March 28, 2024

BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER

SchellenbergerCaseypromo
Were you born after 1980 but before 2000?
If so, congratulations, you are part of the millennial generation, otherwise known as Generation Y.
Maybe you’ve seen the often-parodied Time cover, the one with the young woman on her phone with “The Me-Me-Me” generation plastered above her. And after that, “Why they’ll save the world.”
The issue of Time that contained the article written by Joel Stein came out in June, but articles and books discussing Generation Y have been around for years.
“I am about to do what old people have done throughout history: call those younger than me lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow,” he writes, pointing out how every generation has criticized the one after it.
So, the criticism isn’t new. What is somewhat new is the “save the world” bit.  Unlike some articles about millenials, this one tries to find some good in their behaviour.
As it turns out, that little tacked-on line didn’t stop people from getting angry, which isn’t a big surprise.
The final four pages of the article talk about how these aren’t traits that can only be found in people under 34. But even then Stein can’t keep himself from making jabs.
“They have less household and credit card debt … which, admittedly, isn’t that hard when you’re living at home and using your parents’ credit card,” Stein says.
People such as Stein rarely have statistics to back this criticism up and rarely examine why millenials are the way they are.
Stein mentions how millenials are living at home longer, but never gives any reasons as to why.
Matt Bors published a comic in July, mentioning Stein’s article specifically, called “Can We Stop Worrying about Millenials Yet?”
Bors makes an attempt at explaining why millenials aren’t moving out as early as previous generations.
“They’re ‘delaying adulthood’ because the job market is worse than it’s been since the Great Depression,” he says.
At least he tried to provide some rationale. Others who plan on writing similar stories should remember that context is important, and that this story has already been done to death.

The views herein represent the position of the newspaper, not necessarily the author.

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