Tonight was the night for the Third 2016 Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It was going on as I was writing this, but I will go back to watch the whole thing later. But right now, I want to talk about the disrespect young people face. This is a topic I have addressed before (as it pertains to Hillary Clinton twice and Bill Maher), but I want to talk more about it.
Who Are the Young People I’m Talking About?
It a mix of Generations Y and Z, and Millennials overlap both groups.
The people from Generation Y were born from 1977-1994. They came of age at the turn of the century.
The people from Generation Z were born from 1995-2012. Many are coming of age in this decade.
Depending on the source you consult, Millennials are the people who were born from 1981 to 1997. And according to Pew, this generation became the single largest generational demographic in the United States.
As I expressed in February, I want to appeal to members of Generation Y (although I welcome any followers regardless of age), but I never really expressed why besides being a part of this group. I was also born within the range of the Millennial, so I have a special relationship with this demographic, too. The most important thing to mention is I have had meaningful conversations with people in these demographics and I have observed what affect their everyday lives.
What Are General Complaints About Young Adults?
Many young people are much maligned. As many young people have been called no matter the generation, these people are called “entitled,” “lazy,” “self-absorbed,” and “uninformed,” among other things. Granted, my generation is guilty of all those things, but how different are they from past generations?
Are there not bootleggers who are aged 40 and up?
Are there people aged 50 years and up who refuse to do their work?
Are there not people aged 60 years and up who want to hold onto power?
No matter where you look, you will find people like this. They are not exclusive to any generation.
On the Sense of Entitlement
To be honest, there are many young people who hate to pay for things. People pirate video, images, and text. Many hate to view advertisements of any kind and use AdBlock on everything. They think they should get what they want for free an I cannot defend that view.
Now, in taking my own advice, I have disabled AdBlock for some sites. These include Forbes, The Atlantic, Hulu (long before its pay wall), and YouTube. I frequent these sites and find that the articles have authoritative content. And there are YouTubers whose videos I love to watch, so I want them to earn that ad revenue.
I wish more people would see it that way and help out. That’s the least we can do. And there are certainly Millennials who know that most things aren’t free and how great it is for someone to work at their dream job. Many of the content creators are doing just that and they work their butts off to get where they are.
On General Laziness
Sometimes, we all can be guilty of being lazy. But most people need a kick in the pants and motivation. Often, Millennial lack that and their work suffers.
But I wouldn’t blame joblessness on them. There are special circumstances facing Millennials and people who are even younger when it comes to the job market. Many have been hit hard by the Great Recession. Fewer people were hiring in the fields people generally want to work. And minimum wage jobs simply don’t allow for livable wages.
Students are being told that they need to earn a degree in order to be eligible for certain positions but often find that they need a certain amount of experience in order
Don’t get me started on the schools themselves. For-profit colleges tend to take advantage of younger people in order to get that loan money, regardless of the long-term effect on students’ finances and credit.
As a result, some young adults have to live with their parents for a time and they have to save up their wages from lower paying jobs. These graduations have to do this in order to deal with absorbent student loans. And they have to settle for jobs that don’t put as much emphasis on credit.
This is not a system Millennials created, but they have every reason to be mad about it and want they chance to change it for the better.
On Being Self-Absorbed
Yes, our teens and young adults might be a part of the “selfie generation,” but there is an altruistic streak running through it, too.
When Millennials are driven to vote, they do want someone who will represent them and help them. Who doesn’t?
But one thing I’ve noticed is that many young people have a focus on the bigger picture. Not only do young voters want to make sure they are taken care of and that their children are taken care of, but many care about the human race overall.
Many of us care about the effects we are having on the planet. We care about the general well-being of others. And we care about how corrupt and broken governments impair us all.
As such, many of us would love to be given the chance to help others and make a large impact. According to a job survey by Universum, a third of people now entering the workface would choose a field of study based on the ability to help people. Many young people also donate to causes they believe in (largely through crowdfunding) and want transparency and honesty from the causes they support. This is especially important because of limited funds.
On Being Uniformed
That couldn’t be farther from the truth in many cases. Many of the people I communicate with are well-read and keep up with current events. They know their history and they know enough to ask questions.
As I mentioned above, young people want to know about causes where others ask for money. Are these causes legitimate? Who would be helped? What is the timetable for the project?
When a young worker joins a company, they should want to know more about it. How was the company founded? Who founded it and why? And are there any advancement opportunities within this company?
When we vote, we want to know about the political and any pertinent history of the candidates. What causes do they care about and how do they view the goals of the general public? Do they care more about policy or people and why should we vote for them?
You know what Ticks Me off?
The above seems pretty valid to me. But often, when we are skeptical of certain people, we are bashed for it.
“Fall in line!”
“Look at the other guy!”
“You’re an idiot!”
“You’re an apologist!”
“You are ideologically pure!”
“You’re naïve.”
“You’re a loser.”
And teenagers gaining an interest in government are quickly shot down by dismissive city council members or anyone holding public office. “You kids don’t know anything. Go back to your video games, which are a bad influence on you and should be banned.”
Then the people yelling these things want the people they are insulting and the targets of condescension to do what they want.
Really? That is so brazen, not to mention destructive. The young people of today should eventually be handed the keys to the kingdom. What better time to get them involved and to have their voice heard than now?
Now, tell me: Would YOU be inclined to comply with someone who disrespects you and has a certain disdain for you? I don’t think so.
Shmaltz and Menudo 
The self absorbed hypocrisies of my baby boomer parents did not set a good example for their millenial children. I find millenials in general more open minded than those of my own generation who sold their soul for materialistic gain.
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Thanks for this eye opener.
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