My Generation
11/01/08 01:35 PM Filed in: Indiscriminate
I’ve noticed quite a
few irritating trends that seem to be emerging quite
heavily in my generation. And perhaps the most
frustrating notion is the fact that I notice them in
myself as well.
This is a unique generation. We do as we will, we think as we please, and you really can’t tell us to do otherwise. We find ridiculous things funny, we get amusement out of the most childish things, and we’re always right. Always. You can try to educate us, but our minds will hardly be swayed. Pardon the overt cliche, but my generation is, in fact, the post modern generation. Or, at the very least, the most post modern we’ve seen yet. One can only imagine what the next generation, or the generation following that, will be like if this is what my generation has become. And since my generation is the one that will be molding the minds of the next, or at least trying to, it seems inevitable.
When I say you can try to educate us, I’m not implying that we’re stupid. Granted, statistics will tell you that the current generation being schooled in America is the dumbest yet, but we have ingenuity wrapped up in our brains somewhere. What I mean is that, when you try to get us to understand your ways, we’re closed minded. Or maybe we’re too open minded and that’s the problem. And maybe that’s the biggest misunderstanding; my generation is a paradox.
So, what makes us so unique? I’ve tried to come up with the most obvious traits that seem to be evident in most of my generation. Not all of them are, mind you, and some of them may seem as though I’ve taken them to the extreme, but I’m trying to make a point that I think needs to be made.The most disturbing thing I find in all this is that the below attributes seem to be just as commonly found in Christian circles as they are in non-Christian circles. It’s like my entire generation has become numb, not just the secular portion of my generation.
You’re Actually Wrong
We love to be the ones to have the right answer. We love to know everything. So much so, in fact, that we feel the urge to correct you about everything you say.
When I was younger, my older brother used to always ask, “What time is it?” I would reply something like, “It’s 2:47.” Andrew would huff and roll his eyes stating irritatedly, “Alex, you don’t have to give the exact time. Just round it to 2:45 like normal people.” He had this thing with trying make me not feel like a normal person. It took me quite a while to get the idea, but I finally caught on.
Today, things seem to be just the opposite. If you aren’t exact, you aren’t right at all. We’ve become so literal. But the trouble is, you see, you can’t be exactly right. Only we can, and that’s why we feel the urge to correct you, because we’re the ones who really know. It gives us a sense of pride, proving to you how much we know.
That’s Just Your Opinion, Which May Also be Right
On the occasion, you may say something and actually be right in some statement you make. Exactly right. How are we to correct you on this? My generation has brought a new concept to the table, the concept of dismissing absolutes. If nothing can truly be absolute, then “exactly right” is really only your opinion and, once again, we have the opportunity to correct you with what we know to be the exactly right answer. And, trust us, our exactly right is more accurate than your exactly right.
The biggest issue with this is that neither of us can truly be absolute about our exactly right, therefore neither of us can truly tell the other person that they’re wrong. This leaves us with the conclusion that their may be two right answers, and have come to accept that fact.
Don’t Tell Us; We Already Know
Since we tend to build on pride on how much we know, making it obvious to you that we already know it is key. Don’t try to tell us about the newest Lamborghini concept, something you just heard today about politics on CNN, an up-and-coming movie release starring Denzel Washington, the rumor of Green Day’s next LP, or even what the definition of LP actually is; we already know it. We fill our minds with useless information just so we finish your sentences for you.
We’re so full of our own self pride that we can’t be told anything new, even by someone with clearly superior in intellect to us. Apparently it would be a mockery of our own intellect to learn something from someone else and not the internet.
An Insatiable Hunger for Hilarity
We always have to be laughing at something, and we always have to be making you laugh. In my generation it has become awkward to sit in silence; to not hear some twisted joke just to break the tension. We feed ourselves humor constantly, be it from friends, movies, television, websites, or anything. In fact, if we can’t find something humorous in what’s going on around us, we’ll take someone else’s words and twist them, just to make someone laugh. It’s a nervous addiction we have, but it can never be fed enough.
