The concept of winning in the United States has taken on a different meaning than previously thought. Such honor is no longer a satisfaction gained by hard work and dedication; it’s something that requires a materialistic reward. It’s been made clear that my generation is the generation of participation trophies, and I wish I could say they were wrong.

Our concept of needing a reward affects how we view everything, even professional sports. Do we really want the Eagles to win? Perhaps. But are there people who just want the free Dunkin Donuts medium iced coffee after a win? Definitely. We are so used to getting a reward for winning, because that is how most of us grew up.

It’s why participation trophies really are the focus of the millennial generation. Kids play in sports leagues, and no matter how well they do, they get a trophy. Regardless of their ability and performance, children have the expectation that their mere presence calls for some form of a reward. As children mature, that same concept affects how they see the world as young adults.

This idea of expecting a reward shapes the way people see winning at all levels of their lives. Frankly, many of us no longer strive to challenge ourselves in an activity unless we see an immediate and tangible result from it.

Would high schoolers be as eager to volunteer if they didn’t get anything from logging service hours? I really doubt it. While volunteering proves to bring with it the joy of helping others, many high school students wouldn’t offer their time unless they knew they would be recognized for their efforts.

Would we snapchat half of the people we do now if there weren’t snapchat streaks? Just for snapchatting, we get rewarded with special icons for how habitually we use the app. Snapchat understands how our generation works. Do we really deserve the red “100” emoji for a 100-day streak, or it is just another form of a participation trophy for participating in snapchat?

Participation trophies have shaped the way people view the simple act of winning. The millennial generation now has false perceptions of what counts as winning and what deserves an award. This culture is leading us down an unpredictable path in which we now travel where everything is expected to come with some type of reward.