The lucky fewers and the lost generation “Y” (“Y” Is A PUN)
This country was built on old school values: work hard and prosper.
I am 46 years old and a product immigrant parents. I am also an early Generation “X”er, born between 1965 and 1982. My generation is pretty much coming to an end, but still retains the old school values taught to us two generations before; the lucky few- 1929-1945 and the greatest generation that ever lived (1946-1964). All three generations could communicate and share values to some extent. The basis of understanding of what make the world go round never left us. Most of my generation grew up, got jobs, had families - pretty much made our mark and moved on.
Generation “Y”: A total separate generation. They are far and away from any generation ever produced. In many ways, they can be admired. They want to build their own world, but what values will they follow? Justin Bieber? Miley Cyrus?
The values that the last three generations followed are not followed by generation “Y” (1980 to present). How did this happen? Who is at fault? In my opinion, there are many factors: perhaps my generation didn’t pass on the message. Perhaps technology - in an age of smart phones, internet and ipads information is at their fingertips 24 hours a day. The way they get their information dictates how they see the world. If it's not on social networks, YouTube or Facebook, iPhone, iPad I don't get it, and how many 60-70 year olds do you know even use any of those services or products. Too bad for them, they are missing a lot of life lessons, in world of techno the information should be vast, instead it's limited to whatever life lessons they can learn from reality shows making what this new generation thinks, feels and understands limited Stupid me, my generation use to look through card catalogues in a place called a library to learn.
It’s safe to say generation “Y” is the “now” generation: they want everything now! They want all the world’s prizes with the least amount of effort. My generation played with that idea but we didn’t live there. They live in a world of entitlement whether they want to admit it or not.
I’m sure every generation that has ever existed has said the same thing to the generation that came after them. But never before has there ever been a generation where the world they live in is already built all the worlds have been conquered; in every category everything is theirs just for the taking. Excess is the order of the day. The faster the better.
I was 20 years old when I first got my hands on a portable cd player I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw and heard. My level of amazement could be compared to Neil Armstrong’s awe of walking on the moon. Before that we had records. Big black flat plastic round objects that I had to physically put on a machine called a phonograph and physically place a needle on and wait to listen to music. Remember that Gen Xer’s?
Oh! One more thing I had to get my ass to a store to buy one! Today, we open itunes and get our music by pressing the download button. Wait a sec! This is the generation of entitlement why pay for it? Lets steal it! Remember Shawn Fanning? He’s one of the heroes Generation “Y” produced. He came up with the concept of legally getting something for nothing and hypnotized a generation into believing it was ok to just take music and not pay for it. See what entitlement thinking will do for you?
There are no shadows of those immigrants that came off the boat and built this country from nothing; when Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty stood for something? When give me your tired, your hungry, your poor was a quest we sought instead of some lyrics to a new song Miley Cyrus came up with. As each generation moved on, slowly, we forgot the ultimate dream of just having a new job, a new life in the new world. Entering an age of entitlement that, sadly, maybe my generation contributed to.Perhaps to the point where we don’t understand our children.
What can we do to stop this madness? We need more time with each other. Remember back when we were children we sat at the dinner table with our parents and grandparents and told each other stories? At 6pm everyone knew it was time to eat, no television, no Ipads, no ipods no techno of any kind. Just people sitting around at the dinner table laughing, sharing, discussing, and sometimes arguing…. but - communicating.
Perhaps the answer for this new generation “Y” is communication. Even today’s techno entitled whizkid should know that the greatest ipad ever invented is Mom and Dad. There are no batteries, memories cards, downloading, or even searching. Just asking, listening and soaking up. If that’s too hard for them, maybe our generation should do a reboot. If we don’t, 80 years values may be lost on generation “Y”. The Idea of a work ethic will be lost. Perhaps with this simple move we can move the next new generation to really think for themselves. Imagine just by communicating to grandpa they can learn the meaning of life. Maybe there’s information in his head that’s not on the internet.
Which leads me to the final question: what’s generation “Y”’s plan for the future? Do they have one? Pretty soon the entitlement lifestyle will come to an end. We may soon have to realize that if don’t wake up generation”Y” there will not be a generation”Z”. Almost all of the lucky “fewers” born in the U.S. are long gone. There are still some out there. They, more than likely, look at these fresh faces of the future, possibly, not as people; but aliens from another planet. It begs the question? If I, a 46 year old man feels this way about the future, what do people over 70 think? Or does it matter to them at at all. They did create the world of values for which my generation will ever be so grateful for.
I’m just sorry I may have had a hand in screwing it up.
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