Generation Y&Z, What is our Place in the World?

reply to post by WhoKnows100


woh now come on ruled by satan? How am i supposed to argue that type of logic?

I actually think our generation will make great advancements,

less people in my generation believe angels are real.

We are more tolerant of others that we don't agree with.

Just because we refuse to live just to work does not make us lazy or spoiled.

reply to post by AsAboveMichael


I understand exactly how you feel, but for me i see the potential, all the possibilities and already some of the young geniuses around the world today, and i have lots of hope!

I know for a fact there are going to be more idiots than on average within our particular crop, but i have faith that my generation will meet any future major crises head on. Kids cant be blamed for being distracted by the adults. Remember, it is adults who create the television shows that desensitize children to violence and sexual content, it is adults who create the video games separating so many of our youth from society, and it is adults perpetuating bigotry in the form of religious truth deluding fresh young minds in their search for meaning.

and here we come to the core of it all, GREED!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

dont hate the players, hate the game, remember!

reply to post by Pedro4077


hahaha while reading your post i was thinking to myself

"those are just meme's cmon man!"

then i got to the bottom

reply to post by muse7


great points, i really wanted to make this thread also to try and highlight how different generations have different qualities and strengths.

its just a different time we have never been through before, all of this is new to us!

reply to post by DocHolidaze

this is a part of your precious generation y and z the youth of america is going downhill quick, i know your not all are like this, but ill tell u this there are way more of these emo,werewolf,vampire lames than there were goths from my day.....its like "hey guys i eat three times a day and live with my parents but my life is horrible, i think im gonna cut myself to show everyone how emotionally hardcore i am"

wow was that really needed. Before you are so quick to judge. Ask yourself who raised this generation and where they got their values from. The finger points right back..

Its not easy growing up. How is such negative criticism going to help. All you are doing is repeating age old patterns. Every modern generation gets critisied by the one before. Its no different now that it has ever been.

But the OP is correct though this generation does have a glimpse of reality that is far different to that which we had when we grew up. Maybe this is what is needed to help address some of the issues we failed at.

Let me see. Where should I start? Where can I start?

I'm twenty-one years of age, got no job, not attending school, no girlfriend, everyone I know and communicate with on a regular basis is under the influence of marijuana at ALL TIMES (on a good day I'll see more than the three people I live with), my thoughts are usually plagued with simulated violence and self created arguments which causes severe psychological discomfort, and everything I do is done alone.

Here is an overview of a typical day for me:

- Wake up after noon- I hate this part. If I'm lucky I'll remember the dream I had and this will impact my thoughts throughout the day and give me hope that there might be something more out there. I might write something if a creative thought enters my mind. If I wake up depressed, I'll go back to sleep. There is no hope if I wake up angry.

- After waking up I'll usually read in bed for an hour or so. This warms my brain for the long day of idle thinking that will surely follow. It also gives me the satisfaction of feeling productive- this is a false feeling as I see almost no benefit in reading fiction; if there is any affect, it's on the subconscious level.

- I'll usually cook a balanced breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and oats. Bear in mind, this happens around 3pm. If I don't feel up to cooking anything, or the thought simply escapes my mind, I just won't eat.

- The next few hours are spent reading, sitting around with my roommates, looking for a job, sleeping, thinking and soon forgetting, cleaning house, playing or bitching at the dog depending on my mood and what he's done, sitting around more, or exercising- i hate doing this, but it is occasionally rewarding. Rarely I'll actually have an obligation to go out and do something- shopping, going to the bank to get rent money (I can't wait to do this tomorrow, really), or I'll go for a drive to fulfill the need to get out of the house. Every few days- yes, every few days- I'll get on the internet and end up lurking ATS if there are good threads, if not, research things of possible interest on Wikipedia; I do not social network.

- Repeat the previous bullet or look for food. By this time two of my roommates go to work- they deliver food- and the other is returning from the daily grind.

- Some nights I'll go out and ride my bike or go for a run or both. I enjoy being outside at night because it's the only time the temperature is bearable. Luckily for me, fall is afoot. If not, I'll read more, browse the net, look for jobs online, maybe play a video game, or hang out with the mates. About once a week I'll drink- always alone- and play video games; I've tried reading, but it simply doesn't work.

- Continue being awake until I become unconscious around 4am or so.

Looking at it in words makes it look a lot worse than it feels, or does it? I don't know.

