12 Things 20-Somethings Actually Want For Christmas

As Christmas approaches, many people are scrambling to finish up their shopping. Perhaps you think the millennial in your life wants the latest iPad or a battery extending case for their iPhone. But not all gifts can be purchased.

In fact, millennials seem to want mostly intangible things this holiday season. Here's a list of 12 things millennials really want for Christmas.

1. More jobs.

While the economic recovery has had fits and starts over the past few months (despite some recent improvement), no one has felt the effects of unemployment more than the millennials.

According to Forbes, over a four-month period from June to September, millennials faced the highest unemployment rate among any age demographic: 12% — 16% when you factor in those who have just stopped looking. And while these numbers may have improved slightly with the rest of the economy, it is safe to guess that what a lot of young people want for Christmas is a job. 

2. More drones!

With Amazon and Google announcing massive forays into robotics, many millennials are excited for these new drones — especially those of us who held off on our Christmas shopping and are anxiously wondering if our gifts will arrive in time for Wednesday. Drone delivery would remove a lot of these concerns, promising much faster delivery times — much like Santa Claus (if Santa's sleigh were a derivative of sleigh technology used in combat). But while we are talking about drones, millennials also want ...

3. Fewer drones!

While many are excited for the prospect of ordering items online and having them delivered via drone, the same enthusiasm does not translate to government and military drone surveillance. Support for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)'s 13-hour filibuster in March exploded over social media, as Paul demanded answers to questions that Americans were asking regarding government drones in U.S. airspace and their constitutionality in general. Americans seem much more open to privately operated drones than those utilized by the government.

4. Less stress.

According to a study by the American Psychological Association, millennials report having the highest amount of stress and the least amount of relief. What many of us want, it seems, is a break.

5. Legal marijuana, even if we won't smoke it.

This month, Uruguay became the first nation to regulate marijuana from production to distribution. There has been no shortage of articles debating the merits of marijuana legalization, and millennials have overwhelmingly been at the forefront of challenging the status quo. And while not everyone who favors legalization plans to light up, the majority of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana over the status quo. 

6. Pope Francis.

Time Magazine's Person of the Year can apparently do no wrong, especially when it comes to millennials. Francis appears to be more of a rock star these days compared to his predecessor, Benedict the Philosopher.

Whether it be the average layperson, one of the most popular LGBT magazines, or even atheists, Francis has managed to win over the public and revitalize an ailing Church. And despite ruffling a few feathers (Rush Limbaugh, for example, has not been impressed), his reputation of being a no-frills, lead-by-example pontiff is the gift that keeps on giving.

7. More Beyoncé.

It is hard to ask for more, I know, when we already have been given so much. But with her acclaimed Super Bowl performance, her documentary, her world tour, and her surprise album, 2013 may very well go down in history as the year of Beyoncé, and we wait with baited breath to see what's next.

8. More Jennifer Lawrence.

And speaking of women who dominated, 2013 also could be known as the year of Jennifer Lawrence. From the box office success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, her slew of talk show appearances (and her brutally, hilariously honest interviews), her Oscar win (and her fall on the way to collect it), and her potential Oscar nomination for her role in American Hustle, Lawrence was everywhere this year. We love her for it, and have no doubt that 2014 will bring more of Lawrence's relatability and joy.

9. More Harry Potter-related content to obsess over.

Wish granted!

10. No more student loan payments.

With average student loan debt rising to $29,000 per student, it is safe to assume that, if they could, millennials would love to see their loans magically forgiven. There is hope for future students, though, as some schools have begun lowering tuition and taking in less federal money in order to make college more affordable. 

11. Faster travel.

Article after article has come out about the benefits of a high-speed rail system in the United States, but little progress has actually been made. California is hoping to begin construction on a $68 billion line in the next few months, but it has been plagued with controversy and setbacks. Here's hoping for a Christmas miracle so we can all start getting around a little bit faster.

This will also mean we can sleep later, which every millennial wants — especially when your little siblings wake you up early on Christmas.

12. Another Christmas as a child.

Bills? Rent? A stable job and fulfilling career? Ugh, no thank you. What many millennials would really like for Christmas is a chance to go back to being kids again, with no responsibilities or expectations other than listening to Now That's What I Call Music, living rent-free with their parents, and eating all of the macaroni and cheese they want — plain, delicious, yellow Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, preferably Scooby Doo-shaped. What could be a better gift than that?