Dear Society,
We are too young for the 90s and too old for 2000s; my generation was left doomed with individuality and too proud to admit it. We are told that we are lazy, unmotivated, and too self-consumed by our parent’s parents. We are labeled as the rebellious generation that refuses to abide by the unwritten rules set by generations so far before us. The generation tainted with false allegations centered on being ungrateful and undeserving, struggling to prove ourselves worthy to those who doubt our abilities: generation Y.
They call us the global generation; the generation born into war, because of this, Globals are more driven to practice ones right to freedom of speech and stand up for what he or she may believe in. This results in the misconception portraying young millennials as arrogant and over opinionated individuals. Born between the birth of AIDS and 9/11, millennials are forced to accept suffering as something that cannot be changed. With so little control over something so enormous, the global generation must attempt to change what can be controlled. Being outspoken towards sexism, racism, animal rights, and other strong beliefs does not label this generation as ignorant, but determined and brave. The inability to accept rejection is not the problem; the problem is what is being rejected, thus forcing my generation to voice an opinion. This opinion is the sole reason behind the idea that Globals are too “inexperienced” to understand the “real world”. Not only is this false, it is hypocritical of our present leaders to say as these are the people we live up to and idolize.
Op-ed columnist David Brooks wrote for the New York Times on March 28, 2013, titling his article “The Empirical Kids”. In this work, Brooks claims that the millennial generation is “a group resistant to idealism” and has produced an “empiricist mind-set”. Brooks believes that millennials are against global activism and are too leery of untested hypothesis to push for substitutes for the current system. Brooks has come to the conclusion that in order to accomplish anything, this generation must be egomaniacal to do so. David Brooks is simply one example of the many people whom believe Globals are indifferent to change. This misconception was built upon the observation that the millennial generation’s only focus is observing data. While this may appear to be true, for Globals, increased data and information has created a heightened awareness of the world’s challenges, resulting in a clearer understanding of how to go about solving said challenges and creating an alternate solution. Generation Y is the generation born between cassettes and iPhones, the generation that surfed waves young and surfed the web older. This generation was born to push society to its limits with rapid technological advancements and introduced the world to the ability to connect through nothing more than a screen.
Being a part of a generation that is progressing at such a rapid pace has forced me to adapt to society’s idea of what my generation “should” reflect. I am required to work as if man has not given the world the technology to complete tasks faster and more efficiently. Current leaders look down upon this as indolent of my generation. My generation and the many after will continue to create technology that will further insult the intelligence of those who doubt the abilities of such. I am forced to fall below my skill level in order to receive the attention necessary to succeed, struggling to prove myself to employers, professors, and other higher authorities without the materials I so desperately crave. This is to prove that not only am I capable of achieving greatness without modern tools, I am competent in introducing innovative solutions with the proper materials and technology to further progress todays society.
- Generation Y
