My Generation
Every group receives a name, whether it is a club or organization, plants, animals or people. No matter what it is, it will receive a label so that it can be referred to easily. For instance, those born between the years 1977 and 1997 were given the title of the “Digital Generation.” This label was attained because of the widespread technology that is available to them from birth. The “Digital Generation” is not only about the Internet and technology, but is also about high values, a strong belief in self-expression and spirituality.
The values of past generations have been very self-centered. Yet “Generation D”, as it is called, believes in equal rights for all and a strong connection with family and friends. Yet they are so materialistic that the older generations see them as “floozies with credit cards.” This is one of the reasons why there are so many equal rights activists today. Never before has there been such a range of reasons to stand up for ones right. For instance, there are so many organizations to stop violence against people; race, creed, sexuality, gender, nationality, etc., are irrelevant. Today’s youth is acquainted with many different people, but they only share close connections with a select few. A person of this generation will know many people and be friendly with them, however the personally association is only present with the people that have been known for an extended period...
Twenge’s article brings several issues to our attention. Doctor Twenge refers to the impacted generation as “iGen” because “members of this generation are growing up with smartphones and do not remember a time before the internet”(page 59). Twenge often refers to an interview she held with a thirteen-year-old girl named Athena. Athena’s interview provides an iGen teenager’s perspective on cell phone usage. Twenge’s research shows that iGen is known to be the least social generation; her statistics show that people have stopped hanging out with their friends and even going out on dates.
Throughout history, the youth of the generation challenges the status quo. At the zenith of physical vigor and sensitivity, we expose ourselves to influences of a broader world. Subtlety is lost, acute distinctions of what was black and white suddenly become the different shades of gray. Our appetite for curiosity shape our worldview. Life becomes visceral, and truth is revealed rather than logically proven. In the graphic novel, March by John Lewis, he tells the story of his youth as he reflects on the past. His generation refused to accept the narrow confines of the social norm and sought to break free. Their nonviolent protests was not only an act of resistance but that of also self-expression. The societal dogma of segregation and institutional racism would finally come to surface during the early years of his youth. We can gain further insight of this historical time from the following passages.
Almost every generation criticizes the current adolescent generation due to the difference of historical perspectives. In response to this, I went out into the world and decided to interview someone of these older generations, Diane Partee Miller. Mrs. Miller is the age of seventy-five and is my maternal grandmother. She grew up in the small town of Evansport, which is located in the Northern part of Ohio. Mrs. Miller was an adolescent and primarily grew up in throughout the prime years of the 1950s. Differences between these generations is evident in classes taken in high school, social acceptance of dress, romantic relationships, and technology.
Social inequality has been prevalent in modern-day America, where you could get picked on for just wearing the wrong brand or hairstyle. This occurs the most upon people who are struggling to adjust to adulthood; teenagers. Social inequality has and still is affecting teenagers across the world, and writers are writing about this problem in order to raise awareness and to change the view of the public. These authors write about example in which the inequality is demonstrated, hoping to present a different perspective and to motivate the reader against social inequality. However, not enough awareness has been raised to help prevent it. This is working, but not quickly, but it shows that things like books and music can help to raise awareness,
There are many aspects of my generation that reflect, define, and influence my generation. Its a difficult task to understand Generation X, my generation. We are like no generation before us, and no preceding generation will be like ours. We are empowered by the Internet, we have more knowledge about technology than our parents, and we are exposed to so much information. One thing remains unchanged, as with past generation; the relationship between us and our parents. Jamake Highwater once said, "the greatest distance between people is not space, but culture.(301)" This is true, my generation has their own culture, one which is of course different than that of our parents. We are still considered rebellious. We listen to music that is different than what our parents listen to, we dress in a way that upsets them, and act in ways that they might not. Our parents don't dress like us. They don't see how we can be happy doing what we do. They don't understand us. We are opinionated, yet susceptible. In our adolescence we are prone to wrongful doing, wrongful thinking, and we can be difficult and misunderstood. Our weakness is how easily we can let peer pressure or the media or our surroundings influence us. Many aspects of my generation's culture reflect, define, and influence my generation.
