We are the generation that was supposed to be the breakthrough generation. However, we have fallen short of those dreams. Our generation is in need of a serious reality check. Sadly, the problem only lies within about half of our generation (the half that we as a whole are stereotyped as), the other half is a well-rounded bunch that has no problem with the three issues below.
1. Work scares us.
If you look to the previous generations, these young men and women were instilled with the undying need to provide for themselves and their family. At the ripe age of 18 some men stormed the beaches of Normandy, and some were dropped off in Vietnam. These men quickly matured and if not killed in battle, were back at home working and supporting their families. Nowadays, we have young men and women complaining about minimum wage prices and being unable to hold down a job because they are too lazy to work. I realize that the cost of living has since increased, but so has the minimum wage. Nothing is unattainable at this point. Stop wallowing in self-pity and find a job.
2. Nothing is truly free, and we need to realize that.
Let me tell you something, there is no such thing as free. Freedom isn't free, you have our men and women in the military to thank for that. College also shouldn't be free, I know there will be a lot of backlash for this one but it's true. College may be free for you but you will be putting a massive burden on taxpayers. The bill for college will be divided among taxpayers and money from their check will be snatched away from their dinner table in order to pay for your college education. Sorry to be abrupt, but that is flat out wrong. There are many ways to pay for college. There are student loans, grants, and scholarships. If half of these people took the time to research scholarships they would be astounded by the thousands of scholarships offered. For those that have seen the scholarships offered and still refuse to apply, there is one reason... laziness. Most scholarships require an essay of some sort and writing 2,000 words or less seems to be too much of a burden, so why not insist that hard working taxpayers pay out of their pocket instead. WRONG.
3. We think the world owes us something.
Our generation seems to be all take and no give. I blame this on the fact that we all grew up in the time that the market was really good and we were given everything we ever wanted from our parents. This set us up for failure, because when it came to a time that the market wasn't doing good, we still believed that we deserved everything we ever wanted and sometimes our parents just couldn't afford that extra toy or that new Xbox. This is when rebellion set in and when our parents couldn't afford to give us what we wanted we pitched a fit. Fast forward to today and the same thing is happening but on a different level. Somewhere along the way we forgot the value of a dollar and just what hard work got us. Nowadays, when people aren't paid what they believe their work is worth they protest and refuse to work. This only hurts the economy. What's even sadder to see is that people will flee their country just to come here and work for a low-paying job. These people do not care about the pay because they will work as much as they possibly can. That seems to be something lacking in this generation.
In some cases, I am ashamed to be apart of this generation but I know that there is a good bunch of us that have been raised to know the value of a dollar and have worked for the things they have in their life. I come from a family that has been primarily manual and blue collar laborers. I think that is what sets me apart from most of my generation. There are many more problems, but I find these three to be the most problematic. I only hope that this article can open the eyes of my generation, and assure the previous generations that there is still some good in us.
