[N8 v2.0]

The Young Labeled 'Entitlement Generation'
By MARTHA IRVINE, AP National Writer
Sun Jun 26, 4:43 PM ET

CHICAGO - Evan Wayne thought he was prepared for anything during a recent interview for a job in radio sales. Then the interviewer hit the 24-year-old Chicagoan with this: "So, we call you guys the 'Entitlement Generation,'" the baby boomer executive said, expressing an oft-heard view of today's young work force. "You think you're entitled to everything."

More....

 

[Toshi]

i just read that article in the (physical! <gasp>) paper over lunch. it's rather contentless imo, just a bunch of people offering their opinions.

 

[stinkyboy]

Sounds familiar.

 

[sanjuro]

Well it is as valid of an observation as the Gen X I received.

 

[Andyman_1970]

We've got an early 20 something that started in our department several months ago, and it is amazing how lazy this guy is. He couldn't get up in time to get to work at 7am (which is when we start) so he went crying to our boss and now can come in at 8am. I personally don't have a problem with his schedule, but it's the attitude that the company needs to conform to my sleeping habits that is a bit on the "me me me me me" side.

In my college class I teach at church, I've got several students that can't hold down jobs (one has been fired from 5 jobs because he didn't show up to work when he was scheduled) - quote "jobs get in the way of dating and hanging out with my friends.........." - you've got to be kidding me.

 

[Raaar]

I heard something about that on the radio last night..."Baby boomers", "Gen X'ers", Gen Y's", "Entitlement Gen"...Blah, blah, blah. It's just another example of the rhetoric being spewed by economic analysts and the media. IMO, anytime you give an entire generation of people a single label that defines their characteristics you are being extremely short-sighted. People are people, some are good some bad, some hard working, some lazy, etc, etc. The only differences between generations are the obstacles and opportunities presented during their particular time in history.....I'm just waiting for some of these faw*&&g baby boomers to die off so I can take their job...RETIRE ALREADY!!!

 

[jacksonpt]

I agree with the observations... I do think the current batch of 18-25 (or so) year olds do tend to be lazy and greedy, or whatever the right word is for someone who expects too much. Not real sure why this is (haven't thought about it much), but I see some tendancies in society and the workplace that encourage this type of mindset.

 

[jacksonpt]

People are people, some are good some bad, some hard working, some lazy, etc, etc.

I agree, but clearly there are certain characteristics that stand out... even if they are not shared by the group as a whole. And as a society, we seem intrigued with the more negative characteristics.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Entitlement Gen exists because Baby Boomers use TV as a surrogate parent and buy the latest/newest whatever instead of telling their bratty kids NO.

 

[jacksonpt]

I'm 24. What are you getting at? I work two jobs, totaling over 70 hours a week. Does that mean I'm entitled?

notice the use of the word "tend" (as in often, but not always) in my post. Obviously when people make statements/labels like these, it's a generalization, not a blanket rule. Jesus - where's that panty de-buncher?

 

[clancy98]

I do think the current batch of 18-25 (or so) year olds do tend to be lazy and greedy

hate to break it to you, but the 18-25 year olds have always and will always be "the lazy and greedy group" when your comparing them to the rest of adults... Its called: (ya ready?) young adulthood.

 

[jacksonpt]

hate to break it to you, but the 18-25 year olds have always and will always be "the lazy and greedy group" when your comparing them to the rest of adults... Its called: (ya ready?) young adulthood.

Yes, but I think this batch is more lazy/greedy than the batch I was part of... and that wasn't all that long ago.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

hate to break it to you, but the 18-25 year olds have always and will always be "the lazy and greedy group" when your comparing them to the rest of adults... Its called: (ya ready?) young adulthood.

Absolutely. I was there not long ago. You get out of college and you want some instant gratification. I was like all this "hard work" (in retrospect college was not THAT HARD) I have put in... Where is my REWARD already. Then from ~ 22-25 you realize all the hard work is a head of you.