Sorry if this has been a bit off-topic, but I'm just trying to give y'all a bit of background information.

I would like to go back to school and genuinely make a difference in my life, the lives of the people that are close to me, and in society and the world. The truth is I can't afford it. My parents want to get a loan, but I don't think it's worth it to inevitably pile debt on their shoulders so I'll have the chance of possibly having a career.

I want to get a job and save my money for school and become self-sufficient. I want them to be proud of me without taking advantage of them to achieve my goals. This seems unrealistic to me. Every job I've had has been obtained because of the people I've known and not by the merits of hard work, consistency, reliability, or ambition that I KNOW I have. Every application is justifiably sent with little hope. If I truly want the job, I let them know that I want the job. I leave most interviews in high hopes only to never hear from the employer. Another thing, it seems to me at least, employers standards are too high. Almost every job opening I'm remotely interested in requires a minimum of one year of experience. These are usually menial positions: restaurant staff, driver positions, county positions, etc.

Every problem I seem to have is compounded by our sterilized society. A society that labels everything and dehumanizes mankind to a piece of paper, or a reference list, or an employment history, or a questionnaire, or a college transcript. This cannot be good for the collective consciousness of this country. We are producing robots here. This has led me to become skeptical of almost anything structured, anything government related, anything lawful, and even science related. Instead of structure, I favor chaos; something I never would have before I was cast into the real world.

The only solace I get in having such an ascetic lifestyle, one devoid of meaning, responsibility, satisfaction, and pleasure is that I'm not taking part in this system. I pay rent and I buy alcohol, that's about it. And gas.

I do feel hopeless.

From my perspective the Y&Z's have no place. I have no place.

We inherited this world and we will die in this world.

Hopefully this will change.

PS: OP, I'm glad you found something you're passionate about. That's really all there is.

I was part of the x generation, and it was the same, we live in the best age possible, best technology, best country, best economy, best everything. It's all a lie just to keep people docile enough to stay n school for 16 years of their life.

reply to post by JohnnyNuisance


you are right and i feel for you, the hopelessness is pervasive, the hardest part is getting out of the hopelessness.

Check it out, in reality you wont be able to afford a thing until your 24, my parents don't pay for school and i dont go to school! I take classes on the side at intervals when i can afford it, whats the rush? and i have TA DA, the internet, the ultimate library of knowledge where everything you need to know awaits! you are already on the right mental track to helping yourself, trust me the fact that you even want to is a start.

just have a little more hope, it takes adapting, employers want the robot, so you have to pretend, so what? doesn't mean you are a robot.

Its all just realizing life is long and short at the same time, you will have PLENTY of time to find a better job later in life, and you have no idea where you will be in three years, just try to remove the hopelessness.

The fact that you even read for a hobby daily is what i am talking about! see the potential in yourself because I even as a random stranger see it! We are not measured by paper like you said, so dont act like it then!

Fake it till you make it being who you want to be!

reply to post by filosophia


I am not stating we are better than anyone, just different! its a different time, and every time breeds different personalities, i mainly want my peers and fellow youth to stop feeling so down in a time when we should all be excitedly looking forward!!

reply to post by JohnnyNuisance


this all will change, but it has to start with you and me!

i agree, but everybody has a passion! its just hidden waiting to be unlocked by the right set of circumstances that's all.......

reply to post by purplemer


That is the ultimate dream i guess, again its not saying my generation is better, im just saying as every generation has had their proper place in the fold i wonder what mine will be? There are so many differing opinions and so many different personalities present its hard to try and get a grip on what my generations strengths are going to be.

Nothing to do but keep trying and move forward!

reply to post by POPtheKlEEN89


heh, thanks.

It's real easy to express yourself on the internet as you said in the OP. Try doing that in public and getting sympathy or anything for that matter. People would be like

reply to post by JohnnyNuisance


Wow, I can really relate to this. You express yourself in a very clear manner, I kind of want to copy-paste a majority of what you wrote to describe how I feel about my life, with a couple of exceptions that make my days a little brighter (having a girlfriend, I don't drink anymore, I work a little bit).

The only reason I get some work is because my parents know people who can get me some work. For now it looks like that pure luck could possibly land me at least enough work to survive. The problem is that since I lost my previous job, I need education to get another permanent job. I've already payed down my student loans once. I'm over my neck in debt just to have a place to live. I sometimes HAVE to use a creditcard to put food on my table. I feel like almost all my effort will only make me able to pay back debt that I'm forced to obtain unless I want to be a parasite and live off my parents or give up my freedom completely and be dependent on the government to give me shelter and food. Or maybe I could become a criminal, selling drugs or something.

