An op-ed last week by Columbia resident Erin Heilman (“The millennial work ethic,” Jan. 28) prompted hundreds of comments on The Sun's website and a number of pointed letters to the editor criticizing (and occasionally supporting) her views on her generation's attitudes about the workplace. Here's a sampling.

Millenials are self-involved

Poor Erin Heilman. Her effort to defend the millennial work ethic and her own personal philosophies in a commentary cloaked with cliches and platitudes comes off as nothing more thinly veiled attempt to justify self-involved behavior (“You view me as difficult; I say I am uncompromising”).

Much has been written about millennials' self-obsession, lack of perseverance and entitlement. Frankly I lost count at the number of times the words “I” and “me” were littered throughout the op-ed. I find Ms. Heilman to be misguided in her assessment that she “will continue to make the world better.” In examining data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from September 2014 based on a survey of 60,000 households, we find that the volunteering rates for 25-34 year olds were 22 percent compared to 30 percent for 35-44 year olds. This means that despite the fact that there are more Americans ages 25-34 as compared to 35-44, there are 2.5 million more Americans volunteering in this older age group. In my experience in working with millennials (certainly not everyone in this generation exhibits these traits), it is the idea or intent that matters, not the behavior or outcome. In other words, wanting the change the world is good enough, actually doing something about it is completely different.

Perhaps the author's insistence to leave work at 5 p.m. is driven by the fact that according to USA Today, 40 percent of millennials still receive money from their parents, including those who are married or live with a significant other. The rest of us could only be so lucky assuming we were willing to accept familial welfare.

There is no doubt that inter-generational bantering (what's the matter with these kids today?) will continue long into the future. I will pridefully embrace the principles of my generation: independence, humility and personal responsibility.

Neal Bonner, Ellicott City

Millennials: the spoiled brat generation

There is always some sort of generational divide, but I didn't know that there was an abyss between the millennials and the baby boomers (“The millennial work ethic,” Jan. 29). The cynic in me says that Erin Heilman is the product of an upbringing that fostered laziness and a feeling of entitlement. The optimist tells me that she does not speak for all millennials.

Maybe I'm just jealous: I would have loved to have had “better education, better technology, better food,” etc. provided for me by people — teachers, engineers and scientists and farmers — who actually had to work hard and make sacrifices while I kicked back and worked when and how I wanted and received a big fat paycheck. Shockingly, Ms. Heilman, the world doesn't work that way. You may “demand” all sorts of improvements, but most people are not so altruistic that they are willing to work hard for the benefit of those who choose not to work hard.

I sang the writer's last paragraph to a tune by Helen Reddy and it really worked well — although it would have sounded better had it been sung by a spoiled 13-year-old. There I go again, showing my age and my attitude.

Paul Leroy, Bel Air

Boomers are the ‘me generation'

Erin Heilman's “The millennial work ethic” (Jan. 28) is sure to be pelted with epistolary rotten eggs by my fellow baby boomers. It is a unique piece of writing — half cri de coeur and half whine. But as my contemporaries launch their derisive remarks at you, Ms. Heilman, and kick up an inter-generational skirmish, let's set the terms of engagement.

The nickname, “the me generation,” belongs not to you but to us. Certain unscrupulous boomers have tried to foist it off on you, but the phrase was coined by our parents in the 1960s. To them, it was the perfect put-down for the spoiled, self-absorbed, overly protected, naive offspring that they had raised so well, but that had somehow ended up as arrogant and dreamy young saps.

You can't have that nickname. (And by the way, we didn't trudge through the snow to school or go hungry during the Great Depression. That was our parents. We did suffer worse, however. We drank Fizzies. And watched Ozzie and Harriet.)

George Angell, Baltimore