Generation Y: Criticized and misunderstood

Cartoon by Holly McCoach/Staff Cartoonist

Moises Fuertes/Contributing Writer

On May 20, Time magazine published “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” completely stereotyping the Y generation into a bunch of lazy, narcissistic, and, for all intents and purposes, incompetent bunch. “Millennials are lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents,” said writer Joel Stein in Time’s May issue.

Cartoon by Holly McCoach/Staff Cartoonist

Here’s why that view is completely redundant and unfounded.

We are going through a shift in many areas of the world as we know it. The digital age has brought forth unprecedented changes. These changes, in many ways, have completely changed the way society functions.

It is precisely a divide between digital natives and digital immigrants that I suspect brings with it the misunderstanding we have today.

Due to this misunderstanding, in which technological advances are largely at fault, Generation X has taken it upon itself to bash Generation Y.

Since we use these technological tools to broadcast our lives online, millennials are thus labeled as narcissistic.

But is it that surprising that Generation Y is more narcissistic than previous generations?

Back in the 60’s, Google wasn’t around. There was no such thing as social media, and the general public took pictures only during family gatherings or special occasions.

While I admit there is probably some truth to my generation’s narcissism, I don’t think it’s anything as drastic as some make it out to be, especially given the fact that the lines between our physical and digital world blur closer each day.

Similarly, because many of us still live at home, we are considered lazy.

Clearly, we must not care about professional careers because we can’t seem to find jobs. Similarly, it is no surprise that we are broke.

But I believe that our story is being told through the eyes of people that don’t grasp what’s happening around them.

For starters, a lot of us are trying desperately to earn a college degree. Breaking records is not doing much for us due to the recession and the high percentage of unemployed young people, particularly in Europe.

Looking into those two areas starts to paint the picture of the physical world we are inheriting from Generation X.  An economy in shambles, where college degrees are suddenly not worth as much as they once were.

I’m not trying to devalue what an education is worth. I believe being educated has no cost, but reality is reality and we all have to pay bills.

We are, unsurprisingly, also termed as the generation whose adulthood has been delayed, especially because many millennials still live with his or her parents.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that we have no choice?

The way the world is now, we are lucky to even have jobs. When one of us finally acquires a job, it doesn’t even pay much.

I’m lucky enough to have a stable full-time job now, but acquiring it took years of searching. I still don’t have enough to move out on my own, and even if I did, my parents also need my help. For the past three years, I have been the sole breadwinner in my household in multiple occasions, all while being a full-time student as well.

Many of my friends have multiple jobs. That’s because they have only managed to acquire part-time positions; they remain full-time students as well.

I don’t see where the idea that Generation Y is lazy comes from. Last I checked, a lot of us are trying our best to be more responsible than people our age used to be decades ago.

Generation X wants us to move out and start our independent lives. Let me tell you, we would like nothing more. It just isn’t realistic at this time. I don’t understand how that isn’t clear. Amassing credit card debt is one of the things that pushed our economy into recession in the first place.

What I see today is the majority of millennials struggling to find work. A lot of us work hard, doing our best to stay afloat and trying to acquire a degree in hopes of a better future.

We, like many before us, are simply misunderstood by the previous generation.

opinion@fiusm.com

Source:

1.“Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” via Time

2.”Who cares about a career? Not Gen Y,” via CNNMoney

3. “Generation broke,” The Boston Globe

4. “Record numbers earning college degree,” via CBS Money Watch

5. “Euro leaders unite to tackle soaring youth unemployment rates,” via The Guardian

6. “Adulthood, Delayed: What Has the Recession Done to Millennials?” via The Atlantic 

7. “3m young adults still live with their parents,” via The Guardian

8. “Consumer Credit Card Debt Is the Next Economic Shoe to Drop in Financial Crisis,” via U.S. News