The Border Collie Chronicles Observations from (arguably) the World's Smartest Dogs; (but, without question, the bestest friends!) or, Life As We Understand It, as told from dad's shop. |
|
Posted February 7, 2013 |
|
What Are You???? By Annie I think that I’m probably an
Echo Boomer … you know … a Gen Y’er … yeah, you know … a millennial!
According to Wikipedia (one of my most favoritest sources),
us Gen Y’ers display increased narcissism[i]
(a generalized personality trait that is characterized by egotism,
vanity, conceit and/or selfishness).
There is also a belief out there that this could definitely
be a social or cultural problem, rather than
MY problem, and I
couldn’t agree more! You see, in my research[ii]
for this dissertation, I discovered that, generally speaking:
Now, of course, there are some sub groups of all
of these generations – and there are some folks that are clearly
defined in another group – despite their birth date!
Dad, as an example, can mostly be pegged as a Depression Era
generation member (despite being born some 45 to 54 years later!
If it wasn’t for that “respect for authority” thing, yeah, he
also has a little Boomer 2 and X creeping in there too!!)
OK
– so here’s the culmination of my thoughts … you see, based on the
analysis of all of my research, I have come to the conclusion that
with all of the support of helicopter parents[iii]
(who, by all means, mean well!) that
a Millennial Generation (aka
Entitlement Generation[iv])
has been created who accomplished “great”
things as they grow up in the suburbs; face anxiety when confronted
with new challenges; and who multitask with ease - as their parents
hover (see ... I told you ... Helicopter Parents) reassuringly above
them. Yes, "Trophy Kids[v]"
have been created!! I
can only imagine what the ramification of this is in some workplace
environments. I
anticipate that some of us Millennials have a too great of an
expectation of the workplace[vi].
As a matter
of fact, I have read some studies which predict that Generation Y
will switch jobs with more frequency (and sometimes flippancy),
holding far more jobs in a lifetime than Generation X can even
imagine, due to the increased expectations.
You see … it’s not our fault … you created us!![vii]
You love us
… You told us that we could do anything (and then you did it for
us!) While we appreciate
it, the ramification might be tough on all of us!
Now, let’s not forget about the up and coming kids … yeah, I’m
talking about
Generation Z – folks born since 1995:
Yeah, it’s true that we don’t know much about Gen Z yet (but I’m
pretty sure that most of them are clueless too!)... we do know a lot
about the environment they are growing up in.
Higher levels of technology will make significant inroads in
academics allowing for customized instruction, data mining of
student histories to enable pinpoint diagnostics and remediation or
accelerated achievement opportunities.
Gen Z kids are growing up with a highly sophisticated media
and computer environment and will be even more Internet savvy and
expert than their Gen Y forerunners. Well – in retrospect – I guess we can’t really
pigeon hole folks into any specific category (and probably
shouldn’t) … we’re all individuals (though it’s sometimes fun to
look at the pigeon holes).
We can see qualities and traits of us from many of the
different generations … let’s try and pick the best from each and go
out and conquer the world (or at least empty the trashcan!!) So … What Generation (or blend) Are You???!!!
[i]
The term narcissism comes from the Greek myth of
Narcissus, a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate
advances of the nymph Echo. These
advances eventually led Narcissus to fall in love with his
own reflection in a pool of water.
Unable to consummate
his love, Narcissus "lay gazing enraptured into the pool,
hour after hour", and finally changed into a flower that
bears his name, the narcissus.
[iii]
Helicopter parent
is a colloquial term for a parent who pays extremely close
attention to their child's or children's experiences and
problems, particularly at educational institutions.
The term was originally coined by Foster Cline and
Jim Fay.
Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters,
they hover overhead. It has also been reported that some
such parents get involved with their children's salary
negotiations.
[iv]
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/opinion/entitlement-generation-has-a-lot-to-prove/article_5dcf4442-74f4-5cbe-8649-720e6b2cfc05.html
[v]
A term that reflects the trend in
competitive sports, as well as many other aspects of life,
where mere participation is frequently enough for a reward.
[vi]
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal,
corporations like Lands End and Bank of America are hiring
“praise teams” to keep up with Gen Y’s demand for constant
positive reinforcement.
Other generations believed that as long as no one
fired them, their work must be okay.
Gen Y needs constant praise in the form of emails,
awards, celebration balloons and other such tangible
recognition of their work or they become anxious.
http://aspeneducation.crchealth.com/articles/article-entitlement/
[vii]
The advice from experts is for parents to “toughen up” by
following some general guidelines:
http://aspeneducation.crchealth.com/articles/article-entitlement/
My cousin - A Gen Z'er - Jib!!
|
|
Back to ARTICLES Page | |
|