This afternoon I saw this post on the 37signals blog reacting to this steaming pile of shit that aired on CBS's 60 Minutes. Now that I've watched it, wow, I'm actually offended by it. How does this shit pass for journalism?
The blog post is right on, but also consider the facts. Americans are taking less vacation than ever. The greatest amount of new wealth in this country right now was started by people in their 20's and 30's. I mean, look at Zuckerberg and Facebook. The dude is 22, his company could fetch a billion, and he's in it to grow the company. Larry Page and Sergey Brin are my age, 34, and founded something called Google. I read about people like that every month in Wired and Fast Company.
Generalizations like this are beyond stupid. When I worked at Progressive, the biggest whiny bitches were the 40 and 50-something code monkeys who refused to accept that COBOL wasn't viable anymore, and didn't want to learn anything new. Does that make them all whiny bitches? Of course not, there were C# ninjas in the same age bracket.
I will say one thing, and that is that the boomers' generation, especially as high school teachers and guidance counselors, sold us on this idea that you'd go to college and learn something clever, and then do that for 40 years and retire. If there's an expectation gap, I'd blame them for setting it, but even then, most people I know are ready to work their ass off and take the world by the balls. They're also smart enough to know that if they don't like what they're doing, they can do something else. God knows I've done that.
CBS has really gone to the shitter since Rather was ousted.
While I don’t believe in putting people in little characteristic boxes, I do have to agree that there are threads of truth in this piece… however exaggerated for public interest. The Millennial generation is different than previous generations just as the “X”ers were different than the “Boomers” and so on. If you have an interest in this topic there are many books that speak to it. Millennials Rising by Howe and Strauss is one that I have read.
Working in a recruitment office for higher ed, I have seen how the marketing approach has had to change dramatically in order to pique this generation’s interest. And working with many of these students, I have experienced some of what was pointed out in this piece firsthand. For example, the parents of this generation are very, very connected to their children and in fact do expect to participate in every aspect of their lives even as they move to adulthood. And it makes sense if you think about it. These parents are the “X”ers who grew up as latch key kids and in front of a television. They want different for their children and so the generational changes occur.
Howe and Strauss point out in their book that this Millennial generation was the first to be marketed heavily to as young children. Think about that. It’s true. From the Cartoon Network to SUVs with DVD centers in the back, this generation has been spoken to for most of their lives. That leaves an impact.
So no, not everyone fits this mold and of course the characteristics identified as paramount in this generation do not equate to lazy, self-centered, or demanding, per se. But there is truth to the changes afoot in higher education and now the workplace and it is indeed a result of the changing times.
Things aren't that different, save for a lower tolerance of bullshit
The characteristics of this generation are different, just as they were for the ones before it and before it. The negative generalizations being made as a result of "understanding" those characteristics is what is not different.
I haven't watched the 60 minutes thing, but I did just read the blog post. Sadly, I'm a bad guy on this one. I buy into parts of it to a large degree.
The generational differences are always something that have interested me a great deal - and while generalizations like that may not fit everyone they do exactly what they say...generalize.
I've read the book Carrie mentioned, others like it and others by the same author(s). It's interesting stuff. I totally buy into the idea that a generation is shaped by the world around them. I think Carrie's last comment is pure brilliance - there's no doubt the characteristics differ, but the lack of understanding from older generations doesn't.
For the record, I totally believe the 'millennials' have been the most pampered (for lack of a better term) generation ever...by a good margin...and I think it's shaping their world view and expectations as a whole.
And while I'm an archtypical Gen X slacker :) - I do have a wife who is responsible for overseeing all kinds of employees - both large in numbers and diversity. Without a doubt, from my second-hand experience (and I'm sure she'd back me 100% on this) most of that list seems to apply.
In fact, in just the past 6 months she's had two kids' daddies come in to deal with work issues for their kids. (#5)
Is it a generalization? Of course. Is it stereotyping? To a degree. Has every generation thought the ones after them suck in some capacity? Yup.
But is it true?
I say mostly...at least as a generalization of a generation. (also at the full expectation of general hatred in my direction :) )
In fact, I think the first reply to the blog post (from Adrian L) hits the nail right on the head. Unfortunately, after that the whole thing seems to sway towards a discussion on laziness and that's not what's being implied. (at least not by what I read in the blog post)
I wouldn't call the 'millennials' lazy at all...not by a long shot. I'd call them pampered...
...to a fault and left with unrealistic real-world expectations.
But what do I know. I'm a grumpy old man before my time. :)