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Gen-Y Entitlement Issues

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posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:16 PM
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Disclaimer: Obviously, I can't claim to speak for my entire generation, but I feel that this is applicable to a fair bit of Gen-Y.

I'm 26, definitely part of Gen Y. I get really sick of hearing about entitlement issues left and right. A couple of things that burn me up:

1. "Nobody owes you a job, but you kids have entitlement issues and think that you should just be handed one."

That's right, I'm frustrated that I can't find the means by which I can take responsibility for myself and become a contributing member of society, therefore I have entitlement issues.

2. "You think you should just be handed a job after you graduate college. I had to start at the bottom, and so do you."

That is the biggest load of crap EVER. If you majored in Finance, you started out as a collection agent or a loan processor, not as a lumber associate at Lowe's. See the difference? If you majored in Computer Science, you started out as a PC Tech or maybe on Tech Support, not as a part-time sales associate at Walmart. See the difference?

You started at the bottom of a career path, NOT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.

So if you're one of those that says my generation has entitlement issues and that we're so lucky and spoiled, go fly a kite. There's a gang in every school these days, 50% divorce rates, and the schools become more and more like prisons every single day. Are you really so stupid that you think a bunch of pretty baubles and electronic gizmos make up for that?

Of course we're so obsessed with all these doodads, because it's about all a lot of us have. I'll tell you what I saw over and over growing up: parents too busy with their own emotional crap and their own lives to actually pay attention to their kids and actually raise them.

My mother died when I was 13 and I consider myself LUCKY. Because, before that, I actually had a decent family. You know, parents that were mentally and emotionally available and paid attention to me, set boundaries and stuff. That's a whole heck of a lot better than a lot of my classmates had. (Note: I grew up in small town. I had known the vast majority of the kids I graduated with since I was 10 or 11 years old.)

I watched so many kids be ignored and neglected, but have their parents make themselves feel better by giving their kids plenty of hollow praise (a lot like the "uh-huhs" and "yeahs" you throw into a conversation you're only half listening to) and buy their kids pretty baubles to keep them occupied. And then you people wonder why we have such a hard time putting down the electronics, playing by the rules, and lack discipline.

The truth is that it's hard to become a proper, balanced, well-adjusted adult when nobody even taught half of us how to grow out of being a toddler and into a proper child. And that's why I think it's taking my generation so long to grow up and why our version of being an adult is so outlandish to many of you older folks.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:31 PM
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reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck
 


Amen to you. At 37, I feel as I have spanned a coupl of generations now and see both sides of it. I am the proud father of a 14 year old daughter and 12 year old son and I see what you mean about baubles.

Our children certainly have all they could want materialistic wise, iPod, XBox, and all that. As my wife and I complain that we never see our son because he is on the XBOX, we rarely do anything about it. We do encourage them to interact with us as much as possible when we sit down as a family to dinner. There are also the occasions when we play board games that are always memorable.

I can't comment much to your job rant as I am in the military and I did indeed start at the very bottom more than 18 years ago and am now where I have wanted to be from the beginning of my career.

Times are too fast these days it seems. As cliche as it is, stop and enjoy it sometimes. I grab my son to go play ball with outside when it is nice, I hang out with my daughter in her room and ask random questions. I hope that we are paying as much attention to our children as we can to raise them right and consider them to have very good heads on their shoulders but also see the parts where we help them too much and are now beginning to cut the cord more and more and let them make mistakes and own up to them.

After my ramblings above, I hope everyone takes yours to heart and makes changes where they can and hope that when they send their children out into the world that they know they did all they could.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:40 PM
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I completely agree. Then again im not sure its entitlement so much as realization. I truly believe that it only seems like we have entitlement issues when in reality were just standing up for what other generations hadnt.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:45 PM
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If you have trouble finding a job in your chosen career, change careers. I did. It's working out fine. No sense working at a gas station or walmart the rest of your life griping about how well you could be doing if you were successful in your first choice.
edit on 19-1-2012 by superman2012 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:47 PM
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Hell yeah OP! I'm sick of hearing how we're supposed to bend over and take it just because we're young and angry.

But the older generation has "entitlements" too. You're entitled to a portion of EVERYONE'S income so you can eat, sleep and can peaches on our dime. No one ever asked our generation if we wanted to pay Social Security entitlements for you. But we do it anyway. No one talks about this "entitlement"

Also, when older people were coming up in the job market a college degree actually meant something. Those college boys worked for NASA and Bell Labs. Now, everyone has a college degree. Its the new high school diploma. I'm pissed because we were all promised big paychecks and great jobs if we got a college education. We made good on our side of it, we got our degrees. Now where are all the jobs we were promised? The economy didn't hold up its end of the bargain and thats why we're upset.