Millennials are well on their way to redefining the “American Dream.” In a world where they have to constantly exercise critical thinking to financially survive the debts the average Millennial life incurs, suggesting that their reluctance to fall into the status quo will hurt them is a stagnant, inflexible view. It only hurts those entrenched in a narrow worldview limited to one accepted lifestyle and standard of living. To this life, Millennials are thoroughly disillusioned. They’re causing all these economic ‘problems’ because they aren’t buying into the hazy suburban complacency that the traditional dream represents. It’s not just that it costs too much to get there, it’s mostly that it’s hardly achievable. Contemporary high school is less of a system for education as it is an Olympic triathlon. Students must jump through every well-nigh arbitrary hoop, competing against each other for the most scholarship money based on the right opinion said in the right words. Who was in the most meaningless clubs at the same time? Who happened to attend a school with the most extra-curricular activities or AP courses? When school – that
Technology has always been at the forefront of the world’s mind, for as long as anyone can remember. The idea of “advancing” has been a consistent goal among developers. However, recently the invention of smartphones broke out into the world of technology, causing millions of people to become encapsulated in a world of knowledge at their fingertips. Jean Twenge elaborates on the impacts of the smartphone on the younger generation in her article “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation?” Twenge’s article is just a sliver of the analysis that she presents in her book “IGen.” Twenge, a professor of psychology at San
Millennials are a generation of people who are reaching young adulthood by the early 2000s meaning they were born between the years of 1980s and 2000s. Majority of millennials are children of Generation X, also known as Baby Boombers, who were born between the years of 1960s and 1980s. Millennials are also known as Generation Y because they come after Generation X. The topic of millennials sparks the interest of many including myself because I am myself a millennial.
America’s youth is struggling to find success because they are suffering from an economy that was severely damaged by the previous generation. In many instances older generations insist that the reason young people are struggling to survive and succeed in today's economy is because millennials and those belonging to Generation Z are lazy and do not want to work hard in order to achieve their dream, or it is that those youths feel as if they are entitled to success so they complain when they do not have opportunities and jobs handed to them. In reality, the lack of success for the youngest two generations does not have to do with an attitude problem, but rather with an economy that is struggling to survive due to the actions of previous generations. According to Hardin and lifeboats ethics, there is a large divide between the rich and the poor and there is not a solution to decreasing that divide that would result in the survival
When the Baby Boomer generation was questioned about the newer generation, these words and phrases was often used: “slacker”, “lazy”, “has it easy”, “entitled”, “obsessed with their phones/internet/games” and “antisocial”. On the other hand, Millennials (or Generation Y) would say this about their older counterpart: “entitled”, “ruined it for those who followed”, “had it easier”, “narcissists”, “stubborn”, and “materialistic”. The reason for why the elders would see it that way is because they had to live without the quick solutions that teens have nowadays. This “elders bashing on the newer generation” isn’t uncommon, as seen by what was recovered from Aristotle’s and Plato’s time (Rampell 389). For Millennials, some of their tension comes from the fact that they will be the first generation earning less than previous generation for the same amount of work (Roos). Not only that, but the prices for land property, and college education, which is needed in many jobs nowadays, has skyrocketed compared to their parent’s and grandparent’s. Due to this wealth gap, it sparked a lot of tension between the generations, and this can be seen in smaller environments, such as in the
Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing Up Digital: The rise of the net generation. New York, NY: Mc-Graw Hill Companies Inc. .
As young adults, Generation Xers find themselves facing limited economic prospects and a society different from any preceeding them. The previous generation saw rapid economic growth and expanding opportunities. Generation Xers see corporate downsizing and layoffs, limited opportunities for career positions, and an economically troubled socie...
...ced technology, it is possible for the generational trust gap to come to an end. This trust gap has existed for over fifty years, and was recognized over forty years in the song “My Generation,” by The Who. The lyrics of this song are written from the point of view of a member of the youth. In this way, the song critiques the older generation of their condescending opinions towards the youth of the world. The song writer makes the point that the youth is attempting to stand up for what is right, yet it is difficult to take a stance when the world’s leaders only push against the youth. This song has been powerful propaganda in expressing the troubles of the youth. Songs from varying time periods in the history of the world are able to share their critiques on society and it is fascinating when a song written in a former generation still relates to society today.
Technology is changing how we think and act at younger ages. The term “technology” doesn’t only mean manufacturing processes and equipment necessary for production, it also defines a social space and could be a social problem which makes a real impact on social reality. Different types of social software affect a variety of aspects and have both positive and negative impacts. It's important to be aware of how a digitally-driven life is changing our education, sense of self, relationships, social interaction, consumerism, and ways of doing business around the world.
The generation that I was born into can sometimes be easily misunderstood by those in earlier generations. The individuals in my generation get thrown many different labels such as those that Rosie Evans (n.d.) listed in her article, “Millennials, Generation Y, the Lost Generation, boomerang kids, the Peter Pan generation.” and more. This can impact us as a whole because some will begin to live by the labels, in some cases that can be negative but in others it may be beneficial. Many people in this generation believe that they can’t reach their full potential due to labels and prejudice, while there are others who believe nothing can hold them back. When we get labeled all together, that is also what may drive some to try to stand out from the group, and pursue different things in life than the norm.