It’s obvious that some of our elders try to make efforts to reach out to my generation. The problem is, we’ll just make a fool of you for a cheap laugh from our friends. You can tell us the funniest joke you know, but it won’t make us laugh. We’re obliged not to. What will be funny is the condescending remark we make towards you directly after. Take the same joke, put it in the mouth of Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell in a movie with a ridiculous plot, and we’ll find it hilarious.
See, it’s not just about laughing. It’s about knowing what to laugh at, and twisting everything else so others will laugh at your “wit”.
Vulgarity and Sacrilege
Our insatiable hunger for hilarity gets worse. We’re at the point where we must make absolutely everything funny, no matter how much of a stretch. The easiest and cheapest way to make anything hilarious is to make some sexual innuendo out of it. But we don’t stop there. We’ll make references to pornography, rape, incest, bestiality, or any other abomination you can think of, just to get you to laugh. Oh, you’re not laughing? You must be an idiot then, because everyone else thinks what we’re saying is hilarious.
Just take, for example, the recently overwhelming popularity of “That’s what she said” jokes.
In conjunction with vulgarity, we’re not afraid to offend the Creator whom we should be worshipping with our words. How many times do we take the Lords name in vain every day? I imagine most of us lose count before lunch. How little we respect someone who has done so much for us. We constantly take Him for granted. We fail to realize that all of the things in this list, when used improperly as they most commonly are, are means of sacrilege, because in sinning, we are continuing to destroy the perfect character God intended for us.
The Odds in Our Favor
We arrange our lives so that everything works perfectly in our favor. Our relationships, our schooling, our income, everything. If anything starts to fall apart, we drop it and leave, never looking back. We have a horrible issue with commitment for this reason. We figure that if something does go wrong, it must be because we aren’t meant to be in the given situation, so we bail. A loving God wouldn’t expect us to fail, right? We avoid confrontation, which could resolve the issue and bring a closer to those around us, and we choose to back out. It’s the short term, easier approach to solving all of our problems.
Keeping Up With the Joneses
It all goes back to our pride, but we have to look like we have it all together, even though we’re probably an emotional wreck. Yes, I wear expensive clothes. Yes, I have a fancy car. Yes, I buy Apple because they cost more than PC. Yes, my Daddy’s rich and pays for my college. Yes, yes, yes. Is my economic status impressing you? Because it should be.
We always have to have the latest and greatest new product, no matter how useless and overly priced it may be. Sure, we could have found a cheaper brand for $5, but this was has a name attached to it, and it cost me $50!
Maybe it looks like we have money, but we really don’t. We have plastic and we have PayPal, the things that have done more damage to our economy than anything else in history. When we see something we want, we can’t wait. My generation has no patience. We must have it now, not at the end of the month when we get our paycheck. We know we can always buy it on credit and pay it back later or, better yet, use the credit card our parents pay off.
We want you to be impressed with the size of our house. We want you to be impressed with the things we can afford. And, in reality, you probably are. But you aren’t impressed with us as a person, and that’s what our human nature truly craves. But how can you be impressed with us as a person if we act so superficial towards you?
Constant Occupation
Do we look busy enough to you? In the same way we feel we must always make someone laugh, we also feel the urge to constantly look busy. We’re always texting, always in a rush to get back to the dorm to check our Facebook and email, always calling someone, always doing homework, always doing something. If we sit back in silence and let our minds wander, we might actually realize how messed up and far from God our lives have become.
Shock Value
We aim to offend. It could be how we dress, it could be how we talk, it could be what we watch. But somewhere along the lines, about the time we lost all respect for our elders, we decided to take it to the next level and openly offend them.
My generation thrives on awkward situations ... Awkward for you. We don’t find much awkward because we’re so numb to the world, but we know you do. In our cravings for attention from others and, yes, even from you, we’re willing to do just about anything to shock everyone around us into being impressed. Maybe you’re not impressed, but you gave us your attention for a moment, right? And, trust me, our friends are impressed. It’s why we talk so loudly in public, lacing our sentences with obscenities that actually make us sound ridiculous. It’s why we wear formfitting outfits that look cost twice as much but look like the sewing machine ran out of thread half way.