Have any of the older generation ever been $100,000 in debt AND working at the mall for minimum wage? Didn't think so.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:52 PM
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Originally posted by superman2012
If you have trouble finding a job in your chosen career, change careers. I did. It's working out fine. No sense working at a gas station or walmart the rest of your life griping about how well you could be doing if you were successful in your first choice.
edit on 19-1-2012 by superman2012 because: (no reason given)


So our choice is:

work in a profession where we have no experience, no education and no desire

OR

work at Wal-Mart and shut up about it?

Not much of a choice.

If I have a Mathematics degree who is going to hire me to copyedit a newspaper? No one.

Be real now.
edit on 19-1-2012 by doctornamtab because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 04:59 PM
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reply to post by doctornamtab
 


But it's really more than that. Don't know about you, but we at my school were told repeatedly for twelve years that it was either get a 4-year degree or be stuck flipping burgers for the rest of our lives. There's a word for that: it's called indoctrination.

And expecting somebody to be able to overcome 12 years of brainwashing just because they hit some nebulous age (18 in the U.S.'s case) shows how out of touch with reality some people are. I don't think it's reasonable to hold people accountable for decisions they made while they were in a brainwashing facility, one that they were in against their own free will.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 05:05 PM
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As the previous post stated, at 38, I see both sides of it. I do ok money wise. Not in the career or job I wanted. Have thought about making a change, but what I do now is pretty stable and I make ok money. If I wasn't married with 3 kids I would probably consider it almost great money.

One thing about college, I think Dave Ramsey said it best. The American People have bought a bill of goods about college. For the most part it does not guarentee a job or at least a higher paying job, UNLESS it is in specific high demand professional programs. If your young I suggest his book, "Total Money Makeover". Good book.

That being said (and I am guilty somewhat of this myself). Too many people when I was in college, and probably WAY too many people now, are getting "useless" degrees. You want a good paying job after college get a degree in engineering, chemistry, or some other hard science or professional program. You do NOT typically get a (highpaying) job in your "career" with a 4 year bachelor degree in sociology, psychology, journalism, underwater basket weaving, art history, etc. Hell even a Masters or Ph'd in these will pretty much get you only into teaching it. Even business degrees are a dime a dozen, you need an MBA and really even those aren't a sure ticket. Get a hard science, or solid professional degree in a job that is or will be in demand. Nursing right now and in the future will be big time. It is not uncommon for nurses in my area (Central Oklahoma) to start at $45,000 or more. I know a 37 year old nurse making almost 70,000....pretty good in any profession. (by the way if these wages sound low remember OK has one of the lowest cost of living rates in the country. Gas is about $2.99 right now. A NEW 1500 square foot house will run you about 130,000 dollars. Job market is decent here).

If you don't go to college get a tech skill. I know an 18 year old high school graduate that went to tech school for WELDING....and is making about 15- 20.00 an hour starting...right out of high school. He will probably make more when he gets some experience and can work in the oil fields.

I don't know, don't want to rant, but no one is studing the "hard" stuff anymore. In fact, I think Federal student loans should probably only be granted for "needed" postions. No more art degree grads with 100K in loans.
edit on 19-1-2012 by SrWingCommander because: add content, clarification

edit on 19-1-2012 by SrWingCommander because: clarification



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 05:16 PM
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reply to post by SrWingCommander
 


I agree. They're handing out way more money than we can pay back. But isnt that the point?

The point of debt is to keep us complacent, off the streets, working terrible jobs and not protesting.

The thing is, we're protesting anyway. They got away with a credit economy for a long time but its crumbling because its fake. Now they try to call us entitled because we want fair wages,

I'm not ragging on you personally, but in general, older people just come at it from a different angle. To them, a "good job" is one that gives you health insurance and a steady paycheck. These aren't really the values of young people. We want to do what we want to do, what we were promised we'd be able to do with our degrees.

We want to make a difference, not just a paycheck.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 05:23 PM
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I just want to know why the old people are so slow to move up the ladder so I can take the bottum. What is there problem? Why are they in my place in socity? Why don't they go do something with their life?

Or maybe the old people should grow up and see a bigger picture and have their imaginary picture come crashing down. The old people are lazy and complain about their jobs; if they do it why would they not expect young people to do it. Most people learn by following and it is my experince when some yells, or that feel, they infact are yelling at themselves. So, why do they not want to grow up?



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 05:56 PM
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reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck
 


S&F for a very worth rant. And unfortunately very understandable.

So guess I should spill the beans here. I'm 50 years old. Not twenty-something. And I would like to add to your rant, if I might.

Many of my generation are yelling things such as "entitled spoiled brats." Why? Because they don't seem to recognize that the world we were raised in, educated in, and became adults in is gone. It is no more. In some instances, maybe it didn't even really exist, but was an illusion. Irregardless, many look around and yell that the problems experienced by our youth is their own fault for not playing by the rules to the game as we were taught. But the game has changed, and screaming nonsense about playing by the rules to the old one is, in my opinion, utter nonsense.

