It's about damn time that our generation takes a look at itself and actually realizes that it's time to grow up. We are the most coddled generation in history and it is apparent in both our work ethic and our outlook on life. We expect things to be hand delivered to us and we love attention and praise for doing what is required of us.
We are easily one of the softest generations in history and it is time we address this issue now before it gets too out of hand. If we want to change the way things are moving for our generation, we have to break old habits that are keeping us down. Sometimes these habits and thoughts were put into our minds by our parents and our society, but we've got to man up and to take initiative before we develop into a bunch of soft whine-y babies. Here are the 10 reasons why this generation is soft:
We are used to being spoon fed everything.
Everything is too convenient for our generation, our parents are not the only ones at fault in this situation, society is the culprit as well. We understand that our parents wanted to give us the life they never had, but that may just be the problem. We have been coddled from birth in this perfect bubble where we get what we want, when we want.
It's time we wake up and realize the real world doesn't spoon feed anyone. It's a rough place and once you leave the confines of your college dorm or your parents home, you will have a rough adjustment if you think everything is going to be as easy as living at home.
We seek recognition for the dumbest things.
There has never been an attention-thirsty generation quite like this. From elementary school, we had our teachers and parents kissing our asses and rewarding us for every minor thing that we did. Do well on a test, here's a sticker; good report card, parents buy us a gift. This reward system has caused us to seek attention for everything that we do.
Now no task can be done without our seeking some sort of reward for it; for example: even when we do tasks that are normally required of us at work or in our everyday lives, we seek recognition. Our mentality when it comes to this issue needs to be changed, as people need to realize that they do not need attention for everything they do. Honestly, it's getting a little ridiculous. Do you think the baby boomer generation got to where they are today by always yearning for attention and recognition?
They expect to work 9 to 5 and become successful.
A big misconception in this generation is the idea that getting rich quick is actually a feasible feat. This great misconception is a driving force in today's generation and it is our job to bring a change to this way of thinking. Becoming successful is going to take time and effort, nothing comes easy in this world.
If you truly want to become successful, you're going to have to go beyond the call of duty in order to show people that you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. If you want a 9 to 5, go work at Starbucks or the Post Office, but if you truly want to make anything of yourself, you're going to need to understand that a 9 to 5 mentality is going to get you nowhere.
We get offended when someone criticizes us with the intention of helping us improve as human beings.
I have never witnessed a softer generation in my life. Our generation has to be one of the most pampered and whine-y generations in history. This extends all the way to the manner in which people take criticism. It is impossible to give constructive criticism to people in our generation as we all think that we have the answers to everything.
If someone who has been through a certain experience is trying to help you go through a similar one, it is imperative that we listen to him as he has our best interests in mind. Put your ego to the side and take advice, you do not have to listen word for word, but he will bring up some useful points to help you improve your situation.
We feel a sense of entitlement, as if the world owes us something for being alive.
The biggest difference between our generation and the generations before us is that we were raised in a time when this country was thriving economically. In those times, we were given whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. This has led to a sense of entitlement with everything that we do.
Now that we are in a recession and times are difficult economically, it is hard for us to understand that we can't get everything that we want. This also translates to the manner in which we look for jobs and our work ethic when we get those jobs. In a highly competitive world, we are going to get nowhere thinking the world owes us anything.
In order to differentiate yourself from the crowd, you are going to have to show something different in your work ethic. We are the most judged generation and the older folks don't expect much from us. Prove them wrong with your work ethic and show them that you know the world is yours, but it doesn't owe you anything.
We always look for the easy way out.
We have to be one of the laziest generations in history. Although we are smart and really skilled, our downfall is that we do not seem to work well in environments that don't keep us interested. In addition, we all look for the easy way out of things.
No one wants to roll up their sleeves and actually get work done, as they are used to having things served to them. Well it's time we woke up and realized we are lazy and we have lazy habits. We constantly wait until the last minute to get things done and we always find something more interesting to do than the duties we are obligated to get done.
As you read this article, you probably have a pile of work to finish before you can leave the office, but who cares? You'd rather sit there and read our site, then get that work done.
Gen-Y is easily flustered by the obstacles we face.
What happened to all the people who enjoyed being challenged and solving problems? One of our biggest faults as a group is the way we are easily deterred by obstacles. Instead of facing obstacles with grit and creativity, we let them conquer us.
Many people in our generation see hurdles on the road to success as daunting tasks that can never be completed. Instead of getting intimidated, we need to take the proper time and focus to actually circumvent the issue if we want to improve ourselves. Just because someone has failed at something and they deem it impossible doesn't mean it cannot be done.
We reward stupidity.
Has there been a time where stupidity has been rewarded quite like the way it is in our generation? It is hard to believe that people can get national recognition for the dumb things they have done. For example: Kim Kardashian has become famous for her sex tape or Lindsay Lohan for her insane drug habits.
In America, stupidity is encouraged more than it is frowned upon. Just look at the TV shows people find interesting these days, some include the likes of "The Jersey Shore," "Buckwild" and even "Teen Mom." If this isn't enough to prove this point, look how much attention Amanda Bynes has gotten recently for her wild antics.
More people in our generation know what is going on with Kim Kardashian than what is actually going on in the world. If you want to read more on this issue please refer back to our piece Why Do We Reward Stupidity?
Time out is our punishment whereas older generations got beatings.
We have all heard stories that our grandparents and parents have told us of how they used to be physically reprimanded for their transgressions. Nowadays, it's considered child abuse if you lay a hand on your child. This is a problem because kids end up bitching their parents out and most of the time it just ends in a screaming match.
People used to consider beatings a normal form of punishment that really was straight to the point and effective at getting the idea across. Now people consider time out punishment, this has to be one of the softest transitions in our generation. If you have a fresh mouth with your parents, there is nothing wrong if they decide to give you a quick smack across that mouth. Would that teach you to keep your mouth shut or will putting you in timeout for an hour do the job?
We live in an era that is too politically correct.
It has come to a point in our society where we have to be extremely cautious with what we say because people have become way too sensitive. You cannot speak freely without offending someone these days and this is really a nuisance. More terms have been labeled as offensive in this generation than at any time before. People need to realize that not everything that is said is meant to be offensive, it is just a style of talking that people may use.
As Roy Hibbert can attest, we live in an era in which you can get charged $75K for saying "no homo." Don't be so hard on those around you, as it's not all about you and what you think, if you find yourself getting offended at everything people say, it's time you realize that it's you and not them.
