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First off, I'm 33 years old, at the very tail-end of Gen X or the beginning of Y, depending on who's classification system you're using. I am getting sick of reading thread after thread of my generation and younger whining and complaining about how it is impossible for them to get ahead (or even going) in today's word.
They whine about how it's impossible to go to school without becoming a debt-slave, impossible to buy a house, impossible to raise a family, impossible to even get a job, ect, ect...
WTF is wrong with you people? I worked my way up in my job field from 11 dollars an hour to 24 now, put myself through college without taking out a loan, own a house that is worth more than 200K, have 2 cars (one paid for) 3 kids, no debt besides the mortage and car loan, a bunch of toys and my wife is even a stay at home mom. It wasn't hard.
Here's how: I did a good work and progressed in my job. I bought a fixer-upper house and restored it myself. I kept good credit so I get the best rates on loans. I lived within my means and didn't overextend myself early, so I would have more later. I budget.
Why is this "impossible" for so many people? Did your mommies not teach you how to be an adult? Are you unable to plan more than a week ahead? Stop whining! It's always been challenging to get a life started no matter what generation a person finds themselves in. If chango can do it, you are a sure bet!!!! Get out there and get to work!!!!!
First off, let me say good for you for all you've accomplished. Not many people know how to find the good deals out of life (another flaw of our generation, nonetheless...)
But now for life in the real world for most people; college costs way more than it's worth, a lot of people had to take out ridiculous amounts of money to go through it, and those who didn't, probably won't live past minimum wage and might possibly end up in credit card debt to survive (heck even those who've gone to college are likely carrying credit card debt already also and it's more likely to be for replacing the car's brakes than a spring break trip to Mexico).
And when you started working, was when wages were still going up. Now all these whiny millennials you speak of (and probably a lot of immigrants) are likely doing twice the work you did for half the wages, part-time hours, no health insurance, no vacation and a ridiculously through-the-roof cost of living. They likely working another job also to make ends meet.
And for the record I'm tired of older generations acting like these people are so darn spoiled and won't work, when all a lot of them have BEEN doing is working. Are there spoiled people who don't work? You bet. But they're in EVERY GENERATION, yet Gen Y is lumped into one big group and treated unfairly based on stereotypes and what some, not all, are out there doing! Can someone please explain that???
And it just so happens that Generation Y is coming of age in ridiculous conditions that generations before them created for them. Viva La Vida Loca, Gen Y!
I'm not saying that there is no way to work one's way out of it. I'm saying it takes time, experience and a whole lot of patience. It also takes planning, connections and learning. And it takes letting go of traditional milestones and timeframes and setting new ones, ones that work for oneself.
Our entire culture is built around getting what we want right now, so excuse the heck out of those who were simply raised to be the kind of people they are (they have their parents to thank for that). But that's not their fault and they certainly didn't ask for it.
If you don't have any compassion for these people or their issues, then get off this forum. Plain and simple, WEDON'T WANT YOU HERE! Now, that's not necessarily directed towards you, but to those guilty of such repugnance.
Although the above was a response not to me, but to another poster, I am just wondering if you are aware of the degree of arrogance the response shows. Who are you to tell anybody to "get off this forum"? Who are the other people for whom you claim to speak when you use the pronoun "we"? Seems to me your true colors are finally showing.
The bottom line here is that all content has been lost, and we are reduced to quibbling about people's attitudes and tones. Let's return to a focus on meaningful content, from which we can learn something and expand each others' horizons. Just ignore people who are guilty of rudeness and meanness, as this has been driven into the ground.
The bottom line here is that all content has been lost, and we are reduced to quibbling about people's attitudes and tones. Let's return to a focus on meaningful content, from which we can learn something and expand each others' horizons. Just ignore people who are guilty of rudeness and meanness, as this has been driven into the ground.
I'll agree to that as soon as the mods actually show some unbiased views towards all who post here. This thread should have been locked days ago, as mine was in less than a day. It is absolutely abysmal that something with such obvious negative intentions (just look at the title of the thread) was not.
Location: Sitting on a bar stool. Guinness in hand.
4,428 posts, read 6,509,244 times
Reputation: 1721
Hmmmm....
Kind of funny.................as we look through history of all the generations that came after the Greatest Gen we see the same complaint about the following ones. They're lazy, they’re spoiled, and they’re whiners...........ect, ect.
