Generation Y

[Nephew Twiddleton]

"we need to raise kids with high self esteem" vibe going on in American education in the 80s/90s.

Fuck self-esteem.  What's needed is fucking self respect, and that is accomplished not by lowering the standards in all things, but rather in finding what individual people are actually talented at, and reinforcing that.  So, the kid is 90 pounds and can't throw a football?  See if he's a better fit on the math team or in an art class, as far as aiming the kid at things to excel in.

And as far as suffering through gym class, well, life is tough and you have to try things you aren't good at.  If you don't learn that at 8-12 years old, you are FUCKED when you blunder out into the real world, however delayed that might be these days.

That's a really good slicing of that idea, focusing on self-respect rather than self-esteem. I definitely don't see a lot of self-respect lessons being taught in school... that was something that always seemed unclear to me as a kid. My parents would always say "pick your battles" when I got all worked up about a teacher treating us like shit. Like, you can't possibly beat the system, so it's a lot safer to be a quiet serf. Humility, obedience to authority, etc. Well bollocks to that!

Competition is a good thing as long as it doesn't go crazy. There was a good amount of competition in my school, I'd say.

That said, I was the 90 lb kid with the football. I didn't want it either, but hey, that's gym class for you.

Any educational program should include a slice of misery.

Just saying.

TGRR,
Was also the 90 pound kid with 10 thumbs.

[Suu]

Sometimes I'm grateful my parents were tough on us. They never treated us like we were special snowflakes, and even though I had nasty health problems and my brother is clinically textbook (as in, they wrote the fucking book on him) ADHD, they rode our asses all through school about getting our work done.

Not doing well in math? Well, what's the issue? Let us help, if we can't help, we'll FIND someone that can help. You're not stupid, you're not "special ed", you're a kid who's having normal frustration at algebra. Let's fix this.

I was born with underdeveloped lungs, got pneumonia when I was 2 and then was diagnosed with asthma when I was 3. Schools tried to write me out of PE/Gym class because I was a "liability". My parents, again, went, "FUCK NO", gave me a fucking albuterol inhaler and told me to catch up. My brother got his ritalin and was told to do his fucking schoolwork. End of story.

But throughout what ever was dealt to us, they were there. They helped with our homework and projects, they yelled at us for being overdramatic (lawl) and smacked us when we needed to be smacked. They never BEAT us, but we got popped when we deserved it, fo sho.

We got dirty and ate dirt. We put our fingers in electrical sockets, we got head lice and chickenpox, and I first saw Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was 9. We all got 'the talk' from our parents, and given a box of condoms, which embarrassed the fuck out of us, but it worked.

All 3 of us work in specialized fields now and support ourselves, even though the economy bit my brother and sister in the ass a little too hard and they had to move back in with my parents. Shit happens. They're still working, and my sister is saving to get back out on her own.

Meanwhile, I see some of the girls I went to high school with, with 3 kids from different baby daddies, living on benefits with their parents still, and working some shit job waiting for "their lucky break". Other friends have killed themselves when shit didn't go right, which is terrible, but it makes me wonder where something went wrong somewhere.

Newsflash, there is no fucking "lucky break". Life sucks. I've had my fair share of bad cards dealt to me these past few years, and I will bitch and moan, sure, but I know there ain't shit I can do. All I can do is dust myself off and move on. I got my ass back in school while working 2 jobs, and I live on my own 1300 miles from where I started. It took me some hard knocks to realize that, and it won't stop me from crying when the next blow comes, but then what? Spit out yer teeth and get back up, right?

Sometimes I think that's why we were in martial arts growing up, not dance or soccer. Let the kids get the shit beat out of them, that'll teach them.

[Juana]

On the advertising note, I've read what Cram said (that we're largely resistant to it and perfectly aware when we're being sold things) and have found that to be common, aside from dumb bunnies you get in every generation.

Edit: http://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=honors_marketing

Beard found that ethical consequences were more relevant for the 1977 students than the 2003 students.  Generation Y college students are fairly skeptical toward advertising. Beard’s sample of college students appeared to question the accuracy of advertising and its truthfulness.  Beard did find, however, that Generation Y college students recognized advertising as performing an important economic role.  More so than the 1977 Larkin sample, Beard found that college students today believe strongly that advertising can persuade people to buy things that they should not.  Beard’s findings relative to Larkin’s tended to support prior beliefs and conclusions about Generation Y in terms of skepticism towards advertising.

Another link that largely match what I, as a Gen Y'er, have experienced and noticed amongst my peers (too long to quote):
http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/GenY.htm (this link focuses a lot on teaching Gen Y, and I've found a lot of it accurate as a student and coach/tutor, right down to the attention span)


_{edit for info/unnecessary yapping}

[Triple Zero]

Of course, I did have my eyes set on the rock star thing, and listening to the radio and being progressively more annoyed with what I heard, I figured any jackass could make it.

Sure, as long as there aren't a million other me's trying to do the same thing.

I was talking to a cabalmate the other day about finding a new hobby together.

What about painting?

Nah, there are so many painters out there, we couldn't compete.

What about making T-shirts?

