saving.
Don’t criticize. Instead coach.
But also, if you’re a parent of a millennial, own up to the fact that your children are the way they are partly because of you and your parenting style.
And lastly, if you’re a church leader, here’s a lesson you can learn from this whole debacle
When you generalize and stereotype an entire generation like the millennials, this might garner a few laughs from the boomers and Gen Xers around you, but you’re actually just hurting your credibility.
Sure, they might not leave your church, but they’re definitely going to stop relating with your examples since it feels like you’re against them and not for them.