It's not that I'm not a good worker or anything like that. It's just that I feel like I'm constantly forced into debt, and most of the money I would earn wouldn't even go towards paying back the loans, I mostly just pay interest. What a scam it is.

The big problem for me is the fact that it wasn't like this for the previous generation. The apartment I'm living in costs me the same amount pr MONTH as it would cost to BUY the apartment when they were my age. My studentloans that I've already payed off could have bought me 22 apartments like this one back then. My parents bought an apartment, lived there for a couple of years, sold it, and bought a house. Because the prices was skyrocketing. I have to buy the apartment at such a high price, that I'm pretty much stuck in this apartment the rest of my life, even if I get a good job. The price of the apartment doesn't rice like it used to, so there is no profit from selling it. The last place I lived was a big LOSS when I sold it.

We are the losers, because the capitalistic system, based on constant growth, have stopped. We don't get bigger paychecks every year, like they did back then. We are actually encouraged to accept lower paychecks. "Don't be so picky".

I hate everything that is in a system too. I prefer chaos. Chaos is at least fair. The systems I see around me only makes sure the upcoming generations don't have a chance to get out of the rut.

How can I see the world as anything but bleak?

reply to post by Litterate


Thanks for that.

I can't stand talking to elders about my future (although my grandma is pretty understanding). They think it is so simple to just get out there and do it. Most of the advice older people give is the worst, contrary to common sense, on account that it isn't relevant to modern situations. Times are not like they used to be. There is no way to afford a future without it already being predestined.

My last job was working at CVS during the night shift. 10pm-7am. It was me and one woman operating the whole store. We would man the registers, deal with customers, shoplifters, the 2am drunk rush, coupon queens, stock, clean, face, scan, move product, pull and place sales tags, parking lot duties (my favorite part of the job), pull out of dates, deal with management in the morning, and perform to a given accuracy. It was seven days working and seven days off so you never got used to the time. We were paid $8.25, the same as the day crew that just had to deal with customers and occasionally a few other jobs. During my interview they told me this was to save money. The job wasn't so bad, but the schedule was killing me. I live with three other guys that are up during the day and we have THIN walls. They would be yelling, playing music, the dog would bark, etc. Needless to say, I was always pissed off and I was skipping meals.

On the way to work I seriously thought about wrecking my car into something just so I could get out of it. Or gutting myself with a box cutter during truck nights. These are not good thoughts to have. In the end I put in my two weeks and told them I was going to college (I actually believed this). I never went and I've never been back to that store.

The weeks I worked I couldn't do anything. I stayed in all the time and tried to sleep. I slept a lot during my weeks off even though I didn't want to. And even on the weeks off I thought about suicide because I didn't want to go back.

The point is, I couldn't really afford to buy much on $8.25 an hour, let alone college and rent and all the other BS we're required to have or can't live without. It really is a rigged game we're playing here. It's amazing to me that more people don't see this or feel this way. There isn't any way to look at it other than through jaded eyes.

At least I'm debt free and my mom is building my credit- who needs it anyway? I can't imagine working for nothing but interest. On second thought, I have a $17,000 doctor bill because I got bit by a snake. That's right, $17,000 for a pack of anti-venom. The doctor said it would be expensive. If a doctor says something is expensive, DO NOT DO IT. Needless to say, the harassment notes my dad gets go straight in the shredder.

You older folks that have established lives, just think of how hard it's going to be for us. I hope it gets easier or at least becomes understandable in the future, but I think not. You might have your opinions that we're all spoiled and lazy and ignorant, and you might be right, but just understand that we're all people in the same situation as everyone else. No one wants this.

reply to post by JohnnyNuisance


It's really sickening that many young people who get poorer each year don't have a clue as to WHY they seem to be less fortunate than their parents were. The ones lucky enough to have a job work just as much or more than their parents did, and often 1 person have to do what used to be 2 or 3 persons work in the same timespan.

And their parents don't seem to understand either, because they had the opportunity to save some money, not spend it all on food and shelter. They could pay off their loans, so they could take new loans and upgrade. But they didn't have to loan the maximum amount the bank is willing to loan to you, just to have a roof over your head.

