Gen Y

I’m blogging ‘bout my generation… “Generation Y” that is. Generation Y has quite a few aliases: The Millennials, the iGeneration, and even Generation WHY. From these pseudonyms one could make a couple of reasonable assumptions regarding what constitutes a Millennial. The term iGeneration is a simple title with a seemingly simple explanation. The “i” preceding “generation” is an obvious reference to Apple’s beloved iPod. This nickname seems to simply expose that Millennials are music lovers who own an iPod. This assumption is absolutely true, however this “i” represents much more. “i” represents all that the iPod, and its cousin the iPhone stand for: a way to be connected, connected with the world and its media, a way to be connected with the popular culture of the age, and a way to be connected with friends at all times.

So with these simple assumptions made who is Generation Y? According to 60 minutes there are 80 million of us, we were born between 1980 and 1995, we only take yes for an answer, we come first, and we are “all winners.” We are tech savvy “narcissistic praise hounds” who cannot take a harsh comment, our parents (the baby-boomers) and Mr. Rogers told us we were all special, and we are unprepared (?) for work because of this. We are changing the face of business with our flip –flops, iPods and Yoga lessons. We are not going to settle with one job, we are going to keep adapting and changing until we find the career’s we want because we “can be what ever we want.” We will transform the office into a much more efficient, flexible, and nicer place to be.

I agree that I am a part of Generation Y based on the media test (score 21) the age group, as well as most of the assumptions made on 60 minutes. I was born in 1988 to upper-middle class baby-boomer parents in suburbia. I will admit that I do like to hear yes as an answer, but who doesn’t. I was indeed always told that I was a winner, and that I could do what ever I wanted. I believe this is quite true, and Mr. Rogers did indeed tell me I was special… but then again as a cynical child I remember thinking “hey isn’t he telling everyone else they are special too” I want to be more than special… I want to be above the rest, so I work harder and longer than many of my generation. I believe everyone is a “winner” in there own way, however I want to be a champion among winners.

I do enjoy praise, do I work harder for praise… yes, I suppose I do, but don’t we all to a point. I believe our parents (and Rogers) did not ruin us, they simply took a more nurturing approach and they may be on to something… it is said that millennials are changing the workplace for the better. Maybe that is because our parents want us to succeed and perhaps the inflated self-esteem gives us that ability to have our fun while doing exceptional things in the workplace. We are the new phase of the workplace and the elders need to adapt as they exit the workforce. 

I do however feel as though some of the more negative aspects described do not describe me properly. I am not someone who needs to be constantly praised for small tasks. I am a self-motivated person with out the need for a boss acting as a “coach.” I do not buy newspapers but I listen to the paper on my iPod in the morning on my way to class. I know that we are called narcissistic, however it is also said that we put family and friends first over job and career, so we cannot be that narcissistic. It is said that millennials do not hold summer jobs, I do, admittedly not until college, but none the less I do hold a job all year round. I work hard and feel as though my work ethic is more similar to that of the Baby-boomers. I am quite offended that we are stereotyped as only working to be praised by parents and “boss-coaches.” I work hard because I am indeed slightly narcissistic, and I want to be the champion among winners. I want the older generation to understand that we are hard workers; we are their sons and daughters… we are told we will be successful and that is our plan. 

The older generation in the workforce need to understand our goal is success, but we also want to have fun while being successful… and the earliest millennials have proven that we can do both. This is due in large part to our increased knowledge of technology and how to work efficiently and smartly. The older generation needs to understand that we may wear flip-flops and listen to the news on our iPods but we can still relate to them in many ways, and they should treat us as adults. We are reached easiest via email, text message and Instant Message. These new text based communications are still secondary to spoken communication. We communicate in code only via text message and Instant Message not in spoken language… do not try to be “hip” just speak to us like your peers.