Generation Y and the HuffPo Huff

Having read both the HuffPo “opinion article” (here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html )and subsequent rebuttals/backlash (depending on how snidely dismissive on wishes to be; for instance, here: http://aweinstein.kinja.com/fuck-you-im-gen-y-and-i-dont-feel-special-or-entitl-1333588443 and here:  http://iambeggingmymothernottoreadthisblog.com/2013/09/18/im-a-millenial-please-stop-being-a-douche-to-me/ ) on the so-called “Generation Y Yuppies” and why “we’re” all so unhappy… I had a few thoughts I thought worth writing down; if for no other reason than my own satisfaction.

I’ve shook my head in both bewilderment and fascinated annoyance at how this issue seems to have resonated with the American public – more often than not,it seems, in a fantastically negative fashion.  Namely, I mean how many of the replies, comments, and sentiments expressed by those having read the article seem to be in full support of its central claim… Perhaps I should back up a little bit.

I case you were not of a mind to actually read the article in question (it is, unquestionably, a slog), let me summarize its main points as I understand them:
1) Generation Y is, as a body, largely unhappy with their life circumstances.

2) This subset of Gen Y (which the author refers to as GYPSY– “Generation Y Protagonists and Special Yuppies”), absolutely believe that they are special and unique snowflakes, and the world should be tailored to their special and unique whims and ambitions.
3) Much of “our” frustration and unhappiness stems from the fact that our “delusional” expectations and life requirements are simply not met by realities.  Grandpa and Dad defined success as putting food on the table, but “we” require parades,rainbows, and unicorns puking rainbows [as graphically noted by the author] to even feel adequate.

The author then goes on to recommend these “GYPSY”s a) “stay wildly ambitious”,b) “stop thinking [we’re] special”, and c) “ignore everyone else”.

Alright.  Where to begin.

First off, the first central point is right on the money: The sub-40 crowd is – more so than not – unhappy with the direction (and specifically turn) of the national and global society and economy. The rationale, however, I disagree with.  The author puts forth the snide assumption – bases much of his/her entire graphical co-presentation on, in fact – that the youthful adults of today are unhappy not because our grass isn’t greener than out parents’ and grandparents’… but because out grass doesn’t immediately spring up into flowers.  It is difficult to for my calmly lay out how absolutely false this premise is, but I’ll give it a shot.

Gen Y is not unhappy because our lawns didn’t pop up in magical unicorn flowers….we’re unhappy because theprevious generations dumped 8000 lbs of human excrement on our lawns and told us to be happy they “fertilized” it for us.  I graduated college in mid-2008, having lived my entire life having been spoon-fed the notion that going to college and getting a degree – while certainly not any kind of guarantee of a better life –was most certainly a precondition. I watched (thankfully from afar) as that convenient little lie came crashing down around “us” that same year. The idea that education was a path to prosperity virtually evaporated.  But let’s be honest…it was a long time coming.  The 2008 collapse was, if anything, just the final nail in that coffin.  Since at least the 1990’s more and more menial, service-sector jobs have used education as a filter for employment.  It hardly mattered even before the Recession whether or not that education had anything whatsoever to do with the position in question - does one really need a high school diploma to manage a McDonald’s? – so long as the paperwork attesting to that education was in hand.  That was exacerbated by the crash of '08, as the market became flooded with degrees upon degrees, upon degrees… in such a situation, of course it became a precondition for a position.

This is totally at odds with what we’d been taught out entire lives – the education was the ticket out of the rat race.  Suddenly, education because a precondition to the rat race.  Moreover, the business-ization of higher education has driven the cost up exponentially in the past several decades… to the point that even when you adjust for inflation, post-secondary education is now more the 1200% more expensive than is was 30years ago in the 1980’s.  My father used to (and, on occasion, will still) relate the story of his youth: how in his first semester at university, his dad had a medical condition necessitating his parents to withdraw all monetary support for his university expenses.  And through his own hard work and perseverance, he worked his way through university, post-grad, and doctoral programs with wife and kids in tow.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally admire that story.  It is great, it is true, and I in no way, shape, or form disparage or lessen it… by saying there is no way in hell that I or any Gen Y person would have a snowball’s chance of recreating such a scenario.  There’s just no way.  The total cost of my father’s education cost him what a semester-and-a-half cost me.  In fact, the only reason I’m not absolutely drowning in debt is a combination of my parent’s saving my entire life… and the fact that I was an above average high school student who managed to get ~1/2 of my tuition covered by scholarships.  No matter how you slice it, the scale has been tipped in the interceding several decades… and decidedly not in our favor.

The second point of the HuffPo article levels one of the more tired, trite, and specious “criticisms” of Generation Y: that we’re all just firmly of the notion that we’re unique and special, and thus deserving of unique and special praise and reward for not spitting up on ourselves at lunch.  It has been made a thousand different times in a thousand different dismissive variations: “we” have been sheltered,“we” have been given participation trophies and “no one” has lost, “we” are teacup kids who will crack at the first hiccup or disappointment.  In essence, we are weak, coddled, and just generally less than any prior generation’s gumption, gusto, and bootstrapping-ness.

