Generation Y: The American Dream

In the book, Generation Me: Why today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled and more miserable than ever before, author-researcher Jean Twenge explores the nature of the Generation Y, people who were born in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The phenomenon that Twenge sought to explore in detail was how the Generation Y became the "Entitlement Generation" or, as she eventually coined the term, the "Generation Me." From the title itself, she described the Generation Me as a group of individuals who are "confident, assertive, entitled" but "miserable." Indeed, the book's thesis highlights how the youth of Generation Me are highly individualist and primarily centers on the "self." As in the words of Twenge, ""¦GenMe doesn't just question authority we disrespect it entirely" (28). This statement ultimately sums up the GenMe's attitude and viewpoint about respecting institutions, traditions, beliefs and values that held previous generations and societies together.

During the “Baby Boomer” era, following WWII, America underwent one of the largest demographic shifts and population growths in history. Huge amounts of home construction on the outskirts of America’s largest cities, known as “levittowns” became the new staple of the American dream, with the houses sporting two car garages, and white picket fences. These low density, predominantly middle class residential districts, were America’s first true suburbs. These suburbs were constructed mainly in response to the new postwar consumerism that enveloped the parents of the baby boomers. With the new economy, affordable housing, and most families becoming single income dependent, families grew bigger and bigger. The 1947 passing of the bill that lead to the interstate highway system, only added fuel to the fire of suburbanization. With the new interstate highway system, more affordable and fuel efficient automobiles, and the government aiding in the financing of new suburban homes, the choice seemed elementary. All of these factors pushing to the suburban movement, only spurred the baby boomers on, and between 1940-50, there was an 835% percent increase in living births with nearly 4 million children being born every year. In 1940, 19.5% of the United States population lived in what would be considered to be suburban areas outside of large metropolitan areas, however, by 1960; the number was pushing nearly 40%. The postwar suburbanization of America during the baby boomer

There are currently six living generations in the United States, each with different characteristics, beliefs, and values. The things that define each generation’s culture are derived from their history, upbringing, and the lifestyle of their time. Our generation was born between 1980 and 2000. We are called Millennials. More specifically, we grew up in the South, which typically lends itself to being more conservative and religious. These characteristics, along with our instant gratification attitude, define who we are, what we believe, and how we view other generations. For example, we might have differing views with the Silent Generation. Some Millennials may feel the Silent Generation’s social, religious, and economic conservatism is outdated.

Arlie Russel Hochschild adheres to a variety of assertions in his article, “Gen Fill in the Blank” concerning what he thinks a generation means. It was proposed that generations are solely branded by the pivotal impact they undergo as a cohort during historical events; hence, sharing a common response to those events. Hochschild furthers this idea by introducing generational identity and how that’s defined by the conceptions that society invokes upon a generation. Furthermore, he includes that an important factor making up modern day’s generation is the external burden of American Individualism; this universal pressure has robbed us of our ability to care and resulted in a profound deficiency of “cultural expression”.

Bernie Sanders once said, “For many, the American dream has become a nightmare”. The American Dream is a cultural belief that anyone can achieve prosperity through hard work and determination. Millennials, however, are having a hard time achieving the dream as quickly as prior generations were able to. Home ownership rates for Americans under 35 years old are at a record low. The Millennial generation, those born between 1981 and 1997, is the largest in the United States’ history. According to a 2017 Harvard study, only 31% of Millennials own homes. This could be attributed to numerous factors such as student loans, later marriage, and the housing crisis of 2008. While putting off owning a home has its benefits, there are also several cons that come along with it. Are Millennials unable to attain the “American Dream”, or is the generation simply re-defining it? Certainly, homeownership is a complicated aspect in the lives of American Millennials.

Over 70 years has passed since the end of World War II, and since that time our society has seen 4 generations transition into the next on a bridge scarcely understood by those preceding or following them. These cohorts are known in their chronological order as The Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1965), Generation X (born 1965 – 1981), The Millennials (1981 – 1994), and now The Centennials (born 1994 – early 2000s), or Generation Z, a group whose exact demographics are still largely undefined. The disparity between the Millennials and their postwar predecessors, The Baby Boomers, can be noted by studying characteristics of each generation, and how the socioeconomic factors surrounding war and technology have shaped them. While their basic needs and core similarities are innately human, objectively speaking, their views, biases and outlooks have most certainly been impacted by the events and advancements of their time.

America's gift to our generation is freedom, religion, and beliefs in our country. The freedom we have today wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for our soldiers in the military over the years. I appreciate what I have today very much and will continue to appreciate what I have as long as I live.

As the generation of babies born after World War II are known as the baby boomers, my generation will likely still be referred to as the millennials. This is due to many of us being born around the turn of the millennium. However, my generation was also the first to have modern technology interrogated into our academics, vehicles, and all other aspects of our personal lives.

Every generation is defined by something. Baby Boomers had a strong work ethic and were morally righteous. Generation X was defined by its skepticism, perhaps resulting from the failures of Enron and the televised challenger explosion. And then we have millennials, a group that is marked by its liberal views and desire for a sense of purpose in their lives. However, millennials are also considered to be infantilized and sensitive. Maybe it’s our concerning answer to whether all forms of speech should be legal. Perhaps it’s our calls for unquestionable inclusion and implicit bias seminars on college campuses that have left students and faculty feeling backed into a corner. At the end of the day, millennials, which include me, are being

Did you know that there is 80 million apart of Generation Y? That’s a lot, it is said that Generation Y is the “laziest generation ever”. Known as entitled, disrespectful and even “wimps” by many; some people have different opinions. Some people from this generation can be hard working, and not the stereotypical “teens these days”. Generation Y is known as the “laziest generation”, that results in making generalizations about the generation as a whole, but there are many exception.

Life is changing everyday, America’s question today is if the American Dream is attainable or not. The answer to this question is yes, it is attainable. With evolution, the American dream has been modified throughout the years. It is defined as “the idea that the American way of life offers the possibility of unlimited economic, social, etc success to every individual” (The Chambers Dictionary). Many people called the American Dream, the “good life”. Starting as a simple dream, with today’s world, it has become more complex, and is hard to come by. America is not giving up, and with our work ethics, hope, and opportunities our country gives us, the dream will always be there for us citizens.

By the end of my junior year I began to see modest results from my hard work. I was determined to prove that despite the hurdles I face I could achieve just like anyone else. During my senior year I have become very involved with 3 different positions of leadership. I am currently involved as a Bridge Builders Leadership Board Member, as President of the Jack and Jill of America, and as President of the D.E.C.A club that I chartered this year at my school. In performing in these leadership roles I have discovered that working with a group to establish a goal and working hard to achieve that are two particular strengths that motivate me. I believe will serve me well in college and

“We need to teach the next generation of children from day one that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind’s greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.” -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

In time periods such as the 1620’s, settlers like those aboard the Mayflower traveled to

Did you know that you are considered part of the first generation symbolizing the decline of the nation? Generations are labeled all the time by historians, novelists and journalist in an attempt to capture the spirit or essence of an era. But the term Generation X carries all the negativity of propaganda and stereotype.