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One of the more interesting conversations I’ve had on Twitter recently was if the current economic crisis will change the demanding attitude of generation Y/the millenials at the workplace. As many of you know the millenial is often typified as the poster child for social media use, and have added a new level of demands for employers to satisfy.
It’s been my belief that a deep long recession would change this generational sense of “over-entitlement” for executive access and mentorship, lifestyle choices, collaboration, high salaries, plush bennies, transitory career paths, and steady, significant pay increases. Now that the economic crisis has steepened, and appears longer and more protracted than anyone had imagined, everyone is eating a little humble pie. Yet many folks think the socially engaged generation will not be drastically altered. Or will they?
I’m not sure this is true. In addition to our own economic crisis, we live in a globalized environment, which brings to bear billions of competitive workers to the market. In addition, as PRWeek pointed out, this crisis is highly exposed in the media, and represents the first major hard time for the generation that demands.
But back to the core question, will they change? One contract staffer suggested that dress codes will tighten up: “You have to look good to feel good to come across good. Everything flows through that first impression when you walk in the door. You need to stand out from the crowd in communication, presentation, physical appearance, the overall way you package yourself.”
A Financial Times article on the topic stated, “Many will fail to find jobs or lose the ones they have.” And that perks would change, saying “Time off to train for a triathlon will probably be harder to come by.”
Both of these articles did hint that perhaps millenials are better suited for economic crisis. One aspect that characterizes the generation is the desire to do good. Now with so many folks suffering, they will have their opportunity. And Generation Y expects to move from job to job, so temporary situations may not be as threatening.
None of us really know. But one thing is for sure, the economic crisis will create a lifelong impression that will shift the generation’s views. Even if it just means changing saving habits.
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I believe, Geoff, that it’s actually the GenXers (those born 1961-1981) who are using social media now, more so than the Millennials (born 1982-2002ish). Joel Mark Witt and I had a conversation about this, on his Folk Media podcast. http://folkmedia.org/?p=442 Much of what we discussed is the How and Why of different generations’ use of social media. In other words, GenX, Boomers and Millennials may all blog, but “The Why” may differ, often running along generational lines.
@Jessie what does that have to do with the topic of the post which is will the recession change millenials attitudes at work?
I sometimes wonder if Gen Y’s obsession with social networks isn’t a type of escapism from the realities of this time? After all, it’s easier to ignore ongoing wars, terrorism and financial collapses when you’re immersed in keeping up with your social circle. Certainly many Gen Y’ers are engaged in beneficial online endeavors, but I also wonder how many are living in a bit of a fantasy land at the moment? Truth be told, I suppose that could probably apply to a lot of us right now!
Will Millennials change their expectations in the current economic situation? I’ll give it a shot, vis-a-vis generational theory (as articulated by Strauss and Howe) and what it possibly points to.
Millennials, the Hero Archetype, grow up as children in a world where adult attention is highly focused on their needs. They learn to trust adults, institutions, authority and such because they experience them as being focused on their success, as individuals and as a generation.
If you’re a GenXer (Nomad Archetype), try not to scream; it just is what it is. Trust you me, GenXers have capacity out the wazoo. We earned it and learned it with little to no support. Different game for us.
Anyhoo, as Millennials move into young adulthood/YA (21-41 years old), they still have the same world view: adults make the world safe and good for them. But they hit a snag. They ALWAYS experience young adulthood in Society’s Winter, so to speak. That’s part of the Hero Archetype’s path. In YA, they sacrifice personal gain today for life-long reward later. Just think of how WWII vets (Heroes) were treated during and after the war, vs. WWI vets (Nomads/today’s GenX). WWII vets were taken care of for life! Government programs were created, tailored to them, their generation and their life path. Never mind that those programs went on to contribute significantly to the fiscal mess of “social obligations” we are facing now. That’s part of the cycle, actually: the rewards to Heroes go on to create hell and crisis for the next round of generations so that the next Heroes (e.g. today’s Millennials) can once again sacrifice in YA to be rewarded later in life. And so on.
Millennials are cheerful, can-do, peer-oriented team players. The way a “Good Crisis Era” (such as the one we are just now in and pointing back to Geoff’s original question) plays out is like this:
* Boomers move into elderhood. They rarely relinquish titles and positions held in midlife, but they mostly let go of management and logistics. The cultural stalemate (think red/blue states) breaks and one vision/path trumps. Boomers provide moral direction in The Crisis Era; it’s their generational job to do so, and they relish it.
