Generation Y and a sense of entitlement
I was recently asked, “Do you think Generation Y has a sense of entitlement?”
I was born in 1983 so I fit the bill for Gen Y. While I agree that people in my generation do feel like they can do ANYTHING and that they deserve the best that the world has to offer, I don’t think that labeling it a “sense of entitlement” is the correct spin to put on it.
I prefer to think of it as an imagination revolution. Gen Y-ers are realizing that their dreams can really come true. We don’t think that the world owes something but we DO think that the world has more to offer than previous generations.
Look at how far we’ve come in the last 20 years. The Internet, overcoming the Cold War, Web 2.0, 9/11, a biracial president, and what’s next? Why shouldn’t we feel like life has more to offer us than ever before? Why shouldn’t we look to all the possibilities of the world with wonder and excitement and ask, “What’s next? What’s next for me? What’s next for us?”
I encourage people my age to reclaim their sense of worth. I don’t call it a sense of entitlement. Maybe that exists but I just don’t see it. It’s an imagination revolution. We’ve figured it out and we’re going places with it.
-Heidi Briones, Lifestyle Designer
Yes, every generation should strive to better the previous. Yes also to having a positive belief that more opportunities await those who have the creative vision AND willingness to work for it!
BUT … the entitlement mindset is reflected in the feeling that ” … life has more to OFFER …” instead of ” … we can DO more in our lives than the generations before …”; or “What’s next for ME?” instead of “What can we DO that the previous generations did not …”
So YES …your very statements show that the “entitlement mindset” does exist. And like fishes in water do not notice the water, you are simply not able to see it.
However, stay positive, you’ll soon learn that in a world of all Gen Y’ers (and later) … you will have to learn to rely on yourself. The rest of us “nasty and misguided” oldies cannot be around for much longer.
I do not hope to change your view, but I do hope you’ll remember when it is your generation’s turn to deal with the Gen Z, Gen AA, Gen AB, whatever.
I see your point. I purposely used language that insinuates a sense of entitlement. Basically to show that we do SOUND like we have a sense of entitlement but it’s more like the fact that we are more positive than previous generations.
The world DOES have a lot to offer. Just in being itself. Humans often DO more damage than good. Generation Y is traveling more than any other generation. Realizing that the world is beautiful in and of itself. It’s not all about trying to DO things. Sometimes we need to just take a step back and let things happen. I think we’re better at this than other generations.
But only time will tell.
“What’s next? What’s next for me? What’s next for us?” I’ll tell you ‘what’, hard work and dedication, not an executive position at 25. These youngsters think that because computers work fast and achieve more in less time, they should be entitled, yes I said entitled, to the same horizontal growth. Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen, implement one and then another and another until it works. Don’t work for someone and want a cut of their idea. You will have to work hard for years, or have a unique approach, to make millions fast. Good luck with the imagination revolution, imagination is what this country was built on so I don’t see how Gen Y has any better chance of an imagination revolution than any other generation. I am not trying to tear that down, but to open your eyes to the history that shows imagination is not new.
“Hard work” is being redefined though. It’s more effective and productive to work smart and not hard. This is becoming increasingly clear now as our economy is less based on production and more based on innovation and the selling of ideas rather than the creation of physical products.
I don’t think an executive position is something that most 25 year olds want. I don’t hear anyone my age talking about that.
The problem is that older people tend to assume that younger people have the same goals but rather a different way of going about them. What if we have DIFFERENT goals altogether?
As far the imagination revolution, of course imagination is not a new concept. That’s why we need a revolution. Human rights are not a new concept but we sometimes need a revolution to reenact and enforce them. That’s what we need. We need to use our imaginations in order to come up with new ways to live. The old does not work anymore and that is clear by the state of our economy. We need some type of revolution so why not one that focuses on imagination and creativity? I think that’s a good goal.