Essay Prompt #1

                                                                                                                 Gale 1    
Allison Gale
Professor Brown
English 1B
18 February 2013                                   

 

                                           A Grim Future for Generations Y and Z;

                                                     And The Glory of Escapism

            It’s hard for me to talk about this without feeling a small sense of hopelessness. I watch the youth of today strolling around campus and elsewhere and really feel empathy for their cause. They have an unyielding road ahead of them. When I say “today’s youth” I’m referring to Generations Y and Z.  Generation Y is defined as people born in or after 1980 (Geck 2). Youths born in or after 1990 are members of the newest net generation (Geck 1). This “net generation” is often called Generation Z and they have a cloudy destiny awaiting them. No generation has suffered more from the Great Recession than the young. Median net worth of people under 35, according to U.S. Census, fell 37 percent between 2005 and 2010; those over 65 only took a 13 percent hit (Girod, Shapiro 2).  In other words the baby boomers, those between the ages of 48 and 66, have set up an ugly world for the young. Our economy is at its worst since the Great Depression. Terrorism is still quite prevalent and has dramatically changed our way of living. There are threats of nuclear attacks from North Korea and Iran. And now, even meteors are falling from the sky and have become an actual threat! So not only do Generation Y and Z have these terrifying things to contemplate and face, they have to go to school and then try to find

                                                                                                                                    Gale 2

work and be positive about their future! But even that is virtually impossible. Their indebted parents are not leaving their jobs, forcing younger people to put careers on hold. Since 2008 the percentage of the workforce under 25 has dropped 13.2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while that of people over 55 has risen by 7.6 percent (Girod, Shapiro 2). So with all this in mind, it’s safe to say that the reason these kids are trying to escape from reality isn’t because they are selfish and detached, as some have said; but because of an ever growing need to forget about the real world for a bit. Some call it “escapism” but I like to refer to it as “weathering the storm”.

            So what are a few of the most faddish escaping tools? There is the Internet and those fancy new smart phones which allow access to entertainment and information at all times. I swear, wherever I go, if I see a person between the ages of 18-34; they have some sort of electronic device in their hands. With this in mind, I’ve been watching a steady prominence in the appreciation of video games and comic books amongst men, and even women. Most young males spend a great amount of time playing fantasy/science fiction, comic book related or war inspired video games. The delinquency charge has now been passed on to the new media kid on the block: the video game (Ndalianis 1).  This genre is a multi-billion dollar industry and growing. My fiancé is 32 and can’t wait to get home to play the latest Spiderman or Call of Duty game! He says it’s “his way of forgetting about an awful day at work, when he makes little to no money”. Young adults are being heavily criticized for their great affection for violent and graphic video games. Some say that this constant feed of violence into the minds of the youth is even the cause of some underlying emotional issues and current shooting tragedies. But I believe it’s a way to forget about the cruel world which is surrounding us. It’s a way to escape and live a

                                                                                                                                    Gale 3

different life for a brief moment in time. But mostly, I see the ever growing fascination with celebrities as the biggest escape mechanism to date. From gossip magazines such as “In Style” to the MTV Music Video Awards, we are being inundated with images of the rich and elite; and we buy into it hook, line and sinker! And with this, our younger generations are aspiring to live these privileged lives and become stars like them. Look at the success of shows such as “American Idol” and “The Voice”. Why does it seem like everyone is trying to be a star or emulate one? Is the crushing success of music stars a characteristic of hidden emotional problems with our younger demographics?

A fantastic example of this is a New York gal named Stefani Angelina Germanotta. She was reborn Lady Gaga in a New Jersey Parsippany studio in 2006 (Peters 1). Gaga is a wildly popular and controversial artist that is the perfect ideal of the “worshipped star”. Most of the older generations don’t get her and they probably never will. But she continues in her success mostly because of her “Little Monster” followers. These groupies consist mainly of the Generations Y and Z groups and are being criticized for their worship of Gaga. Some even are calling it a “cult” type following and are majorly concerned that she is a poor influence on today’s younger adults. Broad groups of people of ages 50 and older find her repulsive. Whether it is because of her unconventional costumes, the crazy things she says or the radical concerts she puts on; they can’t stand her. And so some may ask, is this type of following indicative of the emotional caliber of our younger generations? I would absolutely have to disagree if anyone said it was. Humans have been interested in the arts and the controversial scene that comes with it for centuries. This whole thing is nothing new and to call it anything more than common interest is

                                                                                                                                    Gale 4

absurd. She is merely an artist that has a strong following of other artisans desiring to be just like their mentor.