Man as a strait up Gen X'er, I remember all the static we use to get.
The stereotypical definition given to Generation X by the media is one that leads society to believe that it is made up of frustrated, cynical, hopeless and unmotivated slackers who have McJobs, still live at home, wear grunge clothing and listen to alternative music while hanging out in coffee shops all day because they have nothing better to do.
Yep. I remember that.
Quote:
"Their (generation X's) protestations became 'whining,' being mellow became 'slacking' and the struggle to find themselves became 'apathy,'" said Coupland in a June 1995 interview with Details Magazine.
Oh yeah. That too. A trip down the "perceptual" memory lane.
Look guys. This is all just history repeating and repeating itself Ad nauseam. A younger Gen is pissed about how the older gen has taken everything from them and the older Gen is complaining about how "these kids just don't appreciate what they got." Blah and double Blah.
Though I will say right now in the political sphere the Boomers are the ones in the driver seat. So I would ask the Boomers to carefully consider all the consequences for the long term health of this country every time you vote at the polls or elect officials that will represent you and me and the Y'ers.
As for the Y'er in general......I think the kids are going to be alright. They'll adapt, and evolve as human being and life will continue on in this country no matter what standard of living there is for them (my guess slightly lower but comfortable). AND............that about it.
I started college in '01. Houses were about $125k, starting salaries were about $35k.
I finished college in '06. Houses were about $200k, starting salaries were about $35k -- so buying a house was out of the question, but the labor market was still okay.
Welcome to 2011.... you should go treat yourself to a $110k house.
First off, let me say good for you for all you've accomplished. Not many people know how to find the good deals out of life (another flaw of our generation, nonetheless...)
But now for life in the real world for most people; college costs way more than it's worth, a lot of people had to take out ridiculous amounts of money to go through it, and those who didn't, probably won't live past minimum wage and might possibly end up in credit card debt to survive (heck even those who've gone to college are likely carrying credit card debt already also and it's more likely to be for replacing the car's brakes than a spring break trip to Mexico).
And when you started working, was when wages were still going up. Now all these whiny millennials you speak of (and probably a lot of immigrants) are likely doing twice the work you did for half the wages, part-time hours, no health insurance, no vacation and a ridiculously through-the-roof cost of living. They likely working another job also to make ends meet.
And for the record I'm tired of older generations acting like these people are so darn spoiled and won't work, when all a lot of them have BEEN doing is working. Are there spoiled people who don't work? You bet. But they're in EVERY GENERATION, yet Gen Y is lumped into one big group and treated unfairly based on stereotypes and what some, not all, are out there doing! Can someone please explain that???
And it just so happens that Generation Y is coming of age in ridiculous conditions that generations before them created for them. Viva La Vida Loca, Gen Y!
I'm not saying that there is no way to work one's way out of it. I'm saying it takes time, experience and a whole lot of patience. It also takes planning, connections and learning. And it takes letting go of traditional milestones and timeframes and setting new ones, ones that work for oneself.
Our entire culture is built around getting what we want right now, so excuse the heck out of those who were simply raised to be the kind of people they are (they have their parents to thank for that). But that's not their fault and they certainly didn't ask for it.
I guess I'm just carrying on the tradition of bashing the newbies of the adult world; when I was 21 people my age were criticized for being lazy and unmotivated trashy grungers who would never accomplish anything. Hey, dad.. what do ya think about your son now?
But my point stays the same, and it looks like you basically agree. It's not impossible to make a successful life, and lets face it, it's never been necessarily easy...
Your home prices jumped that much bug haven't haven fallen to pre-2001 levels? I was under the impression lots of places have, where do you live?
the numbers i mentioned earlier were from where i went to school, which should not be conflated with where i currently reside.
currently, i live in North Carolina. here is a chart made from data in our local MLS; blue is price, red is # of sales. You can see that we did have a bubble, and prices aren't at 2001 levels right now. We have a ways to deflate IMO.
Last edited by le roi; 06-08-2011 at 02:02 PM..
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It's always been challenging to get a life started no matter what generation a person finds themselves in. If chango can do it, you are a sure bet!!!! Get out there and get to work!!!!! 
Ah, some true colors are showing!
