Keeping An Eye On Gen Y
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008Ripples of controversy stir the ongoing Gen Y conversation. Everyone wants to analyze us, sell us, buy us, tame us or just plain knock some sense into us.
Yet, to make sense of us, you have to understand that “sense” is never really something these college bound Gen Y’ers needed to tackle.
Why? That sounds crazy to you?
Hmmm, yeah well, try being us…
“GEN Y: Making our own sense since 1981!”
Picture a poster of a young lady talking into her Bluetooth with an iPod bud dangling from her other ear, typing a paper on her laptop while Facebook-chatting with her friend from abroad (they studied art together in Florence) and accepting image files via BBM of her neighbor’s fat pug dressed up in a Santa suit.
Wait, that’s not a poster…that’s me, right now.
Just your typical Gen Y gal on a typical Wednesday afternoon.
As Gen Y’s, making sense and putting order in our world exists as a daily (if not by the minute) learning curve. Not a birthright.
Surprising? Sure, when our elders think that amassing mega-self esteem from our doting parents and enjoying childhoods in times of unsurpassed economic flourish would make us predictable Gen X clones, unanimous in our wants and needs—
But the thing is, when you’re born with everything in your hands; the less you know and the deeper you struggle to find happiness and authenticity.
Rather than burned bras and fallout shelters, our childhood memories are of the MTV Real World, Mario Brothers and Keebler Elf variety.
“Are You Afraid of The Dark?” was as scary as it got and lucky timing let us trade in army drafts to Salute our Shorts.
I’ve had serious relationships with 7 cell phones, 5 computers and 4 MP3 players while my mother’s still locked in a stalemate with the alien DVD player.
Yet, I know I’m not alone when I say… it’s great to be a Gen Y.
Just ask (text or IM will work best) the other 25% of the population cruising in this generational star-ship. They’ll agree with me, firing back in the “wink-wink” emoticon form; that our battle cry and claim to fame has always been and will always be:
We’ll figure it out.
We are scarily savvy, highly capable, diverse, nonconformist and trendy space shots. But love us for it and reward us instantly and shower us with the constructive criticism that we crave, because see…we want to be more than your bagel girls.
Yes, as Gen Y’s we may have been coddled and spoiled. But we’ve also been told over and over that we can “be anything we want”, “do anything we want” and we’d win prizes just for playing. And we listened. So remember, nobody puts baby in the corner!
Like most Gen Y, I stumbled out of my incubated, collegian bubble of self-expression to be blinded by harsh, 9-5 halogens illuminating a world of “in the box” thoughts. I took my first job out of fear that my dad would die of a panic attack if I didn’t secure proper health care coverage in 8 months. How’d it work out for me?
Let’s just say that wheeling around a cart of bagels and assorted spreads to execs every morning wasn’t exactly the starry gig I’d imagined my Honors degree in Journalism would land me.
The mindless admin paper-shuffle made me feel as dated and pathetic as my oversized, polyester skirt-suit.
It didn’t last long. As an insatiably-learning, idea-bursting, mentor-seeking Millennial I fled for freedom and the opportunity to contribute genuine bits of my-Y-self into any cubicle confines that were hiring for inspiration.
Before CampusCompare I bounced from several jobs and industries, no doubt waving an alarming, red flag to suspicious Gen X higher-ups.
Yet, as a flexible and fast-learning Gen Y, with each move I’m fine-tuning those natural talents that will be celebrated in my next position.
So, to my fellow college and work-force bound Gen Y’s I say this:
You alone know your worth and the limitless value of your abilities. You alone grew up in a world of hi-octane stimulation and unending entertainment– and you adapted to filter out the constant distractions while navigating the landmines of B.S. that surround you.
Stay true and tuned in to your innate frequency and if you can’t find an environment with big enough amplifiers, just create your own.
Cause destiny ends with a Y.