Our culture has gone off the rails, and its the younger generations, trying to figure out how to make it in this mess that has it the worst - by far. My generation needs to realize that we aren't in Kansas anymore. The game has changed. Time to come to terms with that, and stop deluding ourselves that this is a problem with the younger generations. Its our problem - all of us.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 06:13 PM
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reply to post by Open2Truth
 


I agree. It is everybody's problem, regardless of generation. The biggest question is: how do we work together to solve these problems?



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 06:34 PM
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Originally posted by doctornamtab
reply to post by SrWingCommander
 


I agree. They're handing out way more money than we can pay back. But isnt that the point?

The point of debt is to keep us complacent, off the streets, working terrible jobs and not protesting.

The thing is, we're protesting anyway. They got away with a credit economy for a long time but its crumbling because its fake. Now they try to call us entitled because we want fair wages,

I'm not ragging on you personally, but in general, older people just come at it from a different angle. To them, a "good job" is one that gives you health insurance and a steady paycheck. These aren't really the values of young people. We want to do what we want to do, what we were promised we'd be able to do with our degrees.

We want to make a difference, not just a paycheck.


No, I agree, when I was 20, I wanted to work in my degree/area of interest. Problem is as you get older (I am not that old!!!!) Your realize several things. Some people get breaks you didn't. Some obsticals can't be overcome (or the effort isn't maybe worth the gain), your area of study or interest isn't all that necessary to the world. So you have to adapt, because eventually a steady paycheck and some level of affordable health care are needed. Especially if you get married/have kids. Plenty of people make 2 or even 3 major career changes in their lifetime. I am contemplating it myself. It's rough.

BUT I think kids in hgih school need better career education planning. At the very least fall back plans should their "dream" not be attainable or practical. Because the truth is.....we DON"T always get what we want. Despite what 2 generations of parents have often provided to the Gen x/y groups as they were growing up.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 06:40 PM
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Originally posted by Open2Truth
reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck
 


S&F for a very worth rant. And unfortunately very understandable.

So guess I should spill the beans here. I'm 50 years old. Not twenty-something. And I would like to add to your rant, if I might.

Many of my generation are yelling things such as "entitled spoiled brats." Why? Because they don't seem to recognize that the world we were raised in, educated in, and became adults in is gone. It is no more. In some instances, maybe it didn't even really exist, but was an illusion. Irregardless, many look around and yell that the problems experienced by our youth is their own fault for not playing by the rules to the game as we were taught. But the game has changed, and screaming nonsense about playing by the rules to the old one is, in my opinion, utter nonsense.

Our culture has gone off the rails, and its the younger generations, trying to figure out how to make it in this mess that has it the worst - by far. My generation needs to realize that we aren't in Kansas anymore. The game has changed. Time to come to terms with that, and stop deluding ourselves that this is a problem with the younger generations. Its our problem - all of us.



Good point. I am trying to explain to my wife and even rationalize to myself, that things have and are majorly changing. I grew up solid middle class. Dad owned his own business until about 10 years ago. Had a boat, nice house, etc. I make (proportionaltely) more then my dad did at this point in life, and he can't figure out why I don't "have it". One of the major costs I have is medical, it cost much more just to see a dr or go to the ER for my family then it did wehn I was a kid. How about gas? A much larger precentage of our budget goes to that. Insurance is much more then it was when I was a kid. Utilities and food are jumping. Everything costs more, yet all of us thirtysomethings keep reaching for a level of attainment that is (while not impossible) MUCH more difficult to get to today.



posted on Jan, 19 2012 @ 07:35 PM
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Originally posted by doctornamtab

Originally posted by superman2012
If you have trouble finding a job in your chosen career, change careers. I did. It's working out fine. No sense working at a gas station or walmart the rest of your life griping about how well you could be doing if you were successful in your first choice.
edit on 19-1-2012 by superman2012 because: (no reason given)


So our choice is:

work in a profession where we have no experience, no education and no desire

OR

work at Wal-Mart and shut up about it?

Not much of a choice.

If I have a Mathematics degree who is going to hire me to copyedit a newspaper? No one.

Be real now.
edit on 19-1-2012 by doctornamtab because: (no reason given)


I have done it all and heard it all. You are advocating laziness. Sorry I didn't agree with you.

Edit: Or you could do nothing about it but write a rant on ATS. Your choice.
edit on 19-1-2012 by superman2012 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 21 2012 @ 09:42 AM
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reply to post by superman2012
 


And this is more of the same that I'm sick of. Everybody keeps telling me that if I just tried a little harder, if I dug a little deeper, things would get better. If I looked somewhere else, I could get something.

How can I change careers when everybody wants 3-5 years and I have no experience? How can I get anywhere when I am competing against people who've got 3 or 4 four times the experience that I do?

I'm tired of being told that it's somehow some deficiency of mine when the unemployment rate is ridiculous in my area, hiring is at a crawl, and the unemployment rate for my age group is insanely high.







 
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