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Essay: Trends amongst generations

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  • Subject area(s): Sociology essays
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  • Published: 15 September 2019*
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  • Words: 2,347 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 10 (approx)

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Over a decade of sociological research has backed the stereotypes of around 80 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000. Millennials are being referred to as Generation Y, because they come after Generation X. As well as being deemed lazy, narcissistic, and delusional, Generation X has been under observation to uncover why growing numbers of Millennials have delayed typical adult milestones. Researchers have been working to figure out why this generation has been more prone to moving back in with their parents and as well as delaying marriage and beginning their careers.
Constant debate centers around whether Millennials are self-centered narcissists or lazy, spoiled, and entitled couch potatoes. Generally, many people fail to consider that maybe Millennials are simply open-minded and unwilling to settle for less than what they feel they should have. It is not logical to compare previous generations who typically stay with the same job, marry in a timely manner, and have purchased homes to Millennials. Generation Y does not settle. When millennials are unsatisfied with their jobs or relationships they find something else that will interest them –such as owning their own businesses and finding love on their own time. Some critics may call this unrealistic, but in reality it is innovative because Generation Y is not nearly as reliant as Generation X. They are willing to make their own blueprint. Contrary to popular belief, Millennials are not lazy and narcissistic. Instead, they have adapted to their environment and live with an array of challenges that Generation X did not have to face; such as helicopter parenting, hook-up culture, increasing numbers of students graduating from college with exuberant amounts of debt
It’s no surprise that parental involvement correlates in relation to child anxiety, depression, and being spoiled. Helicopter parenting can have significant effects on college students; such as lower levels of psychological health and a declined satisfaction with family life. An Associate Professor of Psychology, Holly Shiffrin, and the other authors of Helping or Hovering find that “College students who reported that their parents were over-involved and controlling in their lives had lower psychological well-being and were more likely to take medications for depression and anxiety” (549). This may be a repercussion of college students feeling a violation of privacy and psychological needs. In comparison to Generation Y, Generation X’s parents were significantly less involved in their children’s personal lives; not because they did not want to be but possibly because they were too heavily involved with their time-consuming jobs. When a child gets accustomed to their parents doing everything for them and always looking over their shoulder, they tend to get comfortable. It’s like a bird being trapped in its mother’s nest; if the mother never gives them that push then the little bird will never learn how to fly. The same can be seen in young adults.
Another trend we see in young adults today compared to previous generations is hooking up. As hook-up culture grows prominent in our society, so does our retrospect on ideas. There has been a recent buzz around hookup culture. A claim has been centered around the notion that this culture has derived from a female sense of liberation, convenience, and technology. According to Peggy Drexler, a Ph.D. holding professor of psychology, mobile apps make hookup culture more accessible. She is implying that Millennial women favor convenience over old fashion dating. While I credit Drexler’s extensive research in Psychology, I question her focus on women. She says, “The math is pretty simple: In the end, what social media dating does is give users — and, most poignantly — women more options. And more options mean more freedom, and more power, too.” While I believe her point to be valid, I don’t agree that she should’ve centered her article around women. She neglects to incorporate any data supporting that dating apps benefit women more than men. After conducting my own research via twitter poll in regards to college students’ love-life, I found that within 1,018 total engagements, 18% of people preferred hooking up while, 82% preferred a serious relationship. Unsurprisingly, I found that 72% of the population who preferred a serious relationship were women. This may be because men prefer hooking up, and in actuality women have to conform to this new culture of dating. After all, women outnumber men population wise, so if the majority of college men prefer hooking up, then what options do the women really have.
Likewise, just as Millennial dating differs than from the past, so does their marriage preference. For example, as opposed to Peggy Drexler, journalist Gabriella Barkho, the author of “Why are Millennials Putting off Marriage?” blames marriage delay on the economy, dating apps, delayed childbirth, etc. By going in depth to say that “when there’s rough economic times, marriage rates go down,” she presumes to argue that people don’t favor a commitment during hardships (Barkho). While her stance is solid, she fails to acknowledge the possibility that people simply just may not want to marry at all. The Millennial generation is all about convenience. This is displayed all around us, from the way we communicate, date, and even choose our field of work. Every person is different and every person has a different style of doing things. Millennials move at their own pace. They don’t let stereotypes define them, and they don’t let fear hinder them from accomplishing their goals. They are focused on themselves and establishing themselves before they establish relationships with other people.
Another place where Millennial behavior substantially differs from previous generations is in regards to purchasing homes. Whereas in the past, Generation X could purchase homes easily due to low interest rates and mortgages. Today, however it is not so simple. For example, rising student loan debt has instilled a pessimistic attitude towards home ownership in young adults. This decision to delay purchasing homes among Millennials suggests that they want to become homeowners, but believe that it is virtually impossible. Chris Ling, a mortgage manager states that, “While overall homeownership has declined, Millennials do see the long-term value in owning a home.” Delayed homeownership among Millennials is not uncommon. It certainly isn’t a bad thing either in today’s market. This generation has learned not to jump into buying a home as quickly as Generation Y. The U.S. economy experienced record levels of household debt in 2006. After many young adults witnessed their loved ones lose their homes during the Great Recession, a new pattern in delayed homeownership began to manifest.
