Millennials are Jerks, And Boomers Are to Blame

[MJ DeMarco]

IMO the real problem arising is validation and reinforcement. We, millenials especially, are learning to get easily reinforced. Post something snarky on FB (takes 3 seconds) and you get immediate reinforcement through likes and comments. Post a selfy... bam, likes, thumbs up, and comments. The real world comes along and you find yourself working 8 hour days with NO reinforcement. No likes. No "good job!" No thumbs up. Nothing. Entrepreneurship is the same way. You can work for days, weeks, and months with ZERO reinforcement. I'd imagine that has to be a rude awakening for someone who's grown up doing something and seeing an immediate reaction, response, or reinforcement. And then in real life, nothing. And herein lies why the digital world is often more appealing.

 

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[ChickenHawk]

For anyone who's interested, there's an awesome book that discusses generational dynamics and theorizes why our country/world is in a state of crisis right now. And yes, I DO think it's in a state of crisis. We've got exploding debt, shattered social structures, and some really crappy behavior that's seen as perfectly okay. Dang, I could go on, but I fear I'll sound like a crusty old fart.

But basically, the theory is that generations aren't linear, but rather go in cycles that repeat over and over again.

• The Hero Generation (WWII): They fight the tough battle and settle in afterwards to rebuild society and indulge their children.
• The Artist Generation (Silent Generation): They're the overprotected children born during times of crisis.
• The Prophet Generation (Boomers): They're spoiled, entitled and enraged by civilized society, so they rebel by tearing down societal norms.
• The Nomad Generation (Gen-X): They're the latchkey kids raised by neglectful parents, and thus, become tough and self-sufficient, but cynical bastards.
• Repeat: The Hero Generation (Millennials): Ah, here's where it gets murky. This generation is supposed to repeat the cycle and rise to the challenge much like the WWII Generation has. But...according to the authors, there was one time during U.S. history that no "hero generation" arose. Any guesses when? Alas, it was during the Civil War. A very sobering thought, isn't it?

One thing that really amazed me was that this book was written in 1997, almost 20 years ago. But their predictions were uncanny and incredibly thought-provoking.

The Book:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RKFU4I/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Wiki Info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory

 

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[jon.a]

A whole generation now bears the hollow self-esteem and inflated expectations that come from weak parenting

 

[MJ DeMarco]

and a scandalous 27% of millennials say they’d take credit for a colleague’s work if it helped them get ahead.

a scandalous 27% of millennials say they’d take credit for a colleague’s work if it helped them get ahead.

BINGO. In other words, a 27% would STEAL (er, copy) someone elses hard work to get ahead. How telling ay?

 

[Formless]

Don't pretend things were different.

Only the packaging was different.

They knew how to fix a car engine
We know how to fix a PC with adware on it

Their dream was the salaryman on the TV
Our dream is the rapper on the TV

They listened to songs about 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'
We listen to songs about 'Molly'.

They read books and watched TV
We read blogs and watch Netflix



For anyone naive enough to not realize that 99.9% of people ARE PRODUCTS of their environment, read 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity'. I F*cking hate this attack on young people, and I hate the vilification of the previous generations, as if they didn't have their own troubles to deal with.

As for the '27% would take credit for their colleagues work' statement. The only difference between 'us' and 'them' is that we don't care as much about looking 'decent' as the older guys do. The era of the euphemism is dying, or rather, it is transforming.

In our music, we don't 'make love' we 'F*ck bitches'

But it has always meant the same thing.

 

[The-J]

Hm, why is that?

I'm a millennial and I see that a lot of my peers care very little about ethics. University is hard, so they'd rather cheat or take Adderall to study. Keeping appointments is hard, so they'll bail at the last minute.

Most (yes, MOST) of the people I know still get bankrolled by their parents at the age of 21, and I don't mean that they pay for their education. I mean that they can just call and ask for money at any time without asking any questions and Mommy will wire it over. They don't need to work in order to find their life. Even some people end up getting jobs and have their living arrangements paid for! WTF?!

