<p>With Generation Y, a.k.a. “Generation Me” , flooding into the workforce as Baby Boomers are leaving, what major changes do you think will occur in America?</p>
<p>Given the fact that many young adults these days have been taught to “expect” things rather than “earn” them, I believe that the unusually high self-esteem and optimism of most Gen Y will burst like a bubble once they begin to experience the realities of life they never expected. In a way, today’s generation of kids and young adults are more “spoiled” than what they used to be in the past. *Parenting techniques *focused on blindly raising kids’ self-esteem sometimes for no reason and the kinds of *messages portrayed by the media *seem to be the two biggest factors contributing to this decline.</p>
<p>Above I’ve summed up the conclusions across many independent studies, and especially Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D.</p>
<p>But I’m sure many of you have already noticed this happening all around you. (I have, but I can’t compare it with another generation I haven’t lived, so I’ve read these studies in my free time.)</p>
<p>The downside of freedom, individuality, and the loosening of social norms is that people tend to feel more lonely, depressed, and unsatisfied compared to previous generations. People focus a lot more on “me” than “others” these days, thinking that this value system will provide a more fulfilling life for themselves as a result. However, such attitudes have ultimately caused more pain rather than benefits to ourselves and our society.</p>
<p>Taking these trends into account, what are some big social problems just waiting to happen?</p>
<p>I came from a very small and largely poor town with few opportunities, and I can say that people there do not expect much at all. Most people from this town don’t even go to college. Also, I know tons of people (both from that town and elsewhere) with very low self-esteem and little optimism.</p>
<p>I think you are overestimating just how widespread this “phenomenon” really is.</p>
<p>Alright, that’s enough. Time to stop pretending that you’re some sophisticated mind providing social commentary. It’s laughable at best.</p>
<p>Your attitude on life reeks throughout all your posts. It’s obvious that you lack confidence and assertiveness and focus too blindly on material success, and are trying to justify this by some “observations” and a PHD’s ridiculous book. </p>
<p>student01, so you are saying that generation Y (I hate that term) has a problem caused by their parents and that the parents didn’t have this problem. But then who is worse, the generation teaching the problem or the generation being taught it? I find it hard to believe that parents are teaching their children a way of life different from what they live themselves. Overall, I second pandem’s post.</p>
PRC? Ha! My mother was Korean, my dad was American, and I grew up in America alongside a diverse range of kids.</p>
<p>And, of course, you seem to have a huge inferiority complex, feeling compelled not only to respond to everything I say, but also attack someone personally just because you can’t find a way to convince them. Good job for taking the moral high ground!</p>
<p>Come back when you’re able to distinguish between what’s math and what’s computation. That’s a simpler issue for you than social conflict.</p>
<p>It comes from (or at least is shown in) movies like Fight Club and Idiocracy where the world is depicted as a bunch of mindless drones with the main character being the only one who is free. I think Ayn Rand has a similar BS premise but the concept is the same.</p>
<p>The tone you used while bringing up Fight Club is unacceptable. To think any of the blame would be Fight Club’s is complete nonsense. Fight Club is a great movie and Ayn Rand was legit.</p>
<p>Govt programs that are taught in many schools contribute and feed upon these lies. Most notably DARE…remember that destructive decisions crap? Almost everything I ever learned from DARE has turned out to be a gross overstatement or an outright lie. There are many people in this country who like control and there are even more people who are more than happy to be told what is what rather than worry about it themselves.</p>
<p>Another terrible effect that Ayn Rand and Fight Club have had is that half the young people I meet think that the government is a giant conspiracy to destroy freedom, and the other half think that there’s a conspiracy of corporations out to destroy freedom.</p>