Generation Y

These articles were difficult for me to read because I disagree with a lot of what these writers are saying. Our generation has potential to be the smartest and most innovative group of people this world has ever seen. Yes, there is a significant chunk of us who would rather paint their nails or watch football than get a job, but sooner or later they will learn that life is not that easy. Also, we were brought up this way because of all the influences we have in our life. If athletes and celebrities weren't praised so much for their performances, and if YouTube didn't get so much attention from the generation BEFORE us, then we would not have any desire to be like these people. Raina Kelley states in her article that, "The famously egocentric

wide receiver Terrell Owens declares at a press conference that being labeled selfish is fine with him. Donald Trump names everything he owns after himself and calls his detractors "losers."' These are the people we are growing up and idolizing. Are they in Generation-Y? I don't think so.

Judith Warner states that, "with their seemingly inexhaustible well of positive self-regard, their refusal to have their horizons be defined by the limitations of our era, they just may bear witness to the precise sort of resilience that all parents, educators and pop psychologists now say they view as proof of a successful upbringing." This shows that we were brought up this way because people think it is "the right way". Why are we being blamed for something that PAST generations have created?

Out of the two articles, The Why-Worry Generation by Judith Warner was the most irritating. The question I ask to the author is, what is wrong with aspiring for "a job that’s not just a job but an expression of their identity, a form of self-fulfillment"? Is it really so terrible that we want to work for a company we love and believe in? The people in Generation-Y are already proving to be more intelligent and capable in the work place than past generations. The difference is that we are adapting to the change in technology and our environment. There are entrepreneurs out there who are younger than 16 years old. I haven't heard of many of those in the past. We understand that it is a competitive world out there, and the people who decide to be lazy will most likely end up homeless. These articles make students seem like they don't have to work hard to get what they want. What about the massive decrease in college acceptance letters or the limited number of scholarships given out to students in need? There is plenty of competition, just different than what past generations are used to.

I do agree with one statement from Genertion Me by Raina Kelley, though. She states that Generation-Y is, "without the resiliency skills they need when Mommy and Daddy can't fix something." This is definitely true because we grew up believing that two people can fix all of our problems by a short email or phone call. I think we rely on our parents too much these days, because of the way we are brought up. In the past, it seemed like parents were a lot less intrusive on their childrens' daily lives. Now, our parents need to know where we are or what we are doing at all times. When there is a problem, they fix it, because they want what is best for their children. Children need to experience the consequences of their actions or else they will never learn. Hopefully this is one thing that will change in the future.

In conclusion, I find these articles altogether ridiculous. They are hypocrites in my opinion, because they do not see how their generation has impacted us. They are critiquing Generaton-Y for their passiveness on the current recession, when they are the reason we are in this recession in the first place. Obviously something needs to change. Maybe this new narcissistic attitude will prevent things like poor presidency, or an economic crash from happening in the future.