The Entitlement Generation

Generation Y, or the "Millennials," are considered by many to be an entitled generation that expects everything to be given to them in life.  There are different definitions for who falls under the generation y label but it is widely defined as those born in between the early 1980s and somewhere around 2000.  With that definition it is safe to say that generation y makes up the majority of the student body here at BYU.  It was interesting to look into this "entitlement" issue more and to realize that by age I fall under this category with everyone else.

There are plenty of artifacts that come to mind when talking about the Millennials but I think one of the biggest is the cell phone.  This generation is often accused of having short attention spans and constantly using their phones.  The age of the smartphone has made not only the abilities to talk and text available, but also constant access to games, internet, and any other number of apps.  It is no surprise that people are constantly using their phones because there is so much good that can be done with them.  With that said, I had an experience where I was helping a girl at work and as we were waiting for the process to finish I tried to have a conversation with her.  The whole time that we talked she was looking down at her phone playing a game, making zero eye contact.

For many among this generation, and I am not saying all, cell phones were provided to them by parents - especially in junior high and high school.  They are great tools and almost needed in today's world.  But having them provided for free helps lead to the entitlement label.

Social media is another artifact that really attaches itself to Millenials.  As with cell phones, social media and the age of the internet wasn't even around up until their lifetime.  These are things that, to one degree or another, they all grew up with.  Just as Generation Y-er's are accused of constantly using their phones they are also constantly on social media of some form or another - probably using their phone to access that platform.  Along with being on social media too often they are also accused of sharing too much information.  This generation's thoughts and feelings can be seen all over Facebook and Twitter.

Stemming from a combination of both cell phones and social media the fascination with the "selfie" has become a big deal to Gen Y's.  This obsession with posting pictures of themselves only adds to the stigma of Millenials being entitled as it shows a "look at me" message.

Reality TV and other programming does not shine a better light on this generation.  In fact, it could be argued that it makes it look much, much worse.  Many of the TV shows - both reality and scripted - show examples of Millennials who help define this generation.  Much of the time these characters or people are shown with excess money and when things don't go their way it is comparable to the end of the world.  Having lots of money to spoil your kids isn't necessarily a bad thing, but unfortunately these examples don't set a high standard.  Not only are those in the shows portrayed as spoiled but it can also lead to viewers wanted the same luxuries.  

The last major theme associated with the entitlement generation is laziness and the lack of desire to hold a job.  This is really what leads to the word "entitled" being used for this generation as they are accused of wanting the same comforts enjoyed while growing up without being willing to put the work necessary towards reaching these goals.  

It has been interesting going through and analyzing the themes and the stigma associated with Generation Y because as I mentioned earlier we are all included in this generation.  I feel like there is a lot of truth with the artifacts that are attached to our generation.  I think that we were (and are) blessed to grow up in the time and place that we have. We definitely enjoy many comforts that many haven't enjoyed in the past and I think we can take them for granted.  These blessings of technology and comfort give us the ability to go and do great things, but they also can give us a false sense of what we deserve.  

The story that seems to come forth out of the media and older generations is that this generation is entitled and doesn't know how to work.  There were plenty of articles talking about problems with Millennials in the work force and why they make such bad managers.  As I stated earlier, I think many of these themes associated with our generation are true, and I think it is good for us to hear that.  But, they can also be limiting.  Having these blessings of technology come forth in our lifetime gave our generation a chance to learn some of these things as we grew up rather than adjusting to something completely new.  I think another way this stigma can be limiting is that this generation is still young and hasn't really had a chance to prove themselves yet.

Ultimately, while many of the accusations about this generation can be true, it is truly up to the individual to prove who they are.  And I think that can apply to any group or culture.  People can have preconceived notions about anyone, but until you see someone's personal potential, any expectations can be proven wrong, and I think we have all experienced that in our lives. So even if it is true that our generation is considered entitled, we can go and prove that we are willing to work for what we want.