My generation (or our depending on your age…) takes a lot of flack these days. Those of us born in the late seventies and eighties are too often considered regressive, tech-head, spoiled brats. Ironically I have mostly heard these sentiments from those who raised us, the hippies turned yuppies. Unfortunately, I have recently heard an influx of dislike for our generation by our own. The young people of the sixties and seventies are so idolized and glorified that we are often perceived as political and social failures by default. Because there was no great sexual revolution of the early 2000's we have failed as a generation.
If I hear one more 20-something complaining about how boring and lame our generation is I may puke. So stop bitching and do something if we suck so badly. First it's unfair to compare our lives to those of the hippies and revolutionaries of the 60's and 70's… as we're reaping what they sewed. There are two main reasons I think we are seen as regressive when compared to our parent's generation:
Firstly, we have AIDS. We have herpes, gonorrhea, HPV, HIV and a plethora of other STDs. Trust me; I would have LOVED to live in the wonderful bubble of time when people had birth control but a shocking lack of sexually transmitted diseases. Sadly, I was born about 30 years too late. Our generation would most likely love to swing and enjoy the random sexual encounters of our parent's generation (shudder…). But we live in an age where sex can literally kills us. A surge of conservatism can only be expected as a result to seeing our own hurt, scarred, used and possibly killed by sexual promiscuity. However, our generation has responded with more advanced sexual education. Though it's still debated and disliked in many areas, one must admit it's here, and much more in-depth than the in-school education of the 60's and 70's. I also have faith that the majority of us 20-somethings realize that sex education doesn't promote sex (if you've ever seen slides of genital warts I think you'll agree). Our generation is learning, first hand, that knowledge does not equate morality.
Secondly, we understand the sick, sad, and scary parts of drug addiction… Not that we don't use and love drugs, and have created our own and much scary drugs (ie; meth). In the 60's and 70's the social, political and sexual revolution was accompanied by the biggest surge of drug use our country has ever seen. It was theoretically a happy, euphoric and heavenly experience. As artists began to overdose more and more people started to become wary. By the time we hit the 90's the tragically happy face of a high Janis Joplin had turned into the tragic, sad, lonely and depressed smirk of Kurt Cobain. Though our generation still idolizes many drug users we see a much more pronounced underbelly. In fact the drama and self-destruction is almost appealing, while the appeal in the 60's and 70's was a euphoric, spirited experience. Drug users of our generation are often seeking to numb pain not enhance happiness, thus yielding very different out-comes. Granted this is generalization. My main point is that drug-use is not the same of that in the sixties and seventies.
Now old people have many more complaints about us 20-somethings then we do. So we're spoiled are we? Well, thanks. That's your fault. So you hate globalization? Then quit paying to send your college aged child abroad. It's not surprising we all love Europe. Half of the people I went to high school with have been there before the age of 22. So all you 50 year olds who paid for them to go should really stop bitching about how we live too globally and aren't "patriotic" enough. Yes, I love my iphone and it's ability to call internationally. Get over it, it's fucking awesome.
My biggest bone of contention with the old folks is their accusation that we aren't loyal. We (apparently) only hold jobs for an average of five years and expect too much from our employers. I call bullshit. Why would we be loyal? You know what I learned about big business growing up? Enron. The E-Commerce boom… and then crash. An economy that has peaked and crashed more times then my fifteen year-old hormones at prom. Public political and corporate scandals. Why would I presume a company would be loyal to me? Frankly, if I don't trust a company to be loyal to me, there is no fucking way I'll be loyal to them. We were taught that we would be fucked over the majority of our adult lives. Thusly, I'm out for me. As for expecting too much from a company? Umm, fair labor practices, too much? Really?
Long story short I've got to go for money, you old farts are taking all the social security.
So our generation isn't in the midst of a revolution. We're serving an equally important role; we're reacting to the revolutions our grandparents are still bitter about and our parents still brag about. While at the same time were copping with a war and an environmental break down. We live in a scary age, so forgive us for being a little frightened. Our friends are dying in Iraq and our glaciers are melting all while we have keep up the technology running our country. I strongly believe that a break-through in technology and computer science will be the thing that reforms health care, government services, education and our global communication problems. So forgive our stupid you-tube videos and OMG! lingo just for minute. It's all part of a bigger picture OUR generation is writing.
So to us and to our critics, be patient. Calm down. We'll get there.
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