* GenXers move into midlife (42-62) and bring their hard-scrabble, nimble, raw, real, efficiency to deeply flawed, broken and neglected systems. GenXers make sure that society survives to see another day. They tend to the onerous details, the ugly work, the hard decisions that must be made to ensure the survival of all. They get no credit and are not rewarded as a generation; blamed even. But the acknowledgment is personal and peer-to-peer; they know they saved the day with their wit, style, love and capacity.
* Millennials bring their collective, optimistic, can-do hoardes (I say that in a good way) to the task at hand. They bring the bodies and labor to the vision of the Boomers, and the efficient structures made by GenXers. They make the vision, through the system possible because they happily do the work needed to fix society. They are happy as long as they are among their generational peers.
It’s tough for about 15-20 years. We come out of it, better, radically changed and headed toward a shining new future, with new structures, values and vision.
That’s a good crisis scenario. It can also go bad. That’s another story. Think Hitler (Nomad) and his throngs (Heroes).
But, heck, as long as I’m around, and the many GenXers I’ve met and continue to meet, esp. through social media, I think we’re gonna be OK. ;-)
Thanks for asking the question, Geoff. It may not have been the answer you were looking for, but it’s my perspective based on what I know from generational theory.
Generation Yers might complain more but they’re totally willing to bail if things aren’t going well. When I hire them, they’re as likely to go backpacking for a year, back to grad school, or across the country (or world) to take a job. This means that companies need to meet them half way. Everyone above that thinks Generation Y takes everything for granted just says that because they’re expecting the traditional “my employee and my child should be appreciative that I am paying and mentoring and shaping them.” The only time anyone ever says things like “you’re spoiled” or “you complain” or “you’re flighty” is because there’s a certain amount of resentment or envy… sort of like, “hey, this isn’t the way things are done.”
Well, things aren’t done like this any more. I think that Generation Y will handle the economic crisis with aplomb… at least the real ones — the City Gen Y kids — because they’ll be super-willing to take jobs in Dubai or wherever the jobs are and will be more than willing NEVER to go down with the ship.
Employee loyalty in today’s economy is tantamount to foolishness because there is no such thing as employer loyalty — and hasn’t been since the 80s.
Excellent post, Geoff. I like the insight that Gen-Yers will invest more into creating an appearance that creates an impact. The present times demand ‘survival of the fittest’ and I think that will be top of mind for every Gen-Yer who wants to stay in the game.
PS: Oh, and Gen Y kids LOVE and get along with their parents and will be more than happy to move in with them for as long as it takes — and will probably be willing to chip in as well, the way they do it in Europe. It might start out as “sucking the teat” but when the GenY kids realize their family is struggling, they’re pitch in.
OK, I read what @JessieX wrote above and I think I am projecting what Generation X is instead of what Generation Y is. That said, I think America needs a Hero Archetype right about now. One thing I have noticed is that they’re much more earnest and less snarky than GenX — they can write and sing sentimental songs without any sort of wink or cheek. Maybe they are going to change the world. I sure hope so! I think we should admire and love them instead of fancy them spoiled nancies with poor moral core.
Hi Geoff, I had totally forgotten your question yesterday when I had another conversation with someone who stood out as a GenY long before I knew his age. It was how fast he was to be clever without knowing a thing about me.
I meet many GenYers via email and Twitter. I often stop them to say the equivalent of “A relationship before the transaction is a good thing.” The ones who respond are truly stellar citizen and I must say it’s most of them. But the ones who don’t I steer clear of totally.
I figure that like any generation the first kind — the ones with the people skills *and* the clever will be the leaders who make things work.
Geoff, it’s funny you should write about this. It will change my generation, but I think we’ll become more cynical and resent large corporations. They may do a lot to help the economy, but we’re not going into battle for a company that has lead people into the unemployment line because of the almighty dollar. Before Gen X and the boomers come down on me, realize YOUR parents said the same thing about you. In times like these, I refer to the GREAT George Carlin and agree completely with his stance on boomers. Here’s a link to his thoughts on boomers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF05oDvHPq8
Matt: A comment like, “we’re not going into battle for a company that has lead people into the unemployment line because of the almighty dollar,” betrays a great ignorance about business. And it’s this kind of expectation, that you deserve a job with tons of perks no matter how good or poorly a company fares that most people find objection to. I hope you deliver great value at work because mediocre performance and attitudes like these can quickly lead to pink slips when companies are struggling.
