[avant-garde]

This post may seem long, but it addresses a major social concern.

Given the fact that many young adults these days have been taught to "expect" things rather than "earn" them, I believe that Generation Y (born 1980s-2000) carries an unusually high self-esteem and sense of optimism. These expectations will most likely burst like a bubble once Gen Y'ers begin to experience the realities of life they never imagined. Increasingly, globalization means more competition for the same jobs. Costs of living are much higher, and even buying a decent house is out of reach for many. However, today's generation of kids and young adults tend to expect more from their lives than kids in the past, when they should actually be expecting less. Parenting techniques geared toward blindly raising self-esteem for no reason and the kinds of messages portrayed by the media seem to be the two biggest factors contributing to this gradual degradation.

Above I've summed up the conclusions across many independent studies, and especially Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled - and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D.

But I'm sure many of you have already noticed this happening all around you. (I have, but I can't compare it with another generation I haven't lived, so I've read these studies in my free time.)

It is clear that the downside to freedom, individuality, and the loosening of social norms is that people tend to feel more lonely, depressed, and unsatisfied compared to previous generations. People focus a lot more on "me first" rather than "others" these days, thinking that these values will provide more fulfillment as a result. Such attitudes have been shown to ultimately cause a significant amount of pain to ourselves and our society.

This is how youthful lies, although filled with good intent, have ended up poisoning us.

Taking these trends into account, what are some big social problems just waiting to happen? How much further can we continue like this?

[terrorist]

I agree very much with what you said here, it's a serious issue indeed.

In my opinion, I think this issue will become worse and worse, due to the fact that technology grows.
people have become much more preoccupied into other responsibilities that we fail to keep a regular communication with our parents and beloved ones.
Other things also contribute, such as money, college, work and overall how this worldly system works. My manager works 60 hours a week and only see's his wife on Sunday's. that's unhealthy.

what are some big social problems just waiting to happen? How much further can we continue like this?

Well the only solution, coming from experience.. is poverty. Poverty brings families together.
http://www.aikenstandard.com/Nation/0705-m...ession-families <--

It's simple really... living poor is actually living happier in some sense. It really depends on your "need's", but as human beings we all "need" love. So, In conclusion this recession is a good thing. xD

taught to "expect" things rather than "earn" them

most kids are "given" things from what their parents have gain from hard labor. This habitual attitude of receiving will probably go on for long periods of time. Which in extent they'll only learn to "expect" things.

Poverty in the other hand, well you're born with nothing, pretty much. You got to put yourself through hard labor in order to "earn" a living, etc.

In ex: Think about U.S relationship with China. Why China is wealthier compared to U.S.A

So, In MY opinion, i believe strongly that poverty can solve this type of issue.

[HaplessChild]

Poverty in the other hand, well you're born with nothing, pretty much. You got to put yourself through hard labor in order to "earn" a living, etc.

In ex: Think about U.S relationship with China. Why China is wealthier compared to U.S.A

So, In MY opinion, i believe strongly that poverty can solve this type of issue.

War. The answer to that is war.

[Tuffcore]

Generation X was the first generation of kids (probably the first since the industrial revolution) that didn't necessarily make more money than their parents. This trend will likely continue and be more prominent with Generation Y. As said, with the globalization of jobs, competition is greater than ever.

[l3lo]

this is basically what you call, EVOLUTION.

[iDoof]

avant-garde, you've made a good observation of the impact that our changing society has on our attitudes and outlook. Have you thought about a working method to address this problem? Do you believe that positive steps by intelligent people can make a difference in this dire situation?

Personally, I don't think that high expectations and high self-esteem are a bad thing. Is it so bad to believe that you can do anything and to believe that the world around you could be so much better? And I think it's wonderful that a broader spectrum of people have higher standards of living and have more resources to make something of themselves. The way I see it, the problem you've pointed out exists not because they want too much, but because they have a false sense of what it takes to make things different.

Change takes patience, hard work, teamwork, and an undying, optimistic spirit. These things are learned from proper education from role models, parents and teachers.

I think, therefore, that a good solution to this problem lies in education. Parents and teachers need to push children and SHOW them what hard work means and what one can gain from it.

[terrorist]

interesting thought that the top sellers of books these days are (self help book)
sure these rich people can provide a wealthy physical life
but mentally they're deprived.

just go to barns and nobles...

[avant-garde]

Change takes patience, hard work, teamwork, and an undying, optimistic spirit. These things are learned from proper education from role models, parents and teachers.

Like you said, education is the way to fix these problems. However, I'm very skeptical about teaching new values to anyone over the age of 10 or so. This is also the age where learning a new language becomes almost impossible just by listening to it. Education is the best way to change the trends mentioned in the original post. It has to begin at an early age. After that, we only learn what we want to hear.

One kind of education that schools never include in their curriculum is the importance of introspective thinking.

[itrayya]

*read, read, read*

i agree with a fellow soompi that children now and day get what they want from their parents' hard labor.
and i agree that kids now and days expect things to be given to them.
ugh. so not my kinda crew.

i agree so so with terrorist (although it feels weird to type that word),
that the rich are often mentally deprived and does not know what hard work is.

i respect the rich people who actually got there by working,
but for those sons and daughters who just get handed their parents' company,
ugh, so not my kinda people.

for first generation americans, i think they often value the 'american dream' more.
and they are often more for 'me', 'family', 'community.'
my parents are not educated, and they've farmed when they were little kids,
having their values passed down to me, siblings,
we actually grew up with the mentality that we do have to earn our own.
we have to build our own house, we have to build our own dreams,
that is through school, through education, through respect, etc.

i think im going off topic, but,

yes, education is the best way.
BUT WITH THE YOUNGIN'S THESE DAYS, REAL EXPERIENCES ARE THE WAY TO THEM.
like, having them be on the grounds of poverty,
having them see that half the world can survive without ipods, laptops, etc.

education is heard through the ears, read through the eyes,
but if it's not felt with the heart, it wont go toooo far.