Not only that, but our general attitude is that we MUST become successful above all else. Everyone's definition of success is different, but millennials are willing to do anything to achieve their success even if it means we have to lie, cheat, or steal.

What's worse is how millennials were sold on a big fat lie (told by Gen X'ers and boomers, by the way). "All you need is a college education and you'll make 6 figures!" Feeds directly into our need for success and the result: 5-6 figures of university debt.

Some majors do have a higher rate of employment than others. If you do engineering, finance, or computer science at a high ranked school you're extremely likely to get a lucrative job in your field with only a bachelor's. But most people don't major in those. Most people end up being told that all they have to do is get a bachelors and they'll get what they want.

We're bitter, really.

I wish more kids could read TMF just to see that there is another way to do things. Not everyone is cracked up to be an entrepreneur, but they need to understand that college =/= safe secure job for the next 40 years.

 

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[Silverhawk851]

Just leaves more on the table for the ones willing to work...More selfish-bastards = more people required to help fill their needs = more $ + more market share + less competition for those willing to put in the blood,sweat and tear

...then they'll get protested against for being the 1% and all but that's a different story

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Interesting article about millennials ...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/if-millennials-are-jerks--blame-the-baby-boomers-200028613.html

Curious if anyone can spot one sentence that I found particularily telling, and almost symbolic to the challenges we face on this forum.

Take a guess.

 

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[SteveO]

My pop always used to say "you'll understand when you get older"
But hell was he wrong,

Reminds me of the song by Credence Clearwater "Someday Never Comes". Two generations of fathers tell their children that they will understand some day why the fathers were leaving.

And hey, why hasn't resident philosopher @SteveO weighed in on this yet??

Uh oh... I'm not sure that this is a tag that has ever been given to me. But then again, the older you get and the more shit that you have been through may tend to bring out a philosophical side. I don't believe that my wife, family, or friends would label me as such.

I did not respond to this thread until I was called out because there is no issue here. The world is cyclical and will continue. There will always be problems if we choose to view them as problems. We can live our life perceiving it as being swallowed by a gigantic shit hole. Or, we can be accepting of the differences of other people around us.

Don't get me wrong. I try to find humor in many of the things that happen in this world. There are many bad things that occur regularly. These are all products of our society. Shit was still happening 2000 years ago so nothing has really changed. It just cycles around.

My kids are screwed up. So was I. My parents were as well.

 

[Mr.Brandtastic]

People seem to engender some type of great love for the era they were born in. But really, it's irrelevant to me. To me it's always been about MINDSET. There are some who have it and some who don't.

I once had a business professor, the one professor I loved most of all, and he had great passion and energy for his craft: Business and entrepreneurship. He was a Boomer. I am a millennial. He was possibly one of the most intelligent business minds I've ever met, certainly greater than any single person on that campus. He had it. It. The mindset, the power, the love of business, the high energy, American spirit kind of guy. Would I get along with him? Of course. I never missed a lesson no matter what, I absorbed every single minute of his classes.

I've met boomers and millennials who I would consider dead. Dead as dirt. The dead look in their eyes. They live their miserable lives. Work. Eat. Sleep. Live. A 65 year old with the right mindset is always more enjoyable to spend time with then an apathetic 18 year old.

Most people are energy-draining zombies that waste time and drain life. Spend time with the right mindset and open your mind. When it comes to business, age truly is just a number. There are many great older enterprises as well as many new and upcoming ones (mainly internet-based), learn from all of the greats and discard the nobodies.

 

[Rcaraway1989]

It's always made sense to teach our kids to live as we did and they will be successful, because for 99.9% of our existence, it worked.

We've now entered the age of exponential innovation. Yet, our entire society remains bounded by institutions and ways of thinking that teach us what worked in yesterday's world will remain effective today.

How could baby boomers have known what worked for them would become obsolete so fast? And how could millenials have known to go against their parents advice before they even experienced the workforce themselves?

We blame each other but we are in this together. We need change. We need to prepare kids for uncertainty, because the uncertainty we face now is only continuing to accelerate.

 

[davedev]

Language controls Discussion
Discussion controls Relationships
Relationships control Business

- Alan Weiss. (I think, probably butchered this).

