(This entry is in response to Stephanie J.'s post:The Real Bratz. I felt like my response was far too long to just be a "comment". Probably doesn't help that I just keep adding to this on breaks during my looser W-2 job. Or that I get melodramatic and start saying stuff like, "The end is nigh! Run for your lives!" *shakes head* I'm not very optimistic, am I?)
Stephanie J., you've hit the nail on the head; the key word is "entitled". This generation (Generation Y, Millenial Generation) grew up without experiencing any sort of economic deprivation; in fact, they experienced a burgeoning global market where technology improved the quality of life day by day. This is a group whose parents completely blurred the line between reward and punishment; a group that saw (and thus correlated) an increase in wealth over time. This is a group that was told "you are special" over and over again, such that the mere absence of compliments means the same thing as an insult. (Did you know the phrase "that's nice" really means "I wasn't paying attention because I couldn't care less about the subject" or "I'm trying not to be rude but I can't come up with any adjectives that aren't insulting"?) This generation is idealistic yet cynical, egocentric yet altruistic... thinks that they're capable of doing anything and yet isn't capable of choosing anything to do.
Casey perpetuates the notion that this generation is lazy, self-serving, and just plain clueless. It's very much the reason why I started following his story; I would have liked nothing more than to have seen him "pay back every dirty penny" and, in doing so, showing to the world that this generation, MY generation, isn't a complete loss. (y'know... "win-win"?) Alas, Snowflake just dug a deeper hole... but not literally because actual digging would require work.
There was an excellent article in the WSJ (The Most-Praised Generation Goes To Work, April 20, 2007) that talked about twenty-somethings joining the workforce and how their bosses have to heap endless praise and preface any criticisms with a "you did great on the project, but..." in order to keep up morale. That article pissed me off... mostly because it was right. I mean, we're all having "quarterlife crises", which is ridiculous; why can't we just get over ourselves?? Basically, we're all screwed unless we start holding ourselves accountable for our actions, following-through on commitments, and taking responsibility in shaping the future; otherwise, I'd really rather not be around when everything goes to hell.
If that's not bad enough, from what I've seen so far, the upcoming generation is even WORSE than us. If we reek of "entitlement", then they practically ooze it from their pores. And WE are responsible for guiding them...
Yeah, we're all doomed.
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9 comments:
F I R S T :)
I read that WSJ article. Praise is good; hell, I love being told I'm doing a good job. But the lesson these kids never learned is that praise only matters if it's real.
The good news is, they're not all like that. A couple of years ago I had the great pleasure of managing a 19-year-old girl as one of my employees. She was easily the best worker on my staff, and I went out of my way to make sure she got a raise and a promotion because she deserved them both. I'd hire her again in a minute.
I don't know what her parents did for her to end up with the work ethic that so many of her fellows are missing. She's a typical California girl in a lot of respects. It might be because she's an only child; they tend to be a bit more mature and able to deal with adults. But that's just a guess.
Not An Optimist,
I missed the WSJ article and would love to read it, but can't seem to access it. Is it subscription-only?
BTW, in case you missed this "vintage" EN thread that generated the term snowflake, you might enjoy it.
I guess I must be weird, because often I have the opposite problem. I'll get all these stupid "awards" for basically just doing my job, and I find myself biting my tounge because I want to say something like "If you think I'm such a superior performer, give me a fucking bonus, otherwise please don't waste my time."
-btc
Us Generation Y'er are a mixed bunch, and the criticism levelled at our generation is true but only to some extent. The "Slowflake" theory is somewhat true, in that were were buttered up as the "future leaders of America", and that due to the booming economy (this was the late 90's) people would be begging to hire us when we graduated. Reality struck after college and I think it set a lot of Gen Y's straight. Obviously, not all "get it" quite yet. You would be surprised at my circle of friends. Many of us work full-time jobs and take responsibility for our actions, and are kind to strangers. Some still live at home and grift like Casey. Others spend money like water and are entitlement junkies. Same could be said for *any* generation throughout history I think, and a lot of these articles about articles are just pure speculation and generalization not grounded in much fact. You'll find just as many anti-boomer blogs as anti-gen-Y blogs I think :) (Gen X seem to get off easy...?)
I remember the 'constant praise' article, and yes, it was stupidly frightening.
As each successive generation seems to be getting weaker, I called the upcomers Generation lay-Zee on my blog. While it's beyond creepy to consider, I seriously wonder if these thin-skinned creatures, who don't seem to be getting any preparation for the harsh realities of the real world, will wind up a generation of suicides.
I do think the drug companies are going to be making shitloads of money off of these kids...
NotAnOptimist,
Aren't you going to play this week's 6 Degrees of Casey Serin game?
@Benoit™
I'm honored that you think my blog worthy of a 'First'. =]
@Sprezz
It's great that you had a good experience with a GenY-er, too many people have had negative exposure to GenY. I don't know about the maturity of an 'only child', but my experience with only children has been that they are less aware of the needs of others. Some of them learn pretty quick, though. ;)
@Akubi
Thanks for the link to the "vintage" EN thread. Too bad I hadn't found EN back then, I would definitely have had loads to say on the subject. Still though, we had segfault to represent [our generation], so itsallgood.
@btc
Some of the more cynical GenY-ers (read: me) have received so much praise all the time that there is always a sense of "is this real? or are you just trying to make me feel better?" A bonus at work definitely alleviates that concern. But just remember that most of GenY has barely entered the workforce... we'll see whether corporate culture yields to GenY demands, or GenY-ers reshape themselves to the corporate mold.
@egosumabbas
Nice to see another GenY! There aren't too many GenY Haterz, so far I know of you, me, baa, and segfault. Clearly, none of us fit the negative stereotypical aspect of GenY, so I guess our existence might suggest "good things are coming". But that's a very Casey thought, and I try not to have those. I think GenX gets off easier due to sheer numbers; there are fewer GenX-ers, so they're going to have fewer pro-GenX / anti-GenX blogs.
@Aspeth
I totally agree with your drug company assessment. Do you know that being "emo" is now cool? That horrifies (and disgusts) me. Kids flaunt their "emo"-ness; bonus points for the more drugs you take. Pharming parties are ubiquitous. I want to grab these kids and shake them hard, lest they all end up like our favorite Snowflake... or worse.
NotAnOptimist,
Thanks for playing this week's 6 degrees of Casey Serin.
Aspeth's point about the drug companies is interesting. Weren't Gen Y the most overmedicated children ever?
BTW, I believe Gen Y is fairly well-represented in the Haterz community. In addition to those previously noted, Benoit, Ogg and possibly NGB and Schnapps (correct me if I'm wrong) fall into the Gen Y category. I'm sure there are plenty of others as well.
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