*rants on*

[ShadowMax76]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Education. You'd assume that means something to do with intelligence, and jamming knowledge into someone. Yet the very basis of that concept is simply 'to learn'. And how do people learn? Experiences [as said]. Be it others', or our own.

Where do experiences come from? Movies? Books? Internet?

Corrective thinking.. I guess that could be called doing it rough in reality. Yet.. why go that far? It somewhat diminishes what our hard working parents have been doing - however ironic in saying that may be. Yet, if there is no other way..

As the two videos mention, if I remember correctly, we need to train our emotions. To not fear failure, but accept it with unflinching eyes. The difference between a 'spoiled' kid and a kid scarred by poverty, is his or her emotional capabilities to strive and do what it takes to survive. How many times have we heard of successful celebrities tell of an incredible hardship? Walt Disney, Oprah, ... the list is endless.

_Even with empathy at it's best, film might not be enough to emotionally exercise children. Yet, if i could suggest jokingly, perhaps they should force schools of kids to watch "The Pursuit of Happyness". Did me some good. Aha. And should I resist mentioning that all-too loved line from Fight Club?

Tyler Durden: _{Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy mini cooper we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives.} We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

[shotamerican]

i think most of generation Y tend to feel self-entitled to things. they want that new expensive jacket. they deserve to have it. someone with more money (or any money that isn't yours) should buy it for you. i thought this pattern of behavior would die out once some of the kids hit the real world. but i've seen too many people still like this in their late twenties.

thinking about this stuff is depressing, though. i wonder if generation Y will raise kids of similar mindsets.

[dudnaito]

I agree very much with what you said here, it's a serious issue indeed.

In my opinion, I think this issue will become worse and worse, due to the fact that technology grows.
people have become much more preoccupied into other responsibilities that we fail to keep a regular communication with our parents and beloved ones.
Other things also contribute, such as money, college, work and overall how this worldly system works. My manager works 60 hours a week and only see's his wife on Sunday's. that's unhealthy.



Well the only solution, coming from experience.. is poverty. Poverty brings families together.
http://www.aikenstandard.com/Nation/0705-m...ession-families <--

It's simple really... living poor is actually living happier in some sense. It really depends on your "need's", but as human beings we all "need" love. So, In conclusion this recession is a good thing. xD


most kids are "given" things from what their parents have gain from hard labor. This habitual attitude of receiving will probably go on for long periods of time. Which in extent they'll only learn to "expect" things.

Poverty in the other hand, well you're born with nothing, pretty much. You got to put yourself through hard labor in order to "earn" a living, etc.

In ex: Think about U.S relationship with China. Why China is wealthier compared to U.S.A

So, In MY opinion, i believe strongly that poverty can solve this type of issue.

this is a joke, right? You're saying that China's poverty is the reason why it's wealthier than the US? And what measure of wealth exactly are you using to say that China is wealthier than the US, which is in almost every decent measure patently false.

[Aziraphale]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Education. You'd assume that means something to do with intelligence, and jamming knowledge into someone. Yet the very basis of that concept is simply 'to learn'. And how do people learn? Experiences [as said]. Be it others', or our own.

Where do experiences come from? Movies? Books? Internet?

Corrective thinking.. I guess that could be called doing it rough in reality. Yet.. why go that far? It somewhat diminishes what our hard working parents have been doing - however ironic in saying that may be. Yet, if there is no other way..

As the two videos mention, if I remember correctly, we need to train our emotions. To not fear failure, but accept it with unflinching eyes. The difference between a 'spoiled' kid and a kid scarred by poverty, is his or her emotional capabilities to strive and do what it takes to survive. How many times have we heard of successful celebrities tell of an incredible hardship? Walt Disney, Oprah, ... the list is endless.

_Even with empathy at it's best, film might not be enough to emotionally exercise children. Yet, if i could suggest jokingly, perhaps they should force schools of kids to watch "The Pursuit of Happyness". Did me some good. Aha. And should I resist mentioning that all-too loved line from Fight Club?

http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?s=&...&p=12675955

INTRUDER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't post here until you turn 20!

[F999KR]

This doesn't apply to me. I grew up with a single mom, just me, her, and my sister. I don't expect anything, I work for it.

[sunnyskys*]

In response to the "Me first" phenomenon, isn't it due to the spread of individualist culture in relation to urbanization?
You can imagine a smaller town or community functioning differently where everyone knows each other.
Doesn't happen very often in big, metropolitan cities.
Capitalism is a catalyst for it although Japan is known for combining collectivism+individualism together.

[мιℓкнee]

It is clear that the downside to freedom, individuality, and the loosening of social norms is that people tend to feel more lonely, depressed, and unsatisfied compared to previous generations.

I agree to a certain extent with that statement. I often follow the beat of my own drummer but sometimes end up alienating the people around me at the same time. However, I don't see this as a "downside." Especially, if you're the one making the decisions. If conforming makes you happier, go for it. What can you really do about it?