Anyhow the use of words/language are extremely important. No need to have song title wars, but it's just true. I'm a Millennial as well. Feels like I'm on another planet around them, my mindset is a bit older, I remember back in high school when I mixed records for some local groups, a manager I used to work with used to say that I was an 'old soul' <-- funny-speak for "you're weird".

As copywriters and marketers we definitely need to be acutely aware of the differences in language to convey meaning

Vocabulary is massively underrated, and constantly taken for granted.

'Proper' dress is the same way.

 

[jazb]

IMO the real problem arising is validation and reinforcement. We, millenials especially, are learning to get easily reinforced. Post something snarky on FB (takes 3 seconds) and you get immediate reinforcement through likes and comments. Post a selfy... bam, likes, thumbs up, and comments. The real world comes along and you find yourself working 8 hour days with NO reinforcement. No likes. No "good job!" No thumbs up. Nothing. Entrepreneurship is the same way. You can work for days, weeks, and months with ZERO reinforcement. I'd imagine that has to be a rude awakening for someone who's grown up doing something and seeing an immediate reaction, response, or reinforcement. And then in real life, nothing. And herein lies why the digital world is often more appealing.

The irony of liking your comment

 

[KLaw]

Good lord. Every generation has said the same thing about the previous generation. Get off the koolaid.

 

[RHL]

a scandalous 27% of millennials say they’d take credit for a colleague’s work if it helped them get ahead.

Damn it.

 

[Writer]

In our music, we don't 'make love' we 'F*ck bitches'
But it has always meant the same thing.

Bull. And a woman is something much different than a bitch. If you want to degrade in words other human beings, feel free to do so. But don't say that respect and disrespect are the same thing.

 

[Envision]

It doesn't make sense to classify an entire age population as lazy and entitled.

I do agree that universities and grade school coddle kids into becoming docile and weak minded people with the exceptions of the rare teacher who makes an impact on the few when it comes to discipline, goals, and work ethic.

I also agree that the majority of parents (id say around 60-70%) are terrible. Im 23, but I started to realize this when I was around 19/20 looking at parents ranging from 18-40 who I was exposed to and realizing that these people were god damn idiots and their kids fates were sealed through the luck of the draw. Whether it was how the spoke to their kids, the habits they engrained in them, and their overall mindset their kids will end up being like them and perpetuating a weak society.

But I also work with Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers daily and I'm astounded at their ability to do the least amount of work and consider it good enough, settle for what's comfortable, and think that the life they live is as good as it gets.

Im also surrounded by other people in those categories who are multi millionaires, hard workers, and people with inspiring amounts of discpline and a good head on their shoulders who embody who I am trying to be like.

When you look at what is happening, there is nothing you can do about society as whole but you can personally choose who you want to be and exemplify those actions as you live.

 

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[Real Deal Denver]

Guess what, I'm a home owner, have written several books that were decent money makers, lived and worked as I've travelled and worked as a consultant for many years now as my own boss. Now with contracts with a large company. I also have a tremendous array of skills.

I have to say one very important thing. This is crucial for millennials (and everyone else, of course) to know.

Not only can millennials be the greatest, most successful, generation the world has ever seen, but they can be MANY times greater than anything that has come before them.

Now, think about that. Why is that? Just stop and ponder that for a moment.

That's because they can stand on the shoulders of everyone that has come before them, and they have unfathomable assets to work with. Time, mainly. Unlimited knowledge through the internet, for another. And most of all, nothing - NOTHING - holding them back.

Never in my wildest dreams did I envision the day when I could type in ANY question into a computer and get an instant response. My own private tutor - on call 24/7. This alone is astounding.

And then the books just waiting to be consumed (wink, wink MJ) that will propel any who read them at light speed towards success. Advance to GO. Solid advice on how to become not "just" successful, but an entire new category of success that didn't even EXIST before. No more climbing the corporate ladder for years and achieving a corner office with a great view. Now, it is possible to OWN the building, and the entire block, that has the office with the great view. Un fathom able.

