Generation Y Stereotypes

The writer of the article The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright talks about the high rate of youth unemployment all over the world and makes some interesting points in evaluating the cause for Gen Y stereotypes.

She says that although we are an ambitious generation, we no longer have the same encouragement and support that we had in the realm of school and family home. She attributes the common stereotype for Gen-Y 'entitlement' to the generations prior as parents, with trying too hard to 'provide' for us what they didn't have. The writer of the article refers to us as the "trophy" generation, in that, we have been entered into every competition, sport, public service, etc. thus potentially having instilled this false idea of encouragement. When reality hits, this meant taking us from the encouraging familial environment, to the harsh realities of the world as it actually is. But doesn't EVERY college student face this when entering the workforce? Other articles discuss the shock Gen Y faces after being told that "one thing" will subsequently lead to "another." Which in turn fostered a process for expectations that aren't exactly always realistic. For example stating that, "college subsequently leads to 'X income' or 'X jobs,'" which immediately deemed untrue as the majority of Gen Y college graduates instead find themselves at home, with debt, and at a loss for jobs due to a lack of experience. This environment has led some of our generation to feel "entitled" and the other 'some' of our generation to feel 'cheated.'

I was lucky. My parents instilled a high level of expectation, trust and self-reliance that kept me realistic grounded. With little money, my siblings and I had to work hard because we knew where we'd be if we didn't push forward with full force. I've been working since I was 15 and have bought my own clothes, school supplies and (at the time) pagers.
As I analyze the group of my friends that had more financial support: assistance paying for tuition, insurance, books, etc., I noticed that after graduation, some of them have moved back in with parents, some are jobless, and some are returning to school. This is not to hint at anything - as this isn't "ipso facto," but the significant difference being, I don't blame them for feeling entitled after what their parents enabled them to do, promised them for their futures, and gave them for their free education - or free rent. Really, it isn't about socioeconomics, it's about parental values and whether that delivered... "entitlement."

There's a prediction for the generation of our children that says, we'll make them slave for every little thing as a backlash to what was so easily handed to our generation. While our parents' generation will be known as "enablers" and "helicopter-parents" - Gen Y's parenting style could either sink deeper into this abyss of over protection, child ego inflation; or go on the other end of the spectrum and harshly instill tough love.

Noreen Malone proves to be a very good writer. I'm not in agreement, nor disagreement with her article referenced above, as it does deliver some interesting perspectives into examining 'the how' and 'why' with regard to Gen Y. I think a bigger issue lies within some of these other writers that are so extreme in their rally against Millennials or Gen Y. 

First, I wouldn't necessarily trust these writers as credible sources. As I can only assume that their opinions and theories come from having very little interaction or exposure to Generation Y. Also, there is likely already a preconceived notion that exists when these other generations interact with Gen Y, that would clout judgement. This does not discount all anti-Millennial articles, BUT If you want a truly accurate opinion of generation comparison, ask a group of people that actually deal with a wide range of Millennial personalities everyday, like people who work in higher education.

Be logical obviously. People who work in counseling will have more exposure to a select type of Millennial personalities - as well as people who work with the more proactive individuals such as Student Government offices. Obviously these opinions would be tainted, stating that Millennials were predominantly aggressive versus self-pitying.

Second, again be logical. I read a few articles claiming that Gen Y is solely just a generation of people living at home. Yes, I could say the same about the Gen Xers that I know that are experiencing the same job economy as these Millennials are --- the economy that apparently these writers aren't so keen to. This also isn't the smartest criticism considering that the majority of commentators consider Millennials to be under the age of 30 and recent graduates. Think about that.

I'll tell you a story about age group comparison: I once worked with a guy who would often just regurgitate what he hears and reads (with lack of critical thinking applied). He raved about the fickleness of the Millennial generation because 'the articles all said,' that Millennials don't know what they want to do as their career.  He often compared us to Steve Jobs saying, "Look at Steve Jobs, he knows exactly what he wants to do." This is the same guy that used Zuckerberg as a point of reference for Millennials, claiming that our generation was incapable of creativity and could only enhance existing products. He said, "Your generation cannot create. Think of Zuckerburg for example, he can only enhance what already existed, but Steve Jobs created ipods." This argument is invalid in an unbelievable amount of ways, but I won't digress.  Let me just say, that if you are going to have the arrogance to put down an entire group of people, then logically you ought to compare two groups in that same category: Generation X in their twenties to Generation Y in their twenties. You don't compare people in their twenties to people in their forties, and you especially don't compare two individual, 20-percenters of the population. The point of generalizing is to compare averages.

I think that facing the "harsh realities" of the "real world" is necessary. I don't deny that plenty of Millennials, including myself, didn't (or doesn't) need a dose of reality.  Obviously, no one should feel "entitled" to anything that isn't also earned. And in the lessons of comedian Louis C.K, even if you think that you've earned something, it still doesn't mean that you're entitled to anything. Though, I don't think that companies catering to the expectations of us entering into the workforce helps remove us from our expectations. But I also don't disagree with the idea for a more well-balanced work life and the ability to feel more connected to our jobs. This doesn't just entice Millennial employees, but it improves the work environment for all employees in general. And I do believe that it's time for the workforce to change.

Here's some perspective... As a very involved college student, my life was the Student Activities office. We encouraged campus involvement because it meant you had a deeper investment, which made you feel more connected to the campus, contributing to higher grades, quicker graduation, career success, etc. So why wouldn't it also make sense that companies engage their employees in this same facet?

An article titled, More Firms Bow to Generation Y's Demands, makes some great statements in which it discusses companies neglecting boomers in order to accommodate to Gen Y. It also explains the reasons why companies are adjusting to Millennial's ideals versus shaking their reality. With one reason being, "Millennials' willingness to work around the clock once they commit." One comment in the article, mentioned by Kevin Coyne, a business strategist and professor at Emory University, states something about the Gen Y stereotype that is clearly (and often) getting overlooked. He says that most of these Millennial stereotypes are not a characterization of a generation, really, they are a characterization of people in their twenties. Think again about my old coworker, the guy who said, 'the Millennial generation is a generation that doesn't know what they want to do as their career.'

I'll end this writing with some great food for thought...

The Millennial generation was raised by a generation of divorced families. Despite this, our parents worked hard to teach us the importance of family value. They may have spoiled us with protection and coddling, but their aim was also to provide us with experiences, by exposing us to numerous activities and sports. This defined for us the possibilities of work/life balance and the value of our time with family, friends and life's experiences. Strongly take into consideration that the Millennial generation is the closest to their parents over all other generations, which were otherwise notoriously rebellious during their twenties. We can only pass this value down to our own children, as it seems highly likely that WE will be robbed of retirement and social security, unlike our criticizing generations.  AND very similar to all prior generations during their twenties, WE hope to represent a new generation of change in values - to simply change the "American dream." But our hope, is that this dream includes ideals for a greener environment, a more tolerant culture, a more cohesive family, deeper invested work lives and fuller life experiences.