Generations

Generations Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in the past? The future? If one were to choose, are the future children going to be luckier than those that lived in the past conditions? 65 million people were born into the time period called “Generation Y.” Generation Y, who consists of those who were born between 1980 to 1999, are commonly compared to the Silent Generation because of the number of births. The Silent Generation is the generation of Americans born from roughly 1925 to 1942. (Immerwahr) Though there are similarities between the Silent Generation and Generation Y, the differences make the Silent Generation tougher, happier, and wiser. “Youths ambitions have shrunk...” Time Magazine declared. (Zernike) Most of Generation Y is in college right now and we could agree that there is little focus on school and more on socializing and technology. These students have found an instant gratification through their cell phones for communication, internet for information, video games for amusement, and social networking sites to see friends. (Immerwahr) A college student chimed in about social networking such as Facebook, “My generation has long been bizarrely comfortable with being looked at.” (Mathias) It is clear that Generation Y is simply reckless with personal information, and doesn’t care if they were to jeopardize a job opportunity for the future. (Mathias) The silent Generation did not have many obese children, and most worked hard without asking questions. Similar to now, a good job was not just handed to them. At least the first half or more of their life was spent in the long post war economic boom, a time of optimism, technological and housing improvements, and full employment. (Duffy) May perhaps that be one of the reasons Generation Y’s children are much less hard-working? Do we need to go through something such as the Silent Generation went through the Great Depression just to realize we have to work hard at all costs?

Cited: Dewan, Shaila. “Extravagance Has its Limits as Belt Tightening Trickles Up.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 9 March 2009. Web. 24 January 2013 Duffy, Michael. “The luckiest generation: Pre-boomers,” The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 December 2008. Web. 23 January 2013 Immerwahr, John. “Generational Differences” Educationing on Net Generation. 16 May 2010, Web. 25 January 2013 Mathias, Alice. “The Fakebook Generation.” The New York Times. 6 October 2007. Web. January 23 2013 Roberts, Lee. “Younger Generations Lend a Hand in Their Own Way.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 13 November 3006. Web. 24 January 2013 Zernike, Kate. “Generation OMG.” The New York Times. Learning Network. 13 March 2009. Web. 23 January 2013