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Some Food for Thought
By Malori | July 14, 2010
A couple of weekends ago I was listening to a discussion around the dinner table about which was the greatest generation ever to live. I mostly listened and as I did, slowly but surely, the conversation turned into how Generation Y is the worst generation yet. It was interesting and also quite frustrating to listen to. I never did work up the courage to speak up and say, “Wait a minute here! I’m a Gen-Y’er and I’m not a slacker and I know a lot of other people my age who aren’t selfish, lazy, slackers either!” I’m sure you have overheard or even been a part of such a discussion.
A few days later I came across a 2008 Newsweek article by Sharon Bagley in which the author was responding to an article that had been written stating that Generation Y was the dumbest generation yet. It was entitled, “The Dumbest Generation? Don’t Be Dumb”. While Bagley initially seemed to side with the other author, I thought she eventually did a really great job explaining not only why the statement was too broad, but why it was downright false. The following is a quote from Bagley’s article.
“IQ scores in every country that measures them, including the United States, have been rising since the 1930s. Since the tests measure not knowledge but pure thinking capacity—what cognitive scientists call fluid intelligence, in that it can be applied to problems in any domain—then Gen Y’s ignorance of facts (or of facts that older people think are important) reflects not dumbness but choice…Gen Y cares less about knowing information than knowing where to find information.”
I think many Gen Y’ers can say the same: Why store all that information in my brain when it is so readily available at my fingertips? I personally don’t know much about history. I have never had a knack for remembering the dates, people, and events of the past. However, I am a whiz at looking up facts, finding quality sources, and deciphering good information from bad information. With that said, I definitely see the value in knowing the events of history and making those events part of who we are as individuals and as a nation. Part of knowing who you are is knowing where you (or your ancestors and predecessors) have been.
Bagley also stated in her article that “Writing off any generation before it’s 30 is what’s dumb.” I’ll take that a step further and say that writing off an entire generation, no matter how long it’s been around, is dumb. Period. Judging an entire group of people based on the actions and attitudes of the few that you personally know, is easy. Yet it provides insufficient evidence to deduce that all others from that particular group are the same. The same is true for each individual. You cannot judge any individual based solely on the reputation of their generation (or gender, race, class, etc.) because each and every person is different from the others.
Name any character trait (good or bad) and I guarantee that you can find a person from every generational group that has that trait. We’re really not all that different. I say let’s forget about the stereotypes that have been laid ahead of us and actually get to know one another on an individual level. Gen Y’ers, if you haven’t done so lately, say hello to someone outside of our generational group. Start a friendly conversation with the elderly person standing next to you in line. Hold a door open for someone even if you don’t have to. Be an example for the young kids growing up behind us by showing them what it means to be respectable and respect others.
What ‘s your take on this? Your opinion is greatly appreciated and welcomed!
Hi I'm Malori, a recent grad from the University of Michigan-Flint. I majored in Organizational Communication with a minor in Spanish. I am a Member Service Rep at ELGA and greatly enjoy the one-on-one interaction with our members each day. My hope is that the tips and advice in these articles will help some of you Gen-Yer's out there! Don't be shy... leave comments and ask questions! We want to get to know our awesome readers! ☺ Topics: Just About Life, Vibe-ism | No Comments »