There are several examples of previous conflicts when addressing controversial artists. One I found particularly interesting was written by Michael A. Peters. He is a prominent author that states: Gaga, ca-ca (toddler talk) by an obvious association reminds me of Dada and Dadaism, the cultural movement that began in Switzerland in the period 1916-22 with Hugo Ball and others involving experiments across the visual arts, literature, especially poetry, art manifestoes, art theory, theatre and graphic design. It included public gatherings, demonstrations, and publications of art/literary journals and influenced styles like the avant-garde and downtown music movements, and the groups including surrealism, Nouveau realism, pop art, Fluxus and punk rock. It was decidedly anti-bourgeois and anarchist in nature (1). This is a considerable argument to show that the extreme admiration of celebrities and their culture is indeed nothing out of the ordinary. Lady Gaga is simply the unusual performing artist of the moment that is getting the finger pointed at her by conservative nit pickers. Gaga is just thinking outside the box and trying to make a living. To criticize and belittle Lady Gaga and her “Little Monsters” is hurtful to the message that she sends out. I believe that being true to yourself and candidly embracing being “Born This Way” is a positive cannonball that shouldn’t be negatively viewed. Rather than saying these “Little Monsters” are bizarre and deluded in adoring a unique woman; wouldn’t it be more prudent to accept the fact that maybe all they need is a little evasion from the stressful world they inhabit? In other words, escapism is not an emotional disorder but rather a way to survive the drastic changes our world is undergoing?

                                                                                                                                    Gale 5

Others seem to think that Generations Y and Z are adopting all these ways to escape because of other factors. I have heard them called selfish, detached and even rude! “Young people are coddled long after they should start learning that they aren’t perfect” That was the conclusion of HS, a blogger commenting on an article in The New York Times lamenting the state of today’s youth. “The trouble with kids is that they have an overinflated opinion of themselves because they have been brought up to believe that everything they do is valuable and important”. This was no grumpy old codger, but a young man writing about his own generation (Spinney 1). Spinney goes on to say; Generation Me has drawn some flak. Its members stand accused of being spoiled, arrogant and narcissistic, with an underserved sense of entitlement. College professors complain that today’s students demand constant attention. Employers find is hard to stomach the overblown egos of their young recruits, and therapists say they’re seeing a new generation of patients depressed because they are unable to live up to their own excessive expectations (2). I partially agree with what was said here. I have noticed a trend in their withdrawing from society and a noticeable angst towards others when reacting to their environment. I am a very friendly person and being back on campus I notice that most of the younger demographics don’t seem too interested in interaction. They’re either on their phones or tablets and I have only met a few that wish to openly chat with me. They distance themselves and almost do seem “distanced” or “rude”. But I do not believe it’s because they want to be like this and don’t want to engage with me. Just like I stated before, this is a horrible world we are living in now. They don’t have a choice but to act like they are self-entitled and arrogant. Sometimes keeping to your self can come off that way. I was born in 1976 and am almost twice the age of most of the other students on campus. I come from Generation X and had a very   

                                                                                                                                    Gale 6

affluent upbringing in the 80’s and 90’s. That’s probably why I’m so gregarious all the time! On the contrary, I feel like these generations have been backed into a corner. They are on the defense daily to protect themselves from all the craziness out there. It’s truly difficult to trust anyone now-a-days! With the competition out there for jobs and the increasing safety threats, Generations Y and Z really have no choice but to act protective and disassociated. It’s a dog eat dog world now more than ever and being brutally confident and apprehensive is not the same thing as being narcissistic and arrogant.

In closing I see this growing trend of escapism as a defense mechanism. Considering that the one’s critiquing the “Little Monsters” and anyone else displaying their love of Gaga and other controversial celebrities are the older generations; they should try to remember that these “kids” are merely looking for someone to inspire them in an uninspiring world. According to all the scary statistics; the older generations are the reason that Generations Y and Z are struggling to find some sort of release from the stress of modern times. The screwed generation also enters adulthood loaded down by a mountain of boomer and senior incurred debt; debt that spirals ever more out of control (Girad, Shapiro 4). My fiancé is often referred to as delusional and childish for his love of video games. And I have to admit, he is kind of a gigantic child! However, I see it as his coping method to stop thinking about how he’s going to pay all our bills this month because work was so slow. Does this mean that he has emotional problems because he likes shooting aliens on a big HD television? Absolutely not; and nor would he ever hurt anyone in real life. He just doesn’t want to grow up entirely because really, what is there to look forward to? We can’t afford to have a baby right now. We might never be able to have one with the way the economy looks! Inevitably, young people are delaying their leap into adulthood. Nearly a

                                                                                                                                    Gale 7

third of people between 18 and 34 have put off marriage or having a baby due to the recession (Girod, Shapiro 4) In addition, is it so wrong that a crude and contentious performer like Gaga be so heavily criticized for her following of today’s youth? Once again, I would have to say no. These young adults and teenagers are desperately seeking out some sort of release to deal with the pressure of living and hopefully succeeding in this astringent world. I really do sympathize for them and can only hope that things improve. Banning video games and censoring sexually explicit performers is not the answer to helping the future of Generations Y and Z. The older generations need to accept the fact that times are changing and to stop being so stubborn and critical. Maybe instead of constantly slamming these young adults for how they act or who they follow, they should actually help them in some way. Stop complaining about the current rise in sales tax to help our schools. Instead of buying that new Lexus or boat, donate to your local college. Next time you’re out to eat with all your rich friends, tip your waiter 25% in place of 15%. In this world, it’s the little things that are going to help us move forward. And I pray that these new generations get all the help we can give to see our society through the stormy times ahead.