A Grim
Future for Generations Y and Z;
And The Glory of Escapism
Not too long ago, I read a fascinating article titled
“Lady Gaga and the Death of Sex.” In it, Camille Paglia argues that Lady Gaga
is the reason that music and its image are, for the most part, going to hell.
It raised some poignant questions that were discussed and one was brought up in
class that I’d like to talk about: “Is the overwhelming success of a celebrity
like Lady Gaga indicative of an underlying emotional problem with the youth of
today?” What actually defines having an “emotional problem?” Generation Y and Z are described by Judith
Warner, author of We’ve Got Issues:
Children and Parents in the Age of Medication as: “Entitled, spoiled,
unmanageable, unable to take criticism, profoundly narcissistic, deprived of a
sense of agency, unwilling to work, supremely confident, irrationally
exuberant, an example of group psychosis, headed for a major crash,
overconfident, jobless, dissatisfied, off-putting, entitled (again), lacking
humility, hard to take, not necessarily maladapted, annoying (yet admirable),
and egotistic.” That was brutally honest and I hate to say it, but I agreed
with a couple of those traits described. Nonetheless, I don’t agree that these
would be classified as “underlying emotional problems.” Also, a lot of young
people today are being accused of having “detached” from society and reality
through technology, fantasy movies, fantasy novels and video games. I don’t
believe it’s that they have “emotional problems” but that they are merely
trying to escape reality for a bit to forget about the current state of affairs
in the world. Lady Gaga and her “Little Monsters” prove to be a rare breed, I
will give them that. And some may call that fantasy world she’s created as
having an “emotional problem”, or using an “escape mechanism.” But it’s clear
to me that other avenues are more popular amongst younger generations in order
to “escape.” That’s the main topic I’d like to discuss.
It’s hard for me to continue talking 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 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?
I’ve chatted with a couple people born after the year 1980 and most of them
agreed on one thing. The Internet and music are the outlets used the most. A
close second would be 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! And
finally, 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 33 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 to do anything else.” 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 different life for a brief
moment in time. After speaking with some young adults on campus however, it was
evident that the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook were the two
most popular methods of “escapism.”
Close to 99% of the Generation Y and Z population have
some sort of social media outlet that they spend countless hours on daily.
Honestly, when I go to the library on campus, almost all the students I observe
are using a computer. In a recent study on what tools younger students use the
most, “As anticipated, results indicated that students frequently use text
messages, social networks, blogs, etc., while fewer staff members use these
technologies (Quinney, Smith, Galbraith 1).” I have recently adopted this
addicting behavior and now can officially say I’m an active Facebook junkie.
It’s mindless, fun and I can stay in touch with people I haven’t seen in 20
years! But I think the argument that the older generations are trying to
establish is simple. It’s forcing people to connect with each other through the
Internet rather than face to face. It’s insulting to a generation that thrived
on human contact and nurturing to help see it through two World Wars! It in
turn makes the youth of today seem distant and narcissistic. But couldn’t the
reason these “youngsters” are constantly on the Internet and other
technological devices be that it’s merely what they were born in to and are
used to now? Does it not necessarily make them “detached” from society as some
say, but instead evolving with modern times?
For the most part,
older people seem to think that Generations Y and Z are adopting all these ways
to escape because of other factors, such as having “underlying emotional
problems.” I have heard them called selfish, detached and even narcissistic. I
did some research and it was almost unanimous amongst a more mature audience. The Harvard Business Review states: “We found that… college
students in the 2000s were significantly more narcissistic than Gen Xers and
Baby Boomers in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. The Boomers, a generation famous for
being self-absorbed, were outdone by their children. By 2006, two-thirds of
college students scored above the scale’s original 1979-85 sample average, a
30% increase in only two decades… The upswing in narcissism appears to be
accelerating: the increase between 2000 and 2006 was especially steep.” In
addition, “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 through
the Internet and Facebook.
There
is a most noticeable angst and closed-off attitude towards others that “Gen
Yers and Zers” display as well. But I believe this is simply their way of reacting
to their challenging 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 remove 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 self-entitled
and arrogant to make it through! Why not put up a false front of an
over-inflated ego? The power of positive thinking is a miraculous thing right? 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 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, not having
some sort of emotional problem. The Boomers and Gen Xers (such as myself) should
try to remember that these “kids” are merely looking for something 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 at the moment!
Inevitably,
young people are delaying their leap into adulthood. Nearly a third of people
between 18 and 34 have put off marriage or having a baby due to the recession
(Girod, Shapiro 4) 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 blaming the current state of affairs in
the world on the Internet 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 spending too much time on Facebook or smartphones, they
should actually help them in some way! Stop complaining about the current rise
in sales tax to help our schools and improve our kid’s futures. 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.
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