babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Generation Y: Children of Anxiety or Children of Affluence?
Are the children and young adults of Generation Y a group of self-obsessed whiners? Or are they a uniquely self-confident generation, perfectly poised to deal with global uncertainty?
Judith Warner, writing in this week’s New York Times Sunday Magazine comes down firmly on the side of the Generation Y, also known as the Millennials. Taking a look at the critiques of kids born between 1982 and 2001 that deem the group a bunch of narcissistic crybabies lacking any form of work ethic, Warner begs to disagree. The Millennials are, she says, optimistic that they can transcend the economic straightjacket of our era and emerge triumphant. They turn down jobs that they believe are beneath their skill levels and refuse to work more than forty hours a week because they are astonishingly confident of their abilities, and are sure the world will eventually recognize them too.
Warner attributes this cohort’s “resilience” to the after affects of growing up in “the shadow of Columbine, 9/11 and, lately, widespread parental job losses. Maybe chronic unease has simply raised this generation’s tolerance level for stress, leaving it uniquely well equipped to deal with uncertainty,’ she writes.
I disagree.
Many a Millennial’s passionate belief in themselves can be attributed not to the uncertainty they grew up in, but to the financial brio that, until recently, marked the entirely of their lives. Call them Children of the Bull. After all, the lifespan of these tweens, teens and young adults coincided till very recently with the great 26- year bull market in stocks, the period from 1982 though 2007 where it seemed as though we had beaten back economic history, and were firmly on a path to permanent prosperity.
That world, as we all know too well, is now over. But in its glistening affluence, it gave birth to the so-called helicopter parent, the mom (and the occasional dad) who quit or scaled back on her work to shuttle their children from (paid) activity to (paid) activity, who read to their progeny as infants and dropped everything to tend to their adolescent angst, calling up teachers to complain about grades and completing their child’s homework assignments.
The San Francisco Weekly deemed it checkbook parenting, but it was more than that. Nothing was too good for the Children of the Bull, and everyone from jewelers to five-star hotels clamored for the business of their parents, offering up treasures ranging from emerald earings for little Emma to luxury tropical vacation camps for tiny Caleb. But all that money bought other things too, goodies that should not have been purchased so thoughtlessly. It paid for internships when children couldn’t obtain them on their own, and the bills of the high-end private college admissions counselors and tutoring services and, sometimes, admission to the elite schools themselves.
And, not surprisingly, the culture of money bought, for more than a few members of the Millennial generation, a belief that they didn’t need to accommodate themselves to adult life so much as that adult life had to change to meet their emotional and practical needs. After all, affluence was all they could recall and they acted accordingly, so certain of their ultimate success that they see little reason even now to compromise with those who would give them a paycheck.
While as a die-hard Gen X slacker myself, I fervently admire the Children of the Bull’s refusal to buckle down and serve The Man, any casual survey of economic data circa 2010 tells you that their burst of self-confidence is probably fueled not by their unique resilience but by the monetary energy received from one last desperate hit from the parental financial tit. Job offers for recent college graduates have, after all, fallen by half since 2007, while the number of adult children moving back home is soaring.
However, it’s unlikely that Baby Boomer moms and dads are going to be able to provide continued cash cushions for their fledgling adult children for much longer. Many financial analysts contend that the retirement prospects of many helicopter parents is increasingly in jeopardy as the economic crisis that began in 2007 shows little sign of letting up, a fact that will likely lead over time to less practical – read monetary — help from the ‘rents.
How the Children of the Bull will deal with making it on their own has yet to be determined. But I’m betting they will handle it the same way as every generation before them: they’ll give up on expecting employee paradise and get to work.
What do you think?
Photo: Faraz
Go Back To Strollerderby
21 Comments
[...] Generation Y, Millennials or Children of the Bull? | Strollerderby document.getElementById("post-2554-blankimage").onload(); [...]
links for 2010-06-02 | KevinBondelli.com: Youth Vote, Technology, Politics commented on Jun 02 10 at 2:30 pm[...] Generation Y: Children of Anxiety or Children of Affluence? [...]
Parents Say No to Taxes on Soda and Fast Food | Strollerderby commented on Jun 07 10 at 1:01 pm[...] Generation Y: Children of Anxiety or Children of Affluence? [...]
Five Tips for Saving Money on Your Summer Family Vacation | Strollerderby commented on Jun 23 10 at 10:03 am[...] Generation Y: Children of Anxiety or Children of Affluence? SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Five Ways for Moms and Dads to Better Manage Their Time", url: "http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2010/06/24/five-ways-for-moms-and-dads-to-better-manage-their-time/" }); Comments: (0) Tags: 168 hours, freedom, Helaine Olen, laura vanderkam, time management, time management for parents « « BREAKING: Al Gore Accused of Attempted Assault in 2006 [...]