There are extensive internal and external factors to consider when regarding home ownership decisions among Millennials. Factors like credit, student loan debt, and marriage. Instead of calling Millennials lazy and heavily criticizing their decisions, it is important to consider real life problems. It is eminent to note from Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic, how “Many Americans were able to become homeowners relatively easily in the early 2000s because of fairly low mortgage interest rates and highly motivated lenders.” Unfortunately, Millennials don’t have that option. It isn’t as easy to go out and purchase a home because in order to do that a good credit score is needed. With growing numbers of students attending college, growing numbers of debt follow. Student’s across the U.S. have chosen college as their next steps after high-school. Unlike Generation X, it is uncommon for Millennials to embark on their journey to adulthood right after high school. No families are being started and no homes are being bought, instead students are piling on debt by the truckload in hopes for an education that will guarantee them a spot in today’s economy. The fear of the last Recession has sparked an incline in the college trend. Even though it is not guaranteed to get a job right after college, many students have decided to put their education first.
Another factor heavily considered among Millennials is work. Generation Y is not opposed to working, but more so opposed to working under other people. A rise in entrepreneurism can be observed in this generation. Instead of continuing education, many Millennials want to take what they’ve learned and apply it to their own business setting. They want to create and expand on their own. While many people from older generations may view Millennials as lazy, I see them as counterintuitive and hardworking towards their own personal goals. You rarely see a young person aspiring to become a hardworking, lifelong employee for a telephone company, but you see these same Millennials working hard in order to create something that they can call their own; and expand into something that they can possibly pass down to their children. Of course this is not the case with every Millennial person, as well as it is not the case with calling every Millennial lazy. You cannot categorize an entire generation negatively because they don’t do things how they’ve previously been done.
Far from promoting materialism, reality television is a form of motivation for Millennials. It can serve as an everyday reminder to go out and work hard for what you want –just as those who appear on television have. As well as being a humbling experience, reality television can encourage the youth by seeing different celebrities go through many of the same things. One can be encouraged to shoot for the stars no matter the circumstances. Suzanne Opree, an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Research Methods in the Department of Media and Communication writes:
In comparison to other mainstream genres, the level of wealth and desired outcomes may be even more pronounced in reality TV. The reality TV genre focuses on the rich and famous or on average people who are allowed to indulge themselves in an extravagant lifestyle” (804).
Considering older generations did not have reality TV, it is easy to understand how they might perceive younger people to possess a negative sense of entitlement when watching reality television instead of simply being motivated. There is no denying that reality TV promotes entitlement and materialism in young adults, but is it really that bad? Many of these young adults see this as motivation and a way to achieve what others have achieved. They use reality TV as a tool to go out and get what they want. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be entitled to something as long as you are willing to work hard to achieve what you want. If reality TV can serve as motivation to get the youth up off of their tales, and to go make something of themselves then I don’t see a problem with it. Some may argue that reality TV serves as a false reality of the way riches can be obtained, but so does college. Going to college doesn’t guarantee you a spot in this world, but there’s nothing wrong with being motivated by it. Going to college to obtain what you want out of life –such as a fancy car, beautiful family, and a nice home is not too far-fetched. A little motivation from anything shouldn’t be a negative thing.
Another common misconception regarding Millennials is being a “me-generation.” Jennifer Deal, a research scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership, says that:
Older people today perceive younger people as using too much slang, having poor communication skills, being difficult, entitled, and service-focused. When these now older people were the age of Millennials today, previous generations used the same descriptors to characterize them” (192).
This is important to consider when older generations are studying younger generations because it is biased. One cannot simply categorize an entire generation of people as lazy or undeserving simply because they don’t do things the way others once did them. I think of Millennials as innovative and creative. We’ve adapted our own complex culture of communication and made it into something that has the potential to also connect us with older generations. Social Media has expanded the way we communicate, as opposed to limit it. As mentioned earlier, younger people are seen to have poor communication skills, but I’d say that we have vast communication skills. Skills that have connected us not only with each other, but globally with others across the world as well. We are able to communicate with people across the world every day, way more frequently and conveniently than that of previous generations.
Millennials have evolved from Generation X by embracing their challenges and overcoming the stereotypes that have been placed onto them. They are an adapted product of their environment in regards to homeownership and marriage. They take the time to consider what they want before jumping into anything. Just like they take their time with buying a home, they also take their time with finding a spouse. While learning from Generation X’s increased divorce rates, Generation Y has not given up hope on marriage, but is substantially more cautious with who they devote their time to. Yes, they may hook up and connect differently from previous generations, but they do it with a purpose. Generation Y are like perfectionists, they want everything to work out in their favor and are not willing to sacrifice their passions for something they do not want to commit to. As far as work, Millennials are not lazy, but the definition of “working smarter, not harder.” They use the aspect of convenience to their advantage, and tend to favor this over complexities –as can be observed through social media and communication, relationships and hooking up, and careers and homeownership. Generation Y does not settle, when they are no longer interested they find something else that fulfills them. Having therefore established this idea, it is possible to conclude that Millennials work towards their goals on their own time. Although, some may call this unrealistic, it is what sets this generation apart from the rest. Ultimately, I wish that people of this generation and generations to come can say that they chose their life and that they did not settle for it.

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