Companies that struggle need their aces to help perform. Companies are made of more than one, including all workers from all generations. So as a company owner, I can tell you that a me attitude really sucks in a time like this.
I think in some ways Gen Y will have to skim the fat a little – they may realise that the work does indeed require longer hours than once thought and that they’re not necessarily going to get a pat on the back for doing the job they were hired to do. I think the real upward mobility of the Gen Y, though, comes from their belief that there are no boundaries; if you don’t see them, they’re not there. We may just find they advance leaps and bounds because of their constant drive to improve, change, grow and their willingness to go and ask for the advance, the new project, more responsibility… they may just leave the Gen X set in the dust in a deep recession. I don’t think dress code will even hit the radar.
Gen Y will work 18-hour-days if they believe in the fight, in the vision, or are lavishly paid or serviced. If you’re paying them a salary and over-working them, they will sort out how much their life is worth and offer the correct amount you as an employer are paying for. My Gen-Y team are workaholic madmen — if you are deserving. This is going to kill the Edelmans of the world because their model is “grind for a few years” and then you might become someone. It won’t hurt the McKenseys of the world because they actually pay a proper salary.
However, to reflect a separate perception, I hear from my friend Dan who owns a law practice that young lawyers are having a hard time because they all want to innovate and be creative and “find new ways” in a business that isn’t terribly innovative and is based on tradition and stability: law.
So, I am really enjoying all of this. We know for a fact that Gen Y folks are fierce workers from all of the work they did on behalf of Barack Obama. We’ll see what happens. I think I might have all of this wrong. If your Gen Y employees are being slackers, it is probably because you’re just a job to them and they’re burning the midnight oil doing music, art, writing, etc, as their career.
Geoff,
I should have explained myself a little further, however, I hadn’t yet thrown a cup of joe down my gullet.
This whole issue is discussed in a book by Prof. Richard Florida, called: Rise of the Creative Class. He breaks down generations, their capabilities, and value is to the working population (among other things). For me, I cannot work for a company that “values” its employees, yet never lives up to their promises, or gives you an explanation as to why they’re cutting your salary, while their executives take HUGE pay increases. Let alone, sends money to “non-profits” which prevent further equal rights (example: companies for Prop 8) and doesn’t acknowledge same-sex partnerships either. I think it boils down to the fact we’re smarter, and are more cynical because of the information available to our generation. I’m not being raised in the 1950′s when my Dad would work in a factory for 20 years. With all these companies laying off people in good times, why the hell do I have to be loyal? I’m young, live in the best times our world has ever seen, and yet, I’m looked down upon when I don’t get involved in office politics.
I think our generation isn’t lazy. Quite frankly, I think we’re the opposite, and aren’t challenged enough. We live in a world of information and education that hasn’t existed for any other period in time. That said, I believe our bosses, mentors, and co-workers aren’t embracing us either. Geoff, check out Dr. Florida’s book, it’s definitely an eye-opener. It made me try and communicate with older generations, be more open to speaking with people that aren’t “down” with technology as well.
I won’t tell you where I work, but I do help run a small business (run by 20-somethings), and we’re in the black! :) You do know me though!
I won’t begin to understand how this Gen Y works but it appears that the social media applications I see as “tools” they see as “toys”.
I have a 2nd cousin who is Gen Y. For her, having a Facebook/MySpace profile is just as important as having a cell phone/Iphone. For them, or at least my cousin, its the way they communicate, connect, and stay in touch. She is constantly “on”.
When I was her age the biggest “want” I had was a car.
This recession will not curb their appetite, in fact I would argue it will increase their want for more. If any change will occur, it will be how they will demand to exchange information.
Being Gen X, it my be our crutch to bear to teach or influence responsibility, code of ethics, and adaptation for younger generations.
Addressing that do-goodism that Gen Y brings to the table. It’s very easy to do good when you’re already taken care of. The real test is if you’re willing to forgo the iPod, television, car, and other “essentials” to help out. When money is no problem, volunteerism is easy. When you’re fighting for economic survival, which Gen Y as a generation hasn’t, it’s a much different story.
I say give them kids and a mortgage, and see how they respond. My prediction is the vast majority of them will sink into boring jobs as they age – just as every other generation.
The bigger question is what impact having 60% of college graduates being women will have on the corporate workforce. Add that to the levels of student debt, and you have a shrinking population that has kids later, is less fertile, and increases gender tensions as women earn more than men, and aren’t happy about it.
