Young People's Unhappiness Comes from Our Broken Economic System They Shouldn't Not Shut Up About it

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/culture/young-peoples-unhappiness-comes-our-broken-economic-system-and-they-shouldnt-not-shut-about



The media love to analyze millennials. It's almost like there's a competition to see who can rip apart Generation Y in the snarkiest fashion.

But most of this work ends up overly simplistic, ignoring the economic and social forces that shape young people's lives. They almost seem eager to silence millenials’ uneasiness about our world.

The newest addition to this trend, a blog post from Wait But Why that went viral this week, regurgitates this formula by essentially stating that millenials are unhappy because they have higher expectations for their lives than what they can realistically obtain at the moment. Therefore, instead of speaking out about their struggles, they should simply stop feeling unhappy because this is life, and this is what young people have to go through. Basically, cheer up, Lucy — life isn’t so bad.

People have quickly taken to the blogosphere to critique the piece for improperly comparing our generation to our parents’ generation. After all, the piece fails to mention that our parents hadless unemployment, more access to union jobs, a lower uninsured rate for health insurance, cheaper tuition, and cheaper and more accessible home mortgages. They also had a higher average income with a high school diploma alone and made about the same as we make today, despite the dramatic rise in costs and our productivity. Basically, life is pretty bad, and empirically worse for millenials than their parents.

Meanwhile, as The Atlantic noted in a piece titled “Every Every Every Generation Has Been the Me Me Me Generation,” it’s inaccurate to say our generation particularly has feelings of entitlement. Young people in general tend to be a bit more self-absorbed, and therefore every generation goes through that phase. The difference, however, is that our generation actually has it worse, and has in some ways felt less entitled, accepting their looming fate instead of arrogantly demanding more.

[grahamhgreen]

1. There's not a "me me me" generation, there's a "me me me" class.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. ^^ Bam ^^ n/t

[BillyRibs]

11. BINGO!

[marmar]

2. k/r

[canoeist52]

4. My daughter said something to me last night that deeply saddened me.

"All we have left that we can afford to do, when we come home from work, is watch funny videos on You Tube - and we''ll keep watching until it isn't free anymore".

This was after our discussion on the way to Verizon to replace yet another one of their electronic failures.

They know the game is rigged.

[tridim]

5. Sorry but that's crap.

There are thousands of things to do when you come home from work that don't involve anything electronic or "corporate", she can start with learning an art. Geez, it's not hard.

Again sorry, but giving up on dreams and/or giving in to corporations is what's wrong with America, not the content on the Internet.

[Sunlei]

7. that is sad! maybe a couple months away from internet connection will help. get a landline.

[canoeist52]

9. Well, an internet connection is not a luxury today.

Every economic application, whether for job applications, loans, or even access to pay stubs requires an internet connection.
Cant do this stuff with a land line. This generation's phones are their computers.

[Sunlei]

13. I disagree. Of course if you're looking for a job, resume/job search is easier.

Kids online get slammed with everything on social media these days. Constant online is very depressing, especially for young people.

[MadrasT]

23. There are quite a lot of jobs that *require* you to apply online.

I agree with you that people -- especially young people -- over-do it.

The other day I drove past a kids' soccer game and 80% of the adults watching were actually glued to their mobile devices. That made me feel so sad. Why go to your kid's game and then spend your time online on your mobile device instead?

[haele]

24. Kidlet was applying for jobs. Every single business that wasn't small required it online.

She could go to the store and talk to the manager about an opening, but the manager could not hire her unless she applied online first. Help Wanted signs in stores often mean there was a store in the area that needed help, not necessarily the store she was walking into. Local newspapers no longer list specific jobs; they list "openings" and the information they give sends the applicant to a phone bank that sends one to a web site or to the web site, not to a manager.

The two jobs she got at the old fashioned walk in and hand them a resume way were at small businesses managed or owned by flakes, the first was part-time seasonal when she was told it would be full-time permanent, and the second was paying her under the table even though she got an official looking printed "payroll check" with a pay slip with her hours and "federal and state taxes removed" printed out on the notes section below the perforation. No W-2 provided at tax time, and he admitted what he was doing when he had to let her go shortly after she asked about it because she wanted to do her own taxes that year. he did hand her cash back for what he took out just to shut her up before she left.
So he was cheating the IRS, the state and her.

Another thing is college applications - even if you're going to community college, most of the logistics - registration, class schedules and sign-up, homework assignments, quizzes, grades, handouts - are done online through the college site, Blackboard and/or Moodle, and if you are going to apply for a Pell grant or federal student loan, the financial offices send you to the online applications. Yes, you can still stand in line and do all of above, but colleges have used the internet to reduce the number of staff available, so time to get into a class before it fills up, or get a Pell Grant in time to pay for the first semester of the year is not possible for many students.

Online applications has been the way jobs and higher education access have gone for high-school graduates since 2011. While many of the older people are still able to get positions through networking and using the company computer, to get "a foot in the door" requires more than walking in and having a face to face.

Internet is no longer a luxury for those starting out. Unless you're looking at getting a job in a family business or a day-labor type temp job, it's pretty much a requirement.

Haele

[Orrex]

10. If only there were some sort of device made from ink and bound paper

Or maybe some vast region located on the other side of the home's entry door.



If only...