Time Management for Parents | Strollerderby commented on Jun 24 10 at 9:32 am[...] Generation Y: Children of Anxiety or Children of Affluence? [...]
Is Britney Spears Hitting Her Children? | Strollerderby commented on Jun 30 10 at 12:57 pm[...] knows he’s privileged. Which is why you want to take Scott by the shoulders and shake him a little. Live it up, Scott! Go [...]
American Dream Lost or Parenting Failure | Strollerderby commented on Jul 07 10 at 5:53 pm[...] for both parent and child but but that’s not a message many current moms and dads – used to calling up schools to complain about their children’s grades and otherwise engaging in… — are likely to [...]
American Economy So Awful Parents are Buying Franchises to Keep Adult Children Employed | Strollerderby commented on Jul 30 10 at 1:18 pmLaura Vanderkam commented on Jun 01 10 at 12:03 pmI think there’s a lot to like about Millennial attitudes too. Yes, life may smack you back sometimes, but what’s the harm in starting out believing that you can have the life you want?
See my take, “Graduates, You Can Have It All” — http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-05-27-column27_ST_N.htm
bob commented on Jun 01 10 at 1:19 pmThese generational labels are prejudicial and insulting.
LindaLou commented on Jun 01 10 at 6:19 pm2001? I have a 2000 baby and he’s not even 10 yet. Nice to see some moron has already figured out his and his sister’s genrational character. ::eye roll::
allisonr commented on Jun 02 10 at 12:07 amInteresting that I just went to a conference recently on mentoring the new millenials. We discussed their poor work ethic and I agree with what you say. I do think that the way these kids are raided does effect their attitude as well. there are many that are given everything and I think that these are the ones that have this attitude. If you give them responsibility and make them work, as we did, to obtain all the things they desire maybe you will see a difference in their attitude. I hear of so many that have every gaming system, iphones at the age of 9, etc. How do they learn to value anything if it is all given to them. If my kids want anything they save their money and ask before even contemplating spending. We are at fault as well. I hope they learn
Ri-chan commented on Jun 02 10 at 7:59 amAs a Generation Y kid (1989) I defenatly agree that most of my classmates had a bad attitude :( They were downright spoiled. It disgusted me to hear a girl complaining to her friends that her life was over because her dad would only pay to take two of her friends with them to Hawaii or a boy casually dissmissing wrecking his brand new car because his daddy would just buy him a new one -_- Made me mad.
Tanya commented on Jun 03 10 at 2:28 amWow, written like a true grumpy Gen Xer. Takes one to know one, I guess :) Lighten up on these kids. My husband and I run a bike repair co-op and I haven’t seen a bigger bunch of positive, group-oriented people in my life. They fix bikes together, hold small fundraisers for causes they care about, organize art and music events, and just generally help each other. I’ve had hundreds of them come through my home and never had a single thing stolen from me. They generally clean up after themselves, are respectful, and many bring food to share and donations of bike parts. And while I’m sure there is a contingent of spoiled silver-spoon kids, that’s not a generational thing but a product of the same old income inequality. Furthermore, I think it is grossly unfair to complain about a generation that hasn’t even had their chance to completely ruin this planet (I’m looking at you Boomers and Xers).
melissak commented on Jun 09 10 at 11:40 amComments I agree with tanya, there will always be the same old income inequality to deal with. also, my daughter is also 10, and my son 13. I would like to think that people are not already deciding that they are lazy malcontents before they even hit high school! Also, my 13 year old has been looking forward to getting a job at the local market for the last 2 or 3 years so he can save up for a car. Yes, they have cell phones and computers but that ship has sailed, technology is what runs this world and how it functions today.
Allison commented on Jun 14 10 at 1:39 pmThank you, Tanya. As a Millenial (b. 1985) I always find it interesting how Gen-Xers, perhaps the most maligned generation in recent history (particularly when they were young), seem to be our most vocal critics. Honestly, after all the terrible things that were said about you twenty years ago, you’d think you wouldn’t be so quick to pass on the same premature judgment.