For a tune that we don't hear very often, if at all - try this one on for size... the world SALUTES the millennials and eagerly anticipates their accomplishments that will far exceed past benchmarks in every category!

“People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.”- Rob Siltanen

 

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[Gsuz]

and a scandalous 27% of millennials say they’d take credit for a colleague’s work if it helped them get ahead.

 

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[Mattie]

"In the world they see, those traits are necessary to survive."

I believe in taking responsibility for your life, and creating your world. On the other hand at the same time I understand if you're raised by a generation that has basically not taken responsibility until their 40's or 50's (Generation x) of course you're going to have reckless children. This is an interesting topic for me, because my son is part of this group. You do have to admit role models play a big part by their example, and frankly I remember them all saying Generation X was the worst they had ever seen in the 80's. We were the worst bunch. Perhaps just generations die off and the next generation is the worst. They used to say we were lazy, rebels, punk rockers, underground, drugs, sex, and alcohol was in the school.

I've watched these children and many talk to me about their problems and issues. They're smart and more advanced than we were at their age. They see right through things. They know when you're authentic and the real deal or just talking b.s. They do have a rebellious attitude, and gravitate towards being creative, video game players, indie/emo/ and make their own rules to play the game. Not so different than our generation. Perhaps more loud with their voice. Not passive and submitting to society or conforming.

Lazy yes, more like bored to death in our society. lol That is just the one's I know. They do have the technology that wasn't there for any other generation. They have everything at their finger tips. Exposed to adult content earlier online. Access to anything on the internet. As one told me, I can go in the bathroom and lock the door. Look at anything I want too. No one can stop me. They can go to the public library, take their wifi technology anywhere with them, and flip the middle finger.

It's a whole new crew of thinkers, and maybe in a sense it is what we need to shake up the world and turn it upside down. Chaos is needed for the world to change. History repeats itself in time. No they can't blame the Baby Boomers, or Generation X for why they don't have a job or millionaires. They do have a point. The older generations did create our world, made the rules, regulations, voted for things, and even as you put in your book, they created go to college because it was the way. What worked for the last generations won't work for them.

They have to create a new world for themselves. They can be lazy, they can avoid taking responsibility, but sooner or later the parents will dump them on the streets, and they will have a hard landing if they don't get stuff together. Might be their lesson to learn as a group to work together to make it a better world, or all fall down together and live in laziness. It's their choice.

 

[AllenCrawley]

@MJ DeMarco
@Vigilante
@AllenCrawley

#landfill

Are you suggesting that we landfill MJ’s own thread?

 

[Kak]

What captured me was the "AND BOOMERS ARE TO BLAME". That is typical, a millennial not taking responsibility.

 

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[Writer]

yet they can stay in line for over a week to get a phone:

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/03/campers-waiting-for-iphone-6/

 

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[Magik]

You can most definitely trace it all back to the baby boomers. Regarding baby boomers, George Carlin sums it up nicely through a very blunt and extreme presentation. If you're sensitive to profanity, don't watch, but some hard truth doled out in that video clip. Wish that man was still with us.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

'Come on baby, light my fire.'
'I wanna take a ride on your disco stick'

Don't pretend things were different.

In this sense, yea, things are really the same... however...

Don't pretend things were different.

They are vastly different, and those differences aren't reserved for just millennials. A lot of it is brain chemistry. To deny it is to deny how the digital world has affected the younger generation (as well as the rest of us) -- those impacts are profoundly felt for the younger generation because they grew up with this stuff during the impressionable ages.

For example...

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-millennials-in-love-with-themselves-2014-09-03

Still, some millennials never appear to tire of gazing at themselves. Roughly 63% of 18- to 30-year-olds say they use a selfie as their smartphone wallpaper — the default screen picture when the device is not in use, for you non-millennials — and, once they’re happy with their self-portrait, nearly all of them (94%) send their selfies to others by text or instant message. Most respondents (71%) said they felt “happy” when looking at selfies and 64% said they felt “proud,” while only 11% said they felt “insecure.” And 9% said they felt “regret”; the fact that that number is so low perhaps indicates that selfie subjects are usually clothed, despite recent headlines about celebrities taking nude pictures.