No, there are like millions of people who make t-shirts.

What about XYZ

I don't know if that'd be rewarding, there's already such a large group of people producing XYZ

eventually I was like, dude, why do you feel you have to be the alpha supreme of whatever hobby we pick? Can't we just make t-shirts because it's fun, not because we want to make a million bucks?  It'd be cool to see people wearing our gear, isn't that enough? I want a hobby, not a new job, damnit!

But Cram there are like millions of people out there having fun and they're all better at it than him.

[Juana]

[Triple Zero]

Maybe he can find comfort if you find some activity that you can both SHINE in being the UTMOST MEDIOCRE AVERAGE practitioners of it?

You can boast,

NOBODY IS BOTH BETTER AND WORSE THAN MORE PEOPLE AS US!!!

And your friend will be happy for being the supreme medium at something, and you'll be happy because it'll be hilarious.

WATCH IT WATCH IT CAREFUL WITH THAT BRUSH

NO YOU FUCK

THAT WAS PERFECT

HERE LET ME WRECK IT A BIT FOR YOU

[Cramulus]

   ahhh I love you Trip


I'll suggest that he add mediocrity to his decision matrix 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

People who think that they can only enjoy something if it gives them bragging rights tend to be complete and utter losers. Most people will never be "the best" or "the most unique" at ANYTHING they try, and if you let that fact prevent you from doing something you might enjoy, you will never accomplish anything at all.

I'd rather be pretty OK at ten things I like than THE BEST at something I hate, anyway.

[Elder Iptuous]

Jack of all trades, master of none,
Certainly better than a master of one.

viva la generalist!

[Juana]

Uh, I'm pretty sure that's not what the point was, Ip.

[Triple Zero]

  ahhh I love you Trip


I'll suggest that he add mediocrity to his decision matrix 

Your call, man! I'm not touching that :P


Also that mission statement was messed up, I think I got it now:

WE'RE BOTH WORSE AND BETTER AT THIS THAN MORE PEOPLE THAN ANYBODY ELSE

WE ARE THE 50%





still quite convoluted. but it's not easy, being the men-in-the-middle !

[Roly Poly Oly-Garch]

Another link that largely match what I, as a Gen Y'er, have experienced and noticed amongst my peers (too long to quote):
http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/facdev/guidebk/teachtip/GenY.htm (this link focuses a lot on teaching Gen Y, and I've found a lot of it accurate as a student and coach/tutor, right down to the attention span)
_{edit for info/unnecessary yapping}

I believe I read that very memo as part of some training thing back when I was on a promising career path and had to deal with you jerk-faces in an academic setting on the daily (not enough Gin in the bathtub, I swear to god!). A couple of those rang, very, very true and may have prevented a choke out here and there (oh it's not them...it's just a millenial thing). One of my consistent favorites was the belief that there's always a way to get there from here. It's very admirable and not at all stupefyingly twisted, hardly never.

Millenial: Ummm...I need to change this grade.
Burn-Out: Well you'll need to talk to the instructor on that.
Millenial: Well I did, but he won't change it.
Burn-Out: Okay. Well, why are you asking to change it then? Is there some discrepancy or something? Is this an issue for the provost?
Millenial: No, I just need something higher than a D for my Business transfer application.
Burn-Out: ...So...ummm...were all of your assignments graded correctly?
Millenial: Yeah, of course.
Burn-Out: ...and there's no dispute with the percentages, or anything?
Millenial: Not that I could see.
Burn-Out: But you're asking for a better grade...because you want a better grade???
Millenial: Oh wow. I'm sorry. I totally didn't explain my situation right. You see I'm trying to transfer into the Business department, but I need a B in this class so they'll accept my transfer, but I got a D and now I just need to figure out how to get that fixed.
Burn-Out: Well we don't just change grades. There's not really any way to do that. The instructor's word is really final on this.
Millenial: I know and that's why I'm here. I needed a B but the instructor gave me a D, but that's not going to work for me to transfer into business, so now I need to find out how to have it changed. Does that make sense? How can I do this?
Burn-Out: :blink: :blink: You can't.
Millenial: Look, I don't want to be disrespectful, but can I talk to someone else who knows how to get this grade changed, I need at least a B and so I need to talk to the person who can make that happen, obviously you don't know how to do it, but that's okay...I'll just wait while you get the person who can.
Burn-Out: 

[Juana]

I've never been like that and think it's hilariously entitled.  I've been known to protest a grade on an assignment, but never because it wasn't what I wanted (last time it was because my friend and I did the project together - same spellings, same locations on the map - and he got a higher grade than I did for reasons we couldn't figure out).

[Roly Poly Oly-Garch]

I've never been like that and think it's hilariously entitled.  I've been known to protest a grade on an assignment, but never because it wasn't what I wanted (last time it was because my friend and I did the project together - same spellings, same locations on the map - and he got a higher grade than I did for reasons we couldn't figure out).

It was far from an isolated incident. Very strange, it struck me. Not the sense of entitlement...just the giving a shit. Slacker ass Gen-X and all that.

[Juana]

I'm a ridiculous slacker and I still can't imagine not caring.