[canoeist52]

12. Well my daughter an her mate do love to go fishing on Sunday, their one day off.

After the equipment investment, this is still free for them.

[Orrex]

14. That's terrific!

However, the point is that there are plenty of no-fee activities even on the other six days of the week.

It's rather like my six year old complaining that there's nothing to eat when we have a fridge and cupboard full of food!

[canoeist52]

15. Name some that they can accomplish in the few hours after work while making dinner.

The point is, their phones are their TV, internet and communication. They can't afford cable, land-line and internet service.
A little understanding goes a long way and calling Millennials six-year-olds will not earn Democrats any support at the polls.

[Orrex]

16. So what's their complaint, exactly?

Last edited Wed Sep 18, 2013, 10:15 AM - Edit history (1)

That they, like everyone else, shouldn't expect people to entertain them for free?
That they, like everyone else, have only limited time available to them?
That they, like everyone else, needs to realize that there's a world outside of their phone?

Boo hoo hoo.

If she dropped her phone in the toilet and thereafter couldn't use it, would she simply sit on the floor and stare into space? Or would she somehow find some other way to occupy her time? I rather suspect the latter. Now all she needs to do is pretend she flushed her phone, and the possibilities will miraculously present themselves.


I wasn't calling your millennial a six year old, by the way. I was pointing out that your millennial's complaint is the same as the complaints that my six year old makes. You are free to draw your own conclusions from this.

[canoeist52]

18. My parent's generation, like most generations before theirs

wanted a better world for their children than they had. What kind of person tells the next generation to just suffer in silence. This is the same message I hear from my conservative friends ("just suck it up&quot .

The problem is that we're getting paid less for their work and cost of living for most of us has become out of reach.

[Orrex]

19. Well, yeah.

I don't know how old your parents are, but the boomer generation certainly didn't implement any policies with the intent to make things better for any subsequent generations.

And no one's saying that millennials should suffer in silence. I'm simply saying that having to entertain yourself without a phone doesn't count as suffering.


I'd love to leave the world in better shape than it was when it was dumped on my generation. If you can tell me how to do it, I'll be happy to help. But likening me to your conservative friends and complaining that your li'l millennial has to entertain herself for a few hours each day is no way to generate sympathy for your cause.

[canoeist52]

20. Precisely, so let us at least, not carry water for conservatives by blaming the victims.

My parent were of the FDR's Greatest Generation. I support continuing the policies they created. Let's not divide the people by pitting one generation against another when these policies will raise the standard of living for all of us.

Strong unions
Affordable healthcare
Livable wages
Access to jobs
Affordable education

What policies are YOU willing to help with?

[Orrex]

21. Those five sound like a good place to start

Not sure how I can help, honestly. My legislators don't listen to me and I can't influence policy.


What do you recommend for effecting change?

[tabbycat31]

22. My parents' generation is the first one to not want their kids to be better off

My parents are boomers (both born in 1949) and working as a political strategist and talking to at least thousands of voters of all ages (from convincing an 18 year old to register to persuading seniors), I can say that the Boomer generation is very selfish (at least when it comes to political issues). Many in my parents generation are moving into 55+ communities because they're forever bitching about paying school taxes (I've heard the line 'my kids are grown and gone why should i have to pay for the schools' several times and actually told a state legislative candidate to not focus so much on education because the district was mostly 50+). I see a very "I got mine f*** you attitude" from many Boomers I've talked to.

But it was the Boomers and their elders who elected Reagan and started this trend (I was an infant when Reagan was elected). Previous generations were able to attend college and get a decent paying job upon graduation and not be saddled with debt. My mom is having trouble understanding why my cousin (19) can't pay her tuition by waiting tables. Even if salaries did keep pace with inflation (waitresses are paid $2.13 before tips) college tuition has risen several times the rate of inflation. A summer job and a work study job was enough for my mom to pay her tuition at a private college.

At 33, I'm either a millennial or Gen X depending on who you ask (I identify much more with the former--- although when on the cusp you can identify as either). I don't know a world where a college degree is a ticket to a good paying job. THe big box store I worked at while in college still starts their associates at the same salary they started people at when I started there in 2000.

[Sunlei]

28. tiny phone screen would drive me crazy too! get her a TV & antenna..Mr. Ed is on 5am, it's free! :)

[nebenaube]

25. Stop it, you are just being an asshole.

The 'world' does not work that way anymore. Big Brother can't track that.

[Orrex]

26. I will not stop being an asshole, thank you very much.

The consequences would be disastrous!

[raccoon]

6. Doesn't the article mean, "They Shouldn't Shut Up About It?" ITA with the sentiment.

"Young People's Unhappiness Comes from Our Broken Economic System -- And They Shouldn't Not Shut Up About It "

[Enthusiast]

8. Kicked and Recommended. nt

[snot]

17. I'M saddened if they "accept" it!

With all their awareness of the forces that seek to influence them, do they not recognize that t.p.t.b. want them to feel powerless, though they're not?

[DonCoquixote]

27. The reason media types slam the millenials

Is because the Media types know, deep down, that they are a major reason why the Millenials have it bad. They know that if Gen X and the Milennials get together, they will want to hang people from the trees!

[canoeist52]

29. Yep, and that's the reason they need to divide us. Fear.

Otherwise they'd not spend the time and effort here in this thread mocking and shaming.