Gen Y: A Very Inflated Sense of Self, Totally Unprepared

Journal-Gazette
We are living in increasingly difficult times financially and geopolitically. Meeting the challenges of these times will require an internal toughness and resiliency which was present in past generations -- the depression and WWII generations for example -- but which seems to be increasingly absent with each new generation that comes along in our affluent societies.

An entire generation of young people is rising up which somehow believes it is entitled to having it all -- just by existing. Think of them as Cinderellas and Peter Pans, or psychological neotenates if you will. They never learned work ethic, work skills, practical competencies, or how to move past inevitable failure to success. They are "Generation Y."

Those who were born into "Generation Y" have an over-inflated sense of entitlement lack the work ethic to achieve their goals.
They also hate being criticised, it is claimed.

Researchers believe that the problem stems from being constantly told from birth they are special and as a result now believe it - and will ignore anybody who says otherwise.

But far from making them happy their approach to life leads to higher levels of depression and "chronic diasppointment" as unjustified levels of self-esteem masks the ugly reality.

Academics have concluded the values drummed into their grandparents, such as a strong work ethic and self-sacrifice, have been lost in the relentless quest for self-fulfilment.

"Generation Y" or Gen-Yers refers to those born between the 1980s and 90s who are now in their 20s or approaching their 30s.

They are also known as the "Millennium generation" or the "Boomerang generation" because they keep moving back home with their parents in young adulthood due to financial or commitment issues.

They are marked by dependence on technology, delaying of adulthood, a casual approach to life and placing a higher value on self-fulfilment than previous generations. _Telegraph_via_ImpactLab

As economic times grow more difficult, those hoping to succeed in work and careers will need to be tough enough to bounce back from rejection and criticism. They will need to have insight into their own inadequacies which will require correction and self-improvement. They will have to understand how to constantly learn and grow, when they do not "measure up" to external standards and requirements. Otherwise, widespread failure, disillusion, and misery are the result.

"They do seem to have a chip on their shoulder," said Karen Obringer, internships coordinator and counselor for IPFW Career Services. "We've seen a lot of students not coming to events that could help them, and that's not good, because in this market, you have to be aggressive."

...A report from the Economic Policy Institute on the class of 2010 says it faces the worst job market since the end of World War II. The institute is a non-partisan think tank in Washington, D.C., that researches economic issues.

Authors of the study say it will take "years for the labor market to recover from the damage induced by the recent recession."

In short, institute researchers believe graduates are entering the employment market at a particularly bad time, although poor job prospects are not their fault.

..."There are those out there that feel it wasn't this hard for my brother or sister, so why is it for me?" said Harvey, assistant professor of management at the University of New Hampshire.

"It is a bit depressing, certainly frustrating for them, and they're not used to" rejection.

Students today, Harvey said, might have been coddled by well-meaning parents and others "and now are facing economic reality." _Journal-Gazette

Children must be taught basic competencies, and basic exploratory and learning skills. They have to know how to learn from failure, and to want to constantly improve their abilities, skills, and knowledge. They must be challenged and given honest assessments of their performance. And critically, they must have legitimate rites of passage that signifies to them and to others that they have successfully completed basic phases of development and are ready to move on.

In affluent societies, children are sheltered from reality, kept separate from the adult world and responsibility -- and somehow they are expected to magically become adults when they receive a diploma and are thrust into the job market. But too many never became adults -- were never given the type of upbringing or education which would lead them into adulthood.

Now that the economy has taken a long term dip and the world ecology of aggressor nations and militant religions is once again heating up, a smarter, stronger, wiser, and more self-reliant population is called for.

Good luck with that.