Millennials these days are often categorised as young people who do nothing but complain online and sustain themselves on a diet of avocado toast - but that just simply isn't true. Sure, we might like to go on the occasional Twitter rant, and, yes, I'll be the first to admit that I enjoy an avocado every now and then (though usually in the form of guacamole and with a side of nachos), but those of us between the ages of 22 and 37 do a lot more than take selfies and drink oat milk.
For starters, we live in much more of a "gig economy" than our elders. We're forced to go from job to job, for comparatively little pay compared to that of previous generations, and with very little prospect of ever being able to afford a house in the city or the time to take a long holiday abroad. Plus, even those of us who have been fortunate enough to get a decent education or find success in our occupations often have to take unpaid internships in order to get where we really want to be.
And Selena Gomez is no exception.
Despite being a successful singer, an accomplished actress, a fashion designer, and a Netflix producer, the 26-year-old former Disney star has taken on a voluntary position with A21: a nonprofit organisation whose mission is to "abolish slavery everywhere, forever."
Gomez has been interning with the charity since March of this year, but she only recently opened up about her work in an interview with Elle.
"I wasn’t going to immediately start discussing it. It’s out of my comfort zone. I needed to be fully immersed in it," she said. She then went on to say that she wasn't only mentioning it now to get some good publicity for herself. "That’s not why I want to talk about it. I can’t be silent about this."
"I had been working for so long, and I don't like taking things in my life. I just wanted to serve," she said.
Gomez has recent sold two of her properties, too, and seems to be trying to go back to a more humble way of living.
"I think everything in my life is being majorly downsized, in a very good way. I’m going back to simplicity. That’s always who I’ve been. It’s not me saying, 'I feel the best I’ve ever felt', it’s me saying, 'I’m exactly where I am. And I’m so happy I’m in this place.'
"It’s a lot of self-discovery. From 20 to 26? Oh my gosh. I feel like a totally different person."
And the cause she's working for is doing some fantastic work.
The exact role that Gomez is currently doing has not been disclosed, but she's in an office five days a week and has shared pictures which show her doing various types of outreach work.
It's so wonderful to see someone who has the means of working for free to actually put their time to good use, and to spread a positive message in doing so. Not all millennials can do what she's doing, but we love her for setting such an excellent example for those who can.
