The Pros And Cons Of Altruism

Society is an ever-changing, constantly evolving phenomenon that occurs naturally throughout human history. Each time period in which a group of humans is born is called a generation. Many generations are defined today, including the Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation, the Millennials, and so forth. The generation that I was born into, Generation Y, is defined as those who were born in between the years 1980 and 2000. There is an ongoing discussion over whether Generation Y is more narcissistic or altruistic compared to the previous Generation X. Though many examples of self-centered narcissism come forth from the actions that all generations provide, I believe that Generation Y displays a more service-oriented, altruistic sentiment and attitude compared to previous generations. Generation Y is bombarded with required community service efforts, which are enforced as

Altruism in other forms includes knowing the society that one lives in, and devoting their life to an occupation surrounding it. In “Shaped by 9/11, Millennials Are Socially Conscious,” Jayson further expands to display a young woman who wants to better national security herself. “Senior Kirsten Reed, 20, a political science major at the University of Oregon in Eugene, wants to work for the federal government in national security. ‘I want to do something for the defense of the country,’ says Reed, of Pleasanton, CA” (Jayson, pg. ). This shows that those in Generation Y diversify their care for others in many different ways, other than directly donating to a cause. Any individual of Generation Y, such as Kirsten Reed, intend to devote their life to such agencies that show their care for the welfare of all. Though this does not directly represent all of Generation Y, this is a more noticeably considered generational trait versus its presence in previous generations, and this cannot be