Yes, there are plenty of spoiled brats, but that has always been the case. As Tanya says, it’s probably a product of income inequality, which has been growing since the 1980s. I’m from Long Island, where in spite of its reputation the wealthiest communities often sit right next to the poorest, so I have seen a lot of this first hand. There are plenty of us who have not been handed everything, and there are plenty of us who are, more importantly I think, aware how fortunate we have been but simply cannot be expected to contribute financially on the same level as our parents and other elders. Realistically speaking, you simply cannot expect the same things from 20-somethings as 30-somethings, 40-somethings, etc. My parents are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly have not given me everything, but they have tried to support and help me where they can (i.e. helping me pay for college so that I have less student loan debt – and I did my part to save them money by going to community college for two years, paying for a semester of study abroad – most of my travels I’ve paid for myself, passing down their old cars when they got a new one, and yes, helping me pay my bills while I search for a new job) – I do not think any of this is extraordinary, and assume most parents would want to do the same if they could. I will repay them when I can, but as I’m barely keeping myself afloat right now, I won’t be able to do that for many years. I know I’m not the only one.
As for the optimism issue, to be honest, we have been raised in a very negative, anxious, melodramatic environment, and I do believe that has something to do with it (though yes, logically speaking knowing you have support to fall back on helps to)… Being constantly surrounded by such anxiety over every tiny little thing really can desensitize you. More importantly, however, we have observed the cynicism of our elders and come to the conclusion that cynicism does no one any good. At the very least, at this historical moment in our society, such levels of negativity has become toxic, and really only seems self-defeating, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We do believe that being hopeful and optimistic can’t hurt, and that no good could possibly come from our adding to the destructive level of negativity. What would be the point of that? We may as well just make the best of what we have and hope that in choosing optimism over pessimism, we will find the strength to make things better, because cynicism doesn’t seem to be making anything better. As they say, “Shoot for the moon, that way even if you fail you’ll land among the stars.” What else can we do?
oh well commented on Jun 16 10 at 6:56 pmComments
See what happens when a “Latch-Key Kid grows up and decides to raise a properly over-parented “Baby-On _Board” offspring…OVERCOMPENSATION …
kelle commented on Jul 01 10 at 2:56 pmi’m gen x, born in the original baby bust years (1968-1973) before gen x was expanded to include the the tail end of the boomers and the front end of the y’s–kids who didn’t even start highschool till i was out of law school. i have to agree with tanya, the y’s i’ve met are great–i envy them, they are so much like us, except they are happy and emotionally secure–they are what we could have been had we not been raised by a cohort of parents all suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. maybe the reason i don’t hate them is, because unlike you, i never “gave into the man.” i never could win, but i never gave up either–i have tons of bitterness and saddness too, but it is directed at my parents generation, not these kids. we gen xers only make up 16% of the population. it dawned on me a little while ago, that i have almost never worked with anyone from my own generation, and the very few instances that i have they’ve all been like me–quiet, polite, do our work, go home, completely passed over and not taken seriously, despite being some of the most competent on diligent empolyees, and not completely not caring about it as long as we are left alone, because work is just there so that we can live our lives, the rest of the time when we aren’t at work. i seriously doubt that many of the people with such strong views about xers, have even met any let alone worked with any–in now state do we make up more than 18% of the workforce FFS. i suggest every gen xer visit the sight voiclessness.com, just to see how closely the gen x personality fits with the voiceless syndrome suffered by the children of narcissistic parents–it really helped me put into perspective what was done to us. stay golden y’s–america already has her suicide generation =(
Becca commented on Aug 10 10 at 12:16 pmWow as a Millenial Kid (1983) who is now grown and the mother of two I find this article extremely insulting. I Stay at Home with my kids but I always worked hard and did years with Americorp where I worked 50 hours a week for $850 a month stipend because I wanted to help kids. All my friends from High school and college are simple, down to earth, and hard working. Shame on you for lumping us all in with the spoiled brats on tv.
Sarah commented on Aug 30 10 at 6:09 amWow, that was quite the diatribe. Why are we lumping 28 year olds together with 9 year olds?
annie g. commented on Jun 17 11 at 10:06 pmWhew, someone’s been watching a little too much Keeping Up with the Kardashians! Seriously, way to lump everyone together. You realize that being born between two arbitrary years doesn’t automatically mean having the same characterstics, goals, and outlooks on life, right?
J commented on Jun 17 11 at 10:17 pmI’m a millenial, born 1986, from an upper class Massachusetts suburb. I’ll admit I got a $2 a week allowance from ages 8 to 12 in exchange for doing chores, but other than that I’ve had a job since age 13, and two jobs from 21 to 24. I started a business this year at 25 – that’s doing great so far – after financing it entirely through cash that I saved personally from working 75 hrs/week for the past 4 years. No loans, no help, just hard work and making smart decisions. I dropped out of college to do this by the way, after realizing it’s a waste of money if you’re smart and ambitious unless you want to be a cog in someone else’s business.
I pretty much ruin your incredibly condescending and over-generalized article, Gen X’er – eff you. And I’m not the only one.
You seem to have a problem with Spoiled Children and/or Stupid People, and have confused that with an entire generation of people. You should consider revising your article.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
21