Such is life. Thankfully there is Mountain Biking

 

[jacksonpt]

jacko-
Just poking you with the stick. sorry.

ah, cool... no biggie. e-sarcasm is sometimes hard to pickup on.

 

[I Are Baboon]

"Damn kids these days! It was never like this when I was young!"

 

[Andyman_1970]

Entitlement Gen exists because Baby Boomers use TV as a surrogate parent and buy the latest/newest whatever instead of telling their bratty kids NO.

Amen brotha.....................

 

[douglas]

crap, I agree with N8

super spoiled kids that do what they want, get what they want and have to have mommy wake them up to make it to school have grown up to be employees that could care less about coming in on time and are just lazy in general, but want big raises.

We have one worker, who is late every day, and she works at home

 

[SkaredShtles]

I'm 24. What are you getting at? I work two jobs, totaling over 70 hours a week. Does that mean I'm entitled?

Nope. It means you're wasting your 20's working. You should be out seeing the world while you're still young.

Your next chance to do it will be when you're retired.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Amen brotha.....................

What's this "TV" you speak of?

 

[Toshi]

Yes, but I think this batch is more lazy/greedy than the batch I was part of... and that wasn't all that long ago.

i think every generation assumes this to be the case, that they were the last hard working, pure, virtuous generation...

 

[SkaredShtles]

ss-
Shut up I don't need your pressures to flee.

Hey - I don't want to hear you bitchin' and moanin' when you're 40.

 

[stosh]

i just read that article in the (physical! <gasp>) paper over lunch. it's rather contentless imo, just a bunch of people offering their opinions.

Thats pretty much the theme of most N8 threads.

 

[N8 v2.0]

i think every generation assumes this to be the case, that they were the last hard working, pure, virtuous generation...

I don't the most baby boomers can claim that. I personally know most are gonna be shocked (in a bad way) when they try to retire with no savings.

 

[Ciaran]

"Damn kids these days! It was never like this when I was young!"

I can't believe all you old farts! Of course they seem worse then we did... they always do. Our parents said the same about us. You guys better check your ears for that migrating hair.

Why back when I was downhilling we didn't have no stinkin lifts... we had to push our 80 pound fully rigid bikes up the mountain... BOTH WAYS... in snow! And we were thankful for what we had! Kids today!

 

[sanjuro]

Remember this article is about perception.

In the 50's, everyone was supposed to be happy and proud to work in American industry. Of course, this was also the birth of the beatnik generation.

In the 80's, everyone was supposed to be in it for the buck so they could pay for their MTV and cocaine. The Christian movement also grew out of this period.

I could probably come up with something for the 60's and the 70's as well (how about the disco era as well as the birth of punk and metal). There is going to be the perception and the reality is something else.

 

[binary visions]

Hey - I don't want to hear you bitchin' and moanin' when you're 40.

Shut up, oldtimer. You'll be in a nursing home when he's 40.

:nuts:

 

[SkaredShtles]

Shut up, oldtimer. You'll be in a nursing home when he's 40.

:nuts:

Yeah. But I will have *lived*

 

[binary visions]

Yeah. But I will have *lived*

Ahh, and you make the poor assumption that those who did not live as you did, did not *live* at all.

Who's to say that early retirement or financial success are not equal to how you chose to spend your 20's?

My comment was more directed towards your suggestion that you would be the one listening to his whining, though

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>

Who's to say that early retirement or financial success are not equal to how you chose to spend your 20's?

Me.

Who the Hell wants to spend the prime of their youth working all the time?

 

[Skookum]

every generation that grows out of prosperity could be viewed as such. Really with the exception of the sixties, there really hasn't been a group that isn't in some way a cheap clone of a prior generation. i'm not saying that's good or bad, really it all doesn't matter, especially if you don't follow the pop culture trends in your own personal life.
i know for a fact the generation of the 90's had it alot easier than this generation, as far as work is concerned. So it's a little difficult for me personally to understand the label.