Is Generation Y Lost?

Here is another off the wall blog. You won’t find any physics in here…

Is GenY lost?
In a recent NYT article, Todd G. Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz, argue “sometime in the past 30 years, someone has hit the brakes and Americans—particularly young Americans—have become risk-aversive and sedentary.

University of New Hampshire management professor Paul Harvey says, GenY has a “very inflated sense of self” that leads to “unrealistic expectations” and “chronic disappointment.” If you want more silly expressions from old farts, read this article:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140713132101-1011572-is-gen-y-becoming-the-new-lost-generation?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_1

As for me, I identify very strongly with GenX; the previous ‘loser’ generation. In fact, generation X invented ‘loser.’ (Beck’s amazing anthem and L on the forehead). My birthday lands on the cusp of Baby Boomer and GenX, but I’ve clearly crossed the line into GenX I don’t live for or at my work. I think money isn’t everything. I’m not divorced, live within my means, and as a protest against pop culture, I stopped watching TV many years ago (although I do sometimes watch DVD’s). I had a ‘No Future’ sign on my office door in grad school, and my teachers were worried about it. I told them that with Reagan in office the Doomsday clock (Google it) was only 3 minutes to midnight (1984). And the Boomers complained that GenX was lazy, lost without a future (Ha! He says with bitter sarcasm), GenX can’t compete and they’ll never succeed like we (Boomers) did,

Well the joke is on the Boomers right now; they gradually fade away while GenX is taking over! Our president and I were born only 121 days apart! (My close approach to George Clooney, that’s right girls, is a mere 211 days). Thats right! GenX rules the world. Whole Foods plays GenX music (70’s – 90’s rock) right there in the aisles. As a GenX, I am the demographic for marketers — cause we have all the disposable income! Ha ha! Everyone treats me with respect cause I got a few gray hairs. No one complains about GenX anymore! It turns out that we’re pretty hard working and motivated after all! Ha ha!

So my message to my younger friends is to ignore oldsters who beat up your generation. You’re day will come!

Incidentally, I have a theory. I believe this “lazyness” ritual has been happening since the dawn of humanity. Every generation, so far, has been successful. We’re still around, aren’t we?

I’m not saying that GenY is not lazy. They’re young! This is how young humans are. Remember, the most impt. thing in your life when you’re young (say <30) is to find a partner and make babies. This ain’t easy; it requires a lot of talking, learning, and thinking about love and sex. Young people are too busy fulfilling the demands of their evolutionary drive to reproduce which after all, is a lot more fulfilling than being employee of the month at Starbucks.