I offer, again, that there is an archetypal story at play here: four of them, actually. And they each impact each other; and are impacted.
Millennials are today’s Hero Archetype. Their life path includes childhood years where they witness adults and institutions massively shift attention, dollars and priorities toward their generation, e.g. toward KIDS when they are kids; and young adults when they are young adults. This imbues in their generation a trust in adults (read: institutions), which, in their young adulthood allows them to take direction, en masse, toward a happy goal. And they do sacrifice in their young adulthood. Then again, everyone does in the same era, because the era of young adulthood for the Hero gen *is* Society’s Winter. All generations sacrifice. It’s just that nobody gives a hoot about GenXers (Nomads), and GenXers don’t need anybody giving a hoot about them. Thank you very much! In the global sacrifice, the contraction of options and the massive renegotiating of social contracts (payments to elders), GenXers are a bit thankful that Boomers (Prophet archetype) finally get a bit of a kick from the mess they very much helped create. Millennials are so peer-oriented that they really don’t see the other generations as being anything near their glory, so other generations’ sacrifices don’t weigh in their minds the same as theirs. And the Homeland Gen (the Artist archetype) are kids; their job during the Crisis Era is to be “seen but not heard.” Word.
Gen Y is really the wrong label. And my assumption is that a good third or more of the people who identify as “Gen Y” are actually Gen X (born 1961-19810. Roundly, Millennials prefer the term “Millennial” over “Gen Y,” as Gen Y indicates being “the next thing after” Gen X. And they don’t see themselves as such at all. No, they’re special.
See, by the time Heroes show up as kids and then as young adults, Society (with a cap S) is so tired of Boomer self-absorption and GenX cynicism that happy, upbeat kids — even if you do have to give them 5 times more direction re what to do just so that they can be half as capable as an unsupervised GenX … well, that’s just the way they are. Heroes find their power in their COLLECTIV capacity; GenXers find their power in their FRAGMENTED capacity And part of the mistake GenXers make (myself included!) is wanting Millennials to think/do/be as capable and self-directed as we are. It doesn’t work with Heroes. They need team, support, protection, gleaming adult faces looking at them and the bright eyes of their peers in their sight.
Oh, and in terms of work, check this out: All that talk about Millennials jumping ship for new opportunities, nope. They jump ship for MORE PROTECTION and support from adults. GenX are the gamblers. (Ain’t nobody takin’ care of us anyway, right? Institutions and government work for everyone but us, right? Might as well gamble/risk/go for it.)
Millennials will actually usher in new rules and LAWS re life-work balance, compensation, guaranteed benefits, etc. THINK UNION. Unions will come back in force as Millennials hit the work force in larger numbers.
Much more to say. Another day.
Geoff, your original question via Twitter was asked while I was teaching a weekend university speech class. Great food for thought. Generally, 80% of my students for weekend and weekly university courses averages in the 40s-all looking for second career opportunities or leg-up over the 20-somethings. Then I will have 20% of my students straight out of high school or with little life/career experience before starting college life.
It pains me to make sweeping statements, but in my three years of teaching, I have noticed the Gen-Y group give up first. As our class conversations have begun incorporating economic and generation-spending/reaction topics, I have noticed a sense of desperation from GenX and Baby Boomers. They are grasping for survival, while the Gen Y do not appear to be phased and are very willing to move home if situation warranted.
To Chris’ point above, yes the Gen Y may pitch in and help families if they fly back to the nest, but Gen Y sees nothing wrong in their decision. And who is to judge right and wrong? Gen Y may not be affected now, but I think true colors will show in the next decade or two that their grasping for more money, benefits, etc. will hinder their survival once the older generations pass on.
You’re not joking about the Gen Yers tendency to bail, or just never take ownership of things from the start. I have had a really difficult time of that with the last couple of Jr. designers that we hired. Kind of a bummer, I just assumed that they would be like I was at that age.
