<p>For millennials, work ethic not defining factor
Are twentysomethings really spoiled and lazy? Survey suggests it’s true</p>
<p>Jared Rogalia, 25, a Hertz rental car manager-trainee in Alexandria, is as cranky as someone twice his age when he complains about his generation’s work ethic. Here’s how Rogalia characterizes his age group: “The first is: really spoiled and lazy. The second is: We’re free-spirited. And the third is: They’d rather be poorer and have free time than have a lot of money.”</p>
<p>The millennial generation about 50 million people between ages 18 and 29 is the only age group in the nation that doesn’t cite work ethic as one of its “principal claims to distinctiveness,” according to a new Pew Research Center study, “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.” The Washington-based nonprofit organization found that young adults and their elders agree: Baby boomers and Generation X-ers have better work ethic and moral values than those in their 20s. </p>
<p>I totally disagree. I only have to look at D1, her friends and my friends’ kids. They work harder than I ever did when I was their age. I don’t know any of them is expecting to live at home and be supported by their parents after college. They are certainly driven and want to be financially secure.</p>
<p>Maybe the researchers didn’t get a right sample.</p>
<p>I agree with Oldfort. Both of my 20 something kiddos are extremely hard workers. Both are “following their dreams” which do not necessarily translate into extremely high paying jobs…but that does not diminish the excellent work ethic both have. They are not spoiled and they are not lazy.</p>
<p>I think we have a slice of high achieving students (and parents) on this board. I don’t think it’s a representative sample.</p>
<p>I don’t like generalizations but I think it’s helpful to look at overall patterns. And it seems we have an overall pattern here, at least based on the surveys.</p>
<p>I would be surprised if any generation managed to surpass the disastrous legacy of the baby boomers.</p>
<p>The researchers who did the study seem to lack common sense. 20somethings are naturally going to be less industrious than 30-50 somethings. We’re more likely to still be in school (which is less work than a full time job). We’re more likely to be starting a family (takes time away from work) and, as retirement is farther away and we’re less likely to have dependents, there’s less incentive to work hard.</p>
<p>Of course the baby boomers, who destroyed their retirements last year and have more dependents will work harder than 20-somethings who don’t. That’s indicative of age and not generation.</p>
<p>That’s not to say there aren’t apples to apples studies that suggest we work less than previous generations. Babcock & Marks (<a href=“http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~babcock/LeisureCollege2.pdf[/url]”>www.econ.ucsb.edu/~babcock/LeisureCollege2.pdf</a>) comes to mind as a study that was actually well done and suggests that today’s college students study 10 hours less per week than those who were in school in the 1960s.</p>
<p>You can draw many conclusions from Babcock & Marksabout work ethic in general. They’re targetting college measurements of work ethic rather than general measurements of work ethic. As they point out, we are much more likely to work while we’re in school than previous generations.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with that? My parents have lived by this philosophy their whole lives (they’re in the late 40s/early 50s) and are much happier than almost anyone we know (heck, they’ve even hit the 20 year mark in their marriage- UNHEARD of in these parts). So we have 10 year old cars and live in a small house and don’t take many vacations. Instead, we are a pretty tight-knit family and my parents always went to my year-round dance recitals and sport games. What’s the point in working your whole life away if all it leads to is nice things that you can rarely enjoy because you’re so busy? Seems counter-productive. </p>
<p>And it asked us what we thought defined our selves from OTHER generations.
</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure our technology, culture, and tolerance IS what defines us from other generations.</p>
<p>My kids work pretty hard. S has held 3 jobs this year, two during the school year and one over the summer. He also manages to balance a full courseload and keep active in ECs he cares about. My D got herself a job the day after she started school! </p>
<p>Both kids admit that they are interested in the QUALITY of their experiences, as are many of their generation. I am glad.</p>
<p>H is unhappy that there are many at his workplace that don’t have the work ethic he has grown up with–they’re all ages from 50s on down, so I don’t think poor work ethic can be wholly pinned on the 20s.</p>
<p>This soon to be 53 year old baby boomer cracked up reading this article. The comments from people in their late 30’s were very ironic considering I clearly recall thinking the same about THEIR age group 15 years ago.</p>
<p>Purple and Proud, post 9-- I completely agree with this post.</p>
<p>I think our kids are hard working and industrious and I can certainly recall all the studies which talked about how lazy and “lost” gen-x was, so named because we were lost…?</p>
<p>The baby boomers were busy smoking pot and having love-ins (sex-ins) and now this generation, who has grown up under the cloud of 9/11? Hard working, but differently so. Why would they not value thier time? Now is the time to value their time.</p>
<p>Of course: “Every generation gets the children they deserve…” can’t recall who said this…</p>
<p>okay…going to discos? Wasn’t that the “me” generation? I mean, there are always these things about the younger generation. It’s just hysterical to me, having been born in a commune, to hear this stuff now. :D</p>
<p>“Uh, maybe the older baby boomers, not those of us in college in the late 70’s”
^you’re kidding, right? Pot was everywhere in college during that time. Dorms hosted keg parties (yes, we were allowed to drink at 18 in those days) and no one got “written up” for smoking a joint. It was definitely a different time. The college application process simply consisted of filling out the application and waiting for the reply. My friends and I never travelled around the region on college visits. For many of us, the first time we ever stepped foot on the campus was the day we were dropped off by our parents (that it, if we didn’t travel there by ourselves via Greyhound bus).</p>
<p>Back to the question—As with any generation, there are those who put in the effort and there are those who don’t give a darn. Generally speaking, however, I do find that quite a few kids from this generation seem to think that they are going to continue living the livestyle that their parents have reached without themselves having to earn it on their own.
IMO–the kids who have worked part-time jobs throughout high school “get it”.</p>
<p>^^ agree with nysmile…no shortage of pot at my big state u. in 1980 and the weekends started on Thurs. w/ Happy Hour at 4:30.</p>
<p>I think there will always be “the good, the bad and the ugly” in every generation. In my own household, one child is the hardest working guy I’ve ever seen and the other has to be pushed,pulled,prodded into action of any sort that involves work. Both raised in same home, with same parents, values, opportunties,financial circumstances,etc. </p>
<p>Some of their friends are doing incredibly well, while others are still sitting on Mom’s couch waiting for opportunity to land in their lap.</p>
<p>Yes…packmom…and then, oddly, going to your 20 or 25 year reunion and finding out that the slacker kid with the pizza delivery job and B’s and C’s who everyone thought was so lazy bought several pizza franchises by the age of 22 is another story. It’s impossible to predict what kids still in school are going to do when they get out into the real world. It’s not always what the pre-calc teacher or the parents in the neighborhood might expect. JMO</p>
<p>This sounds like another “Back in the day” rant. Seriously, it’s getting old. Yes, we get it, you old people are better, smarter, harder working, and more moral than us. Sue us. Does it look like we care?</p>
<p>BTW, we don’t work harder, we work SMARTER. That’s our claim to distinctness (I hope).</p>