If anyone is spoiled, it's the parents of todays young. They had hardworking parents who gave them every opportunity to succeed. It made them think it was easy, so they never did the same for the young ones of today. I have never been handed anything from my parents, and neither have any of my friends. They have been told to earn it themselves, under conditions severely different from the conditions they themselves had.

Yeah, you heard me right. I blame those who are 50-65 years old today. They are the ones who let the world get this way. They are the "dessert-generation", who ruined the world that THEIR parents buildt after WW2.

I have nothing but respect for the generation of my grandparents. They worked hard and fought for the rights of the working man and woman, to give their sons and daughters the greatest possibility here in life. Now they are stuck in badly run nursinghomes, because they have to be cost-effective. And that too is the fault of the generation of my parents.

Sometimes I wonder if my choice not to have any children of my own isn't ALL because I don't want to let anyone into a life of only suffering, but also to make sure my parents die out. It sounds pretty strong, but it's the truth. They have ruined the human experience for all of us.

Rant over.

... SMH. To succeed you must become one of them you have to see yourself in the eyes of others. Your self loathing attitudes is the main reason why you cant land a good job. most of you have more work experience then i do and i probably make double the money. Interviewers are trained in the language of the body, so if you want to manipulate society like they manipulate you one has to learn the ins and outs of the manipulation. "to understand the game before you can play it". Your words convey a confident and hard worker... but your body says the opposite. to change that you need to believe in yourself. If you hate your life and aren't satisfied with any of it... YOU NEED TO CHANGE WHAT YOUR DOING. Going through the same routine over and over and over again is going to get you the same result over and over and over again. Thats the biggest problem with our generation.... A major lack in motivation and blaming others for our misfortune. the individual makes his own fortune.

Some of us are the best of the best. But most are the worst of the worst. If all you have in your area is Min wage jobs you need to pack up and GTFO.
Quit hating your situation, you put yourself there. To hate society is to hate yourself. To hate yourself is to guarantee everyone else is going to hate you. Wake up and get a job. remember that your competing with hundreds that want the same position. you have to sell yourself as if your better then them all... easier said then done.

Our generation has alot more potential then any before us. As every previous generation has said before us.... And if you think about it, its true every generation has more potential then the one before it because more opportunities become available.

Sorry if i offended any of you but your the masters of your life. TBH my life is sucking pretty bad right now but you know what im going to make a difference and i know all things will pass with time as long as i work towards them passing.

to the comments about our generation and the ones preceding it being brainwashed into a "satanic" way of life i say that your right. but if the individual is ignorant enough to stay that way he deserves whats coming to him. if you choose to reject information your ignorance is your handicap. If the information you find isn't true you've grown a little, but if it is true you grow alot more. The path of "darkness" is not a rewarding one and i feel like alot of ppl will follow this for a time and realize that its getting them NOWHERE and on the contrary begin to find its harmful and counter productive. sadly there will be alot of us that are content with a sedentary life. we have noone to blame but ourselves.

Like i said OUR generation has limitless potential, but we are not using it. not in the least.
GET UP, WAKE UP, learn something that will change your life. its out there, and in todays society its only a click away.

stepping of the soap box...

reply to post by AsAboveMichael



I agree with you 100%.

If you're not willing or able to carry yourself well and communicate with more than words then you are at a severe disadvantage. I've learned this already and try to be ideal in appropriate situations. Standing up straight, eye contact, a firm handshake, and genuine interest just don't seem to cut it these days. In interviews I try to make myself seem confident and not at all desperate.

As good as packing up and GTFO sounds, for some people it's just not that easy. My family and friends are here in this town- this town I've lived in for all my life- and I've got two years left on my rent contract. It is definitely possible to disregard everything and just leave and, for me, this is still a huge possibility. I guess in that sense I have kept myself in this situation.

In the end, there will always be the few in power, the few that make a difference in society, and the millions and millions that will blindly follow. Just look to the past and you'll see the future, but this one has drones, and smart phones, and corrupt western governments, and boundless entertainment fighting for the truth. We're all just stuck in the middle of it. We can choose sides, but does that really matter? It will be interesting to see how all this plays out, how this new generation, the "igeneration," will use these breakthroughs to better or destroy the world. Frankly, I don't know and can't begin to know what the future holds. This is one reason why I continue to search here on ATS.

Hmm, let's see. Generation Y Z, whats your place in this world?


Ever seen the movie "Idiocracy"?

You guys are step one on the path to that.