When American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center 10 years ago, America became a vulnerable country.

At the time, most 20-something college students of today were between the ages of nine and 12 when shock and fear swept over the faces of their teachers and parents. They weren’t old enough to understand algebra, let alone comprehend terrorists attacking their country.

But somewhere in the aftermath, the many changes brought on by the attacks became innate to Millennials — those born between 1980 and 2000.

Mathew Brundage, a graduate history student, was a 17-year-old high school senior sitting in his living room when the news broke. Edward Koltonski, a graduate history student, was 22 years old and asleep. For him, it feels like a dream.

Now, 10 years later, they believe 9/11 didn’t necessarily define one person or generation but all those who could comprehend its impact.

“To say it’s generational, I find odd because it affected everyone who was aware of it at that time, and it affected everyone differently,” Brundage said. “The U.S. has changed more than other places. The way the U.S. has reacted since is unique to us.”

So the question isn’t necessarily, how did 9/11 define Millennials, but rather, has life post-9/11 simply become second nature to Generation Y?

For Mary Ann Heiss, associate professor of history, 9/11 is defining because of the vulnerability Americans felt. It didn’t just happen, she added. There were policy choices set in place previously, so subsequently, people at the time saw an opportunity to confront the consequences of American foreign policy.

“There’s a whole host of ways everybody has been affected by 9/11,” said Joshua Stacher, assistant professor of political science, “… financially, with endless wars in places that had nothing to do with 9/11 or had very little to do with it … it led to the militarization of our foreign policy under the rubric of the global war on terror … it led to the securitization of our airports,” adding that added security and other post-9/11 inevitabilities absolutely have become second nature to students.

Shoe removal in airports has become normal; the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are a passing thought; and economic mobilization doesn’t cross a person’s mind while ordering his or her Starbucks coffee.

Even photos of the collapsing towers are rarely seen anymore.

“People losing their jobs has become more of a priority than remembering 9/11,” Brundage said.

While these changes have almost morphed into daily habits, everyone, including students, seems to pinpoint the country’s military as a caustic, dramatic change.

“Back in pre-9/11, people really didn’t think about going into the military that often,” Koltonski said. “Now it’s not just people who are going into the military to pay for college.”

Today, Millennials choose the military for a variation of reasons ranging from nationalistic motivations to economic instability, as in those who are unable to afford college therefore join the Army, Stacher added.

America’s military system is completely voluntary, contrary to previous wars that gathered soldiers through a draft. But that’s not to say 9/11 or the War on Terror defines Millennials or any generation. It’s just become second nature to Americans.

“When you live in a country that goes to a lot of wars, this is how we characterize what was going on,” Stacher said. “There are a lot of countries that don’t have to go to these wars. How do people from Norway identify their generations? Or Denmark?”

And it’s not just the military that has seen an increase in interest. The Middle East was rarely a topic of discussion before 9/11. Its regions, cultures and politics have now leaped into the minds of many. People now ask more questions — often with a predetermined judgment.

As a professor of Middle East politics at Kent State, Stacher said he has seen a “popular suspicion or curiosity” in Muslim lands.

“In that sense, 9/11 was positive because people began asking questions about things outside of themselves,” he added. “Unfortunately we also live in a world of structure, where there’s a binded reality, and a lot of people’s perceptions of Islam are negative.”

For those Millennials in elementary school when the Twin Towers fell, the presence of the Middle East in news and discussions has become an ingrained habit. To this generation, it seems there was never a time the Middle East wasn’t a popular topic.

And although the only knowledge they may have of the region and its people comes from the people around them, chances are, the Middle East’s presence will remain grounded in the news and conversations for the next 10 years, as will the required shoe removal in airports and Starbucks coffee.

Contact Courtney Kerrigan at [email protected].