Also see: Smartphone dependency fuels other addictions

Selfies, however, are just part of the story. There’s a new self-portrait gaining popularity: The “wealthie” — a selfie showing off shopping bags and other luxury goods in the background. One-third of millennials said they posed with shopping bags with logos, one-quarter had selfies featuring designer goods and one-in-five had actually posed with cash, the Vouchercloud survey concluded. Social media has created a new kind of spotlight and peer pressure for young adults who think they must be seen with the latest brand or gadget, says Fran Walfish, a Beverly Hills psychotherapist and author. “Wealthies can be rooted in insecurity, sometimes more than materialism,” she says. “Everyone wants to belong to a group.”

PS: I did not write either of these articles, just a gentle reminder.

 

[Writer]

It's way more respectful if you call them 'ladies' isn't it, it changes EVERYTHING.

Yeah, sure. Go on, call "Bitch" a female customer, a relative or a 10 year old girl. Go call "F*cker" a male customer. Let's see how it doesn't make any difference, how you retain your customers, and if you can keep all of your teeth.
Words have a deep meaning, which is usually both contextualized and visualized.
"Making Love to a lady" is a much different visualization than "F*cking my bitch".
Shit and feces are the exact same thing, yet the usage is much different.

And no. Fixing a computer is much different than fixing a car. That's why specialized skills have different values. The same action (verb) doesn't imply a similitude

 

[Harley]

IMO the real problem arising is validation and reinforcement. We, millenials especially, are learning to get easily reinforced. Post something snarky on FB (takes 3 seconds) and you get immediate reinforcement through likes and comments. Post a selfy... bam, likes, thumbs up, and comments. The real world comes along and you find yourself working 8 hour days with NO reinforcement. No likes. No "good job!" No thumbs up. Nothing. Entrepreneurship is the same way. You can work for days, weeks, and months with ZERO reinforcement. I'd imagine that has to be a rude awakening for someone who's grown up doing something and seeing an immediate reaction, response, or reinforcement. And then in real life, nothing. And herein lies why the digital world is often more appealing.

Agreed. I see it in my own daughter - Everything in the latter years of schooling was instant gratification - "We aren't going to have races anymore, as it upsets the children who come last, so everyone will be a winner" etc. So, once they get in to the "real world" and have to deal with disappointments, no instant pat on the back for all tasks completed etc. they struggle to deal with it. As others have stated too, there appears to be a real issue with communication - Blame it on social media, texting, or whatever. But, if you watch, there isn't many real conversations happening. I watched a young couple in a restaurant a while back - The guys girlfriend was very hot and he spent the whole hour on his phone, not even looking at her. Crazy!

 

[socaldude]

Oh well, I guess it just means more money for us producers.

You know, the ones who actually critically think about how to add and create value.

I can think of millions of ways to make money off of the narcissism, egoism, materialism, consumerism and entitlement of this generation.

Anything that adds to their inflated and imaginary sense of self-worth makes millennials go crazy.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I do think it's important to understand the circumstances that lead to people thinking this of a generation though which this video does sum up quite well.

Excellent video thank you for sharing, deeply exposes the PROCESS over the EVENT, and how they're conditioned to the fast event. Also touches on how you shouldn't be allowing cell phones at your meetings and social gatherings. (For ex, when we have poker night, cell phones aren't allowed at the table!)

Millennials see the mountain summit, but refuse to acknowledge the mountain.
[Note: General statement, not ALL millenials obviously, especially the ones here. ;-) ]

 

[Longinus]

I never felt like a millenial, luckily they found a new label for me:

I'm a Xennial!!

In all seriousness: 90% of all people in my country don't even know what a millennial is. Not because they're stupid, but because media isn't that influential like in the US. Some people benefit a lot by labeling some types of people.

In my opinion: it's all a part of the script: millennials are stimulated to behave like millennials. That way they form an ideal target for marketeers.

It's like the whole introvert/extrovert discussion. Most people are probably in the middle, but seek comfort (and excuses) by labeling themselves.