While the immediate short term will be very difficult on Gen Y, I believe that the long term attitudes of this generation will not dramatically change. Everyone always falls back into the trap that with recession, people must ‘buckle down’ and ‘put their nose to the grindstone’. This old way of working assumes that squeezing an extra couple of hours a week out of employees will increase profitability or at least demonstrate to the manager how much a person values their job. This reasoning is unfortunately faulty, especially in this new digital era. Psychological studies show that humans cannot work at 100% effectiveness over the long term above 45 hours a week. After about a month over this amount, productivity suffers, and a person’s productivity equals that of a 40 hour-a-week worker. In addition, this post and many others like it seem to discount the fact that the workplace will drastically change over the next five years. This change will greatly benefit Gen Ys and those older workers who can adjust quickly because the trend is towards a more decentralized workplace. Millennials operate very well in these remote-workspaces and value the flexibility these workplaces create.
Another misconception is to call Millennials entitled. There are of course outliers, but in general Millennials are only asking for a change in the way work is accomplished. The previous system of management has been developed mainly in the 60s and 70s, and Gen Y is simply asking for an update. There is no reason why with the technology available today that workplaces cannot and should not adjust to a more contractor oriented, decentralized workplace. The old system has obviously failed, and enabled much of the current economic woe. Gen Y has seen the pitfalls, and is looking to tweak the system in order to maximize their life satisfaction. This is not the definition of entitlement, rather pure market economics. Over the next ten years millions of Baby Boomers will retire, and there will not be enough workers to replace them. Simple supply and demand dictates that the input of demand (in this case workers) receive higher compensation for their work. Companies will have to adjust to their mindset, and this adjustment will allow Millennials to rebuild the capitalistic system with the help of their older co-workers for the betterment of all parties.
Just a small little bit re Brett’s post above and the oft-repeated assumption that as Baby Boomers retire no one is around to replace them. Boomers numbered 64.6 million in 2005. GenX numbered 81 million in 2005. Millennials, 79.1 million. So, um, there are plenty of GenXers to fill jobs left vacant. The issue is much bigger than “filling jobs.” GenXers have the answers. http://is.gd/b6Vk Millennials provide the bright, smiling faces that make Boomers want to adjust structures and make room for the newly arriving Millennials. But, it’s mostly the GenX generation that will provide the muscle to make the workplace changes, such as collaborative technologies available and functioning.
This factual inaccuracy and cultural myth that there is no one to fill — boo hoo hoo – the leadership void created in Boomers’ en masse retirement is, well, it’s a cultural myth. http://is.gd/b6UO
Generation Y rarely makes a decision without consulting with their baby boomer parents first. Doesn’t this mean that ultimately the boomers are still making the decisions? As long as the millenials have enough money to buy the latest version of Warcraft I don’t think the economic downturn will change their personality in the workplace much.
@Geoff Livingston:
“Companies that struggle need their aces to help perform. Companies are made of more than one, including all workers from all generations. So as a company owner, I can tell you that a me attitude really sucks in a time like this.”
You’re absolutely right, a me attitude does suck. So where is the leadership from these company’s executives? Are they doing THEIR part? Senior management asks their employees to sacrifice wages, they lay off employees, then demand a large bonus, because “things could have been worse, therefore gimme, gimme, gimme.”
Look, Sun Country Airlines CEO Stan Gadek forwent his salary when the airline cut salaries by almost 50%. That is true business leadership, and THAT spirit of everyone doing their part is aplaudable.
I see a lot of bitterness in these comments, and oddly, from many Generation Xers. Generation Y, frankly, sees Xers as partners for the future. You’d think some of them would see that and stop lashing out and younger people for simply being younger.
To say we’re entitled is to be ignorant. Have you spoken to a five year old? They believe they deserve everything, and yet, you do not condemn them for it. Some young adults will have this mentality, but to broaden that trait to an entire generation is foolish. When you were young, you thought some silly things too.
We’re more adaptable. That is one of our greatest strengths. Pre-judging the breadth of a situation is not something we suffer from, and we consider all possible consequences. This allows for some strategic planning that helps everyone. You can use a fresh and open mind to look at situations differently. Don’t get upset because we did just that and you didn’t like the conclusion we came to (which tends to lean more toward socialism than blatant exaltation of the individual to the point of crushing anyone beneath).
