not much

millenials. what an annoying term, it even sounds self-important.

okay, so i was born in 1975. i am pretty solidly “generation x.” generational generalizations seem to be kind of like birth signs, it’s pretty much true overall, but not all of it applies to “me,” whoever “me” may be. some people refer to generation x as kind of the lost or overlooked generation, the proverbial middle child between baby boomers and their children, the millenials. i freely admit that i dont know a LOT of millenials, maybe 5-10 and theyre all nice people that i enjoy spending time with, but i do find this description (found in a review of the new season of “heroes” of all places) of their generation to be very adept (or do i mean apt?) in showing the traits of that generation that frustrate me:

And Generation Y has more special abilities than any previous one: these are people who came of age taking the Internet, BlackBerries, cash machines, Facebook and iPods for granted. They also take the taking for granted. They are the most coddled, indulged and overprotected generation ever. Swaddled in safety and self-esteem, they have all been assured that they are special. They don’t rebel against their parents or even seek independence; they welcome an electronic umbilical cord that stretches through high school and college and even the post-graduate return to the empty nest. On “Heroes” those filial bonds stretch beyond the grave: even after his father is dead, Hiro (Masi Oka) still receives his fatherly advice via prerecorded DVD.

i was trying to find a good description of generation X online and didnt come up with much, even wikipedia was lacking (maybe it’s too close to home for people to come up with? im doubting anyone in generation Y (another term for millenials) writes about themselves the way most of the media tend to.) further reinforcing generation Xs little lost lamb status. i did manage to find a few articles about the differences between generations X and Y. one very interesting piece was about how to mentor the 2 generations. of course, as a proud, card-carrying member of generation X, i find the very idea of such an article completely ridiculous and a total waste of time.

generation X:

Even more so than Baby Boomers, members of Generation X dislike authority and rigid work requirements. An effective mentoring relationship with them must be as hands-off as possible. Providing feedback on their performance should play a big part, as should encouraging their creativity and initiative to find new ways to get tasks done. As a mentor, you’ll want Gen Xers to work with you, not for you. Start by informing them of your expectations and how you’ll measure their progress and assure them that you’re committed to helping them learn new skills. (Members of Generation X are eager to learn new skills because they want to stay employable.) Gen Xers work best when they’re given the desired outcome and then turned loose to figure out how to achieve it. This means a mentor should guide them with feedback and suggestions, not step-by-step instructions.

millenials:

Millennials are typically team-oriented, banding together to date and socialize rather than pairing off. They work well in groups, preferring this to individual endeavors. They’re good multitaskers, having juggled sports, school, and social interests as children so expect them to work hard. Millennials seem to expect structure in the workplace. They acknowledge and respect positions and titles, and want a relationship with their boss. This doesn’t always mesh with Generation X’s love of independence and hands-off style.

Provide lots of challenges but also provide the structure to back it up. This means breaking down goals into steps, as well as offering any necessary resources and information they’ll need to meet the challenge. You might consider mentoring Millennials in groups, because they work so well in team situations. That way they can act as each other’s resources or peer mentors.

my own experience working with the young’uns makes me think that the part about millenials being hard workers isnt necessarily true, but that article was intended for lawyers. i have no idea what they’re like.

and then, there’s this guy whose whininess personifies the worst of generation x and why the millenials probably think we’re self-indulgent.

Jeff Gordinier is tired of being force-fed the Beatles, the Summer of Love, Facebook and Britney Spears. He says being heard over the media din about boomers and their offspring, Generation Y, or “millennials” as they’re now known, isn’t just a challenge, it’s annoying. Being overlooked and underappreciated? It’s never-ending for him and his tribe of fellow Gen-Xers.

i havent read the book, so it might not be as bad as the article makes out, but why when i read this millenial’s response to gordinier’s inflammatory statement “They just love stuff. They love celebrities. They love technology. They love brand names. . . . They’re happy to do whatever advertising tells them to do. So what if they can’t manage to read anything longer than an instant message?” :

“I think they gave us something to work against,” says Kate Torgovnick, a 27-year-old writer and former colleague of Gordinier’s. And though she agrees that her generation might be more ambitious and self-promoting, she says millennials are far from the non-critical consumers that Gordinier portrays. “We grew up with courses that dissect the media and advertising, so I think we’re even more aware of what’s going on.”

why is my first thought–hey that should have been an inflammatory statement! why dont you tell this old fart to fuck off that he has no idea what the world is like and he should just go drink some coffee and cry about kurt cobain some more? and my second thought–disappointment that she doesnt. she either doesnt care to defend her generation (or maybe it’s just that she doesnt care to take the bait) or doesnt think that there’s anything to be defensive about in what he’s said. it’s not so much that they do whatever advertising tells them to do, but that they welcome the advertising in order to better choose the brands they want to follow.

i think that the words of amanda jones, “id rather be alone for the right reasons than with someone for the wrong ones” are perfect for my generation. oh and that’s also a hallmark of generation x, by the way, incessantly quoting pop culture. in that vein i would say that “entourage” is definitely a generation Y show and “six feet under” is generation X. “six feet under” is all about people wrestling with themselves and their surroundings, and “entourage” is all about people getting the most they can while they can.

generation x is kind of the “but what about me?” generation in that we had a lot and felt a lot and thought a lot but i dont know that we have yet done a lot. um, well, except for the internet which im pretty sure we kind of did but which the millenials have taken over and run with to an astonishing and amazing extent. generation Y works within the system more than our generation does. generation X is not known for its actions, we have a lot of passion and ideals, but not a lot of discipline. i think. maybe that’s just me.

the millenials are slick. and i cant blame them, they will always get what they want. i cant fault the millenials for what i feel is their one major shortcoming as a generation, a lack of depth. i mean, what do i know? they are certainly more successful, faster than my generation. they seem happy and fulfilled with both their careers and personal lives. they dont seem to wrestle with the constant questioning of self that i see in so many of my contemporaries in their careers. they are happy to be a team player, and to lead a team–to me, the words “team member” are like kryptonite unless you’re wearing a number on your back, which is not to say that generation X doesnt play well with others, i just think it doesnt like to be defined as playing well with others. maybe that’s what it all comes down to, generation X doesnt like to be defined or analyzed. generation X barely even has a wikipedia page.

all of that being said, in the millenials’ defense–they are a force to be reckoned with. and they are using their power sometimes in very positive ways. i really do think that they are changing the world and changing the way people think by using the internet and social networking, communicating acceptance and tolerance by sheer exposure.

i dont know. at the end of the day, do generational differences really matter? or is it just another hobby for people to speculate about? is it just another way for consultants to earn money, by explaining the new generation? in the words of lloyd dobler, “I can’t figure it all out tonight, sir, im just gonna hang with your daughter.”