Does the New York Times article on Millennials have merit?

I agree with your statement ‘I think that every generation is viewed as somehow corrupt by their elders’. As we progress on in time, there will always be something that makes our elders tick.

Way back, it was seen as absolutely disgraceful for a young lady to wear a skirt above her knees. Now, it’s no biggie at all. In fact we have toddlers toddling around with mini skirts on. This is one of the thousands of examples of times changing.

Something I have seen a lot now-a-days is this: Our ‘elders’ grew up in the depression, so it’s understandable that they view us as being ungrateful, expecting things handed on a plate. I guess in some way, we do. But they need to realize that it’s not the depression anymore and people do have more money- money that they can do what they want with.

I think every generation differs from the last. My parents were very poor during the depression and that instilled a work ethic and frugality in them that I know I will never match. Being a baby boomer I grew up in a generation that had the luxury of feeling secure enough to occupy ourselves with idealism and self-expression. The rapid changes that Gen X experienced (computers becoming ubiquitous and the ascent of the World Wide Web) have caused them to more comfortable change and nomadic than boomers and widespread consumerism drive them to seek greater individualism; there is also a pessimism in GenX due to their being the first generations of Americans to be worse off than the last and a feeling that they have somehow been ripped off. I haven’t really figured Gen Y out yet.

Oh please, each generation complains about the next. I complain about today’s teens. And they’ll be complaining about the next generation. Careers aren’t as stable as they were during the industrialized area. Factory jobs and unions were in their strength a few decades ago. People had job stability and were able to stay in a single job, expect to live comfortably, and leave with a pension after 30-40 years. Now the U.S. has a service based economy. Which is wildly unpredictable, needs more specialized skills and higher education, and has practically gotten rid of the middle class where all those stable, responsible people were seen. That as well as the job market being taken overseas leads to a lot of displacement. As for spoiled and entitled, it is the first time in history where even the poor are able to afford toys and gadgets. They’re not as expensive any more, and it is now cheaper to buy new things than it is to fix them. Corporations no longer have any sense of responsibility and the government is being run by whatever is in the corporation’s best interest. So is it surprising that ordinary people are asking why they should have to play by the rules when the people who messed up the economy in the first place have gotten away scot free? Maybe the younger generation is spoiled and entitled. But they didnt screw up the economy. They’re not the ones running the government or corporations (well they may be a tiny minority, but most of the upper level individuals are above the age of 30).

I think it’s the establishments way of saying that the economy and infrastructure are fu@ked… deal with it.

They need the younger generation to feel obligated to pick the country up by the boot straps… because we’ve all been living well beyond our means. If we remain bums… who will they bum off of?

Ha ha ha ha. I hadn’t thought of it that way.

…they’re conniving ba$tards.