I'm also an older millennial (33 born in 1985) and I feel like I share almost nothing in common with the younger millennials but unfortunately I've accepted that is the group I'm in.

I had the opposite experience as you though. I started off really conservative like my parents and moved further left as I aged and experience a more diverse group of people.

Though I consider myself firmly a Libertarian I am left of the center on almost all social issues. And a lot of the people I know are the same. Left on social issues but right on economic issues.

I can't see myself ever going so far left as to be in socialist territory though.

Edit: fixed a minor typo.

I don't think there's an obvious generalization to make. My 5c would be that (as another commented pointed out) in general people who start off as ideologists (in whatever direction) will lean more towards pragmatism later in life, while others will become exposed to ideas and environments that will radicalize them.

Not my quote but the smartest thing the U.S. government ever did was take out your taxes with each paycheck.

Still socially liberal (I mean who in 2018 actually isn't?) but definitely far more financially conservative than I used to be.

Is this sarcasm? I'm not trying to be curt, but obviously lots of people are not socially liberal.