Bullshit.

I could give you numerous tales of my own failing, the times I was not given a participation trophy, but instead an icily silent car ride home from a soccer tournament we failed to do anything but lose in.  I'll spare you the details... they're anecdotal, and they to this day tend to rub a raw nerve.

These “previous” generations – from Boomers to Xers – rode one and all a rising tide… and convinced themselves they’d “done it” all themselves.  It’s interesting in a teeth-gritting sort of way to look back on the past half-century and note how often successes both personal and societal have been attributed to individual gumption, while setbacks or failure attributed to bad luck or factors beyond control.  The ultimate confirmation-bias.  One need look no further than the Fox News channel to see the most virulent strain of that mental virus, but it is in various strengths prevalent at nearly all strata of society: if I do well, it’s my own virtue; if I fare poorly, well obviously it’s not my fault.

The issue with the phenomenon is when the social strata collapses or otherwise becomes untenable, the “current” generation is labeled as “lesser than” or “entitled” or “yuppies” rather than addressing the actual issue – that the system itself has been hopelessly compromised by successive generations gaming it for their own benefits at the ultimate cost of the future.

This is the major problem I have with such “Y-shaming.”  We did not create this problem.  We didn’t instigate it.  We were not in Washington or on Wall Street when the markets collapsed and the economy went into terminal shock.  We are not to blame for the lack of jobs, or the business models that would bounce profits back without expanding employment.  Rather, we were and yet remain in the unfortunate and utterly unfair position of having been in the wrong place at the wrong time… and then (most damningly) having the gall to say, in effect, “Wait, this is not what I signed on for.  This is not what you told me was in store for me.  We’ve been lied to by our parents, and our government, and our education, and our society.”  And yet, how dare we complain.  How dare we expect a reasonable standard of living.  How dare we think we could’ve been better off than our parents – you know, that same “Dream” that our parents realized, and their parents, and their parents….

Perhaps we’re just unrealistic. Maybe wanting to be as successful as your father is just a sign of being “coddled.”  Yet the only “participation trophy” we collectively seem to be demanding is the trophy that yields us a living wage… an award saying “you do not have to work 70+ hours/week with no benefits or security just to breach the federal poverty line.”  An award the generations past were awarded one and all without them even realizing it…. they now scorn and mock us for demanding.  We ought to be content with what we have, the argument is made, even though it is manifestly less than what our fathers (and mothers) had at our age, and certainly what they have now.  The portcullis has been raised and the moat filled… and we are denigrated and designated as ungrateful “yuppies” for not having built our own castle from the scraps that remain.  Economic and business policy are continually reworked to make life more secure for those with a 401k or a retirement plan, yet for many in Generation Y, that was become about as rare as a unicorn.  TheHuffPo author cites a study showing that the idea of “job security” being an important factor is on the decline in America’s youth… but neglects to link that to the sad fact that “job security” is an absolute anachronism in a society where the average person under 40 will change jobs every 5 years.  Of course we value the idea of it less, the same way we do not value “intra-office anti-goblin measures” as a job perk.  Its hard to value something that is mythological.

And so, here we stand – Generation Y, the Millennials.  With little hope of achieving or breaching our parents’ standard of living, with little or no job security, working more hours for less remuneration… and told to feel lucky for the privilege.  Given the insanity and unfairness of the situation, how have we not, as a generation, gone totally nuts yet?  Because we’re wildly optimistic; because we know that we can make things better.  Possibly most importantly – because we value material wealth significantly less than our forebears. Can you imagine anyone in the 1980’s developing, polishing, and branding a commercial, artistic, or social product… and then giving it away at no charge?  Of course not.  The entire premise would have been ridiculous.  The 80’s was the decade of Wall Street with Michael Douglas – “greed is good”.  The premium, the pay-per-view, the cutthroat business model and hostile takeover.  Gen Y, on the other hand, is marked not by its coddledness or specialness…but by its propensity for connectedness, sharing, a greater good beyond oneself.  Never before in human history has there been a section of society so willing – and yes, able – to share ideas, desires, plans, and products…. often for no cost whatsoever.  The collaborative esprit de corps of Generation Y is our true foundational principle. We are the first generation raise with a fundamental connection to the larger humanity surrounding us on a global scale, and we are acute aware of that fact.  We are the first generation for whom communication, publication, and interaction have been a fundamental principle of being, and not some privileged facet of the elite.  Sharing is our common experience, and our individual experiences are shared.  That, ultimately, is our strength.  And that, ultimately, will steer us away from the myopia and self-interested nature of our predecessors’ collective political and economic stewardship.

So call us yuppies, call us coddled, call us weak.  Misrepresent us as you will: as teacups, as unique snowflakes, whathaveyou.  In fact, Generation Y has already begun shaping the societies of the world for the better, and for the common betterment rather than for just a few “winners”.  Call me crazy, but that vision seems a whole lot brighter than any the previous generations have had.
(CS) TAW Out.
I think I'll go home and mull this over