People deserve employment if they’re willing to work for it. People do not need to work 80 hours a week when other very successful countries can manage a far more casual work environment. It’s about excellent time management- which is something else we excel at (cue the groans about me referencing the working habits of other countries…surely, there’s no way anyone else had a better plan than us). People deserve to be as healthy as they can, and people therefore deserve affordable health care. People deserve a livable wage, where they can pay their bills without overworking or otherwise destroying their lives for a simple dollar. I don’t see these as excessive demands. It’s simplification. And if wages weren’t so violently suppressed over some abstract notion of ‘making them work for it’, things would be better here in the U.S. CEO’s do not need million dollar salaries, and they should not accept them as long as a company is laying off. Executive salaries should be the first hit. If they truly cared about the companies, then it makes the most sense for the top fellow to take the hit first. And as soon as I say this, the real reason for the current economic/power structure in the U.S. is the way it is: “But it’s MY money, and I deserve it because I’m here!” It’s not yours, love, if the company is failing. Capitalism shouldn’t come at the expense of all those around you so that you can add another car to your collection. It’s petty, stupid, and I don’t believe in the ruin of another man for such …wait for it…entitlement issues of those at the top.
I was raised by an Xer who led a life of hard knocks. Some were her fault, some were not. I have no father, like so many of my generation (a quarter, if the research I read is correct). We come from destabilized home lives. A higher percentage of us have little money compared to previous generations (you may have noticed how the proportion of upper crust elite to peons has widened in the past couple of decades). We had our own generational influences- like the reality of being shot at school (it happens all the time still, though at a smaller scale), like 9/11. Like the heavy presence of gangs. Like the fact that 1/4 of women, by college age, have been raped. No, sir. We are not ‘entitled’, expectant of ridiculous salaries, convinced we deserve to skip through life. On the contrary, we see the problems, the issues that every-day people face. We see the sadness, poverty and despair all around us, and know it needs to be better for everyone. The ‘ME-FIRST!’ mentality is so prevalent throughout society. We do not think we are special; we merely think you are not special. At least, no more than anyone else. And that’s the true rub, in my experience. We don’t treat our ‘elders’ like they were special, like pioneers through the desert, taking us to the promised land of Ipods. You’re just people. The leaders of the Boomer generation did indeed begin a revolution that was good for them. Only. The benefits were cut out from under the Xers, who did all the hard work only to be introduced to mass layoffs, losing pensions and more. Now, Yers have seen this and we simply don’t trust. (I realize this runs contrary to many opinions of non-generation Yers here). We know corporate America only believes in feeding money into the top 2% of people, and will leave the rest of us out to die. We know we can be laid off at any given moment, and even for a stupid reason, and this is why we don’t labor for decades for the same employer. We don’t care about making sure the guy at the top gets his million dollar salary, and most of us don’t think he deserves it, especially in cases where his company is being run into the ground. You want loyalty? You want perseverance? Pay us a decent wage and don’t layoff without it being a last resort instead of a first. Be a people-first company that cares about your community and your effect on the world. Be responsible, frugal and respectful. Until companies themselves prove themselves trustworthy, there is no sane reason for the American people of any generation to trust them anyway. It’s a ridiculous notion.
Most of us did not grow up in environments where the world was handed to us. Many of us have held jobs our whole lives, working for those nifty gadgets you’d begrudge our having. I grew up dirt poor, eating day old bread from the bakery’s charity bin, getting cheap Christmas presents from Toys for Tots. I went to college because I worked hard in high school and received a merit scholarship and two grants. It was not enough money to cover state college, so I had to take out loans. I was recently laid off (though my salary was so low it wouldn’t have saved the company any money) and just prior, had been walking the two miles to and from work because I didn’t have a car. I didn’t complain. This is the way life is, and I adapted.
Since the things Generation Y seeks to change would be of benefit to everyone, you would think we would be encouraged in our efforts. Alas, instead, some people from other generations see our knowledge as a threat, our presence as a threat to their job positions, our optimism as a problem, our staunch belief in well-being and balance for everyone…somehow bad.
We don’t hate you guys, but it would be nice if you backed the heck off. We won’t even get social security, yet we’re paying for it for those already retired. You can call that generosity. We want to be paid fairly for our work, without struggling with living in squalor. You can call that fair. We want a healthy work-life balance. You can call that necessary and rational. We want a better world. You can call that being a cock-eyed optimist, and it would still be a good thing.
X, we get you. We know you got the shaft. If we can change the world, we mean to change it for you too. You’re going to have to ease up on the bitterness toward us though. We didn’t start the fire, fellahs, we’re just trying to find a way to direct it to burn the crap we no longer need.
Great piece, Bergstrom. May I ask your birth year? Curious, I am, as to where on the spectrum of “Gen Y” you sit. Helps me understand.
Commenting usually isnt my thing, but ive spent an hour on the site, so thanks for the info
Nothing wrong with this, at all, people should get it more.