As I drove by the park near my home this weekend, I saw a familiar sight: a large blue “1” balloon. Friends had gathered to celebrate a baby’s first birthday. At first, this seemed so normal. But then, I was surprised at how many large groups of 20- and 30-somethings I saw in the park — because thanks to the coronavirus crisis, times are now anything but normal.

Millennials, commonly defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, have taken a lot of heat over the years for being “snowflakes,” wanting “safe spaces,” and generally living lives with less hardship, but more complaints, than previous generations.