It’s the same reason we tease the kid with the short temper. We want to see him snap; it’s what bullies thrive off of. My generation is just a generation of bullies towards everyone they meet. As soon as you snap and yell at us, we get our adrenaline high.
Apathy
We’ve reached the point where we’re almost raised not to feel in certain situations. It’s not that we’re completely against feelings; on the contrary, we can be quite emotive. We’re only against feelings when there’s the potential for vulnerability or hurt. Our apathy can be responsible for most of the inconsistencies in our character; it’s why we try to offend and it doesn’t phase us, it’s why we have a lack of commitment, it’s why we have no respect for our elders, it’s why vulgar music doesn’t phase us, and it’s why we don’t jump in scary movies. Nothing phases us because we just don’t care. This behavior is completely against everything humans are created to be. Feelings are at the root of our very beings. Being vulnerable is the only real way we can ever express those feelings.
Maybe this is evident in every next generation, and maybe everyone at some point or another has the same feelings of annoyance that I do toward their own generation (and their own characteristics), but I felt the need to get my thoughts out there to see if anyone else felt the same way.
And I think I feel better now.
This is a unique generation. We do as we will, we think as we please, and you really can’t tell us to do otherwise. We find ridiculous things funny, we get amusement out of the most childish things, and we’re always right. Always. You can try to educate us, but our minds will hardly be swayed. Pardon the overt cliche, but my generation is, in fact, the post modern generation. Or, at the very least, the most post modern we’ve seen yet. One can only imagine what the next generation, or the generation following that, will be like if this is what my generation has become. And since my generation is the one that will be molding the minds of the next, or at least trying to, it seems inevitable.
When I say you can try to educate us, I’m not implying that we’re stupid. Granted, statistics will tell you that the current generation being schooled in America is the dumbest yet, but we have ingenuity wrapped up in our brains somewhere. What I mean is that, when you try to get us to understand your ways, we’re closed minded. Or maybe we’re too open minded and that’s the problem. And maybe that’s the biggest misunderstanding; my generation is a paradox.
So, what makes us so unique? I’ve tried to come up with the most obvious traits that seem to be evident in most of my generation. Not all of them are, mind you, and some of them may seem as though I’ve taken them to the extreme, but I’m trying to make a point that I think needs to be made.The most disturbing thing I find in all this is that the below attributes seem to be just as commonly found in Christian circles as they are in non-Christian circles. It’s like my entire generation has become numb, not just the secular portion of my generation.
You’re Actually Wrong
We love to be the ones to have the right answer. We love to know everything. So much so, in fact, that we feel the urge to correct you about everything you say.
When I was younger, my older brother used to always ask, “What time is it?” I would reply something like, “It’s 2:47.” Andrew would huff and roll his eyes stating irritatedly, “Alex, you don’t have to give the exact time. Just round it to 2:45 like normal people.” He had this thing with trying make me not feel like a normal person. It took me quite a while to get the idea, but I finally caught on.
Today, things seem to be just the opposite. If you aren’t exact, you aren’t right at all. We’ve become so literal. But the trouble is, you see, you can’t be exactly right. Only we can, and that’s why we feel the urge to correct you, because we’re the ones who really know. It gives us a sense of pride, proving to you how much we know.
That’s Just Your Opinion, Which May Also be Right
On the occasion, you may say something and actually be right in some statement you make. Exactly right. How are we to correct you on this? My generation has brought a new concept to the table, the concept of dismissing absolutes. If nothing can truly be absolute, then “exactly right” is really only your opinion and, once again, we have the opportunity to correct you with what we know to be the exactly right answer. And, trust us, our exactly right is more accurate than your exactly right.
The biggest issue with this is that neither of us can truly be absolute about our exactly right, therefore neither of us can truly tell the other person that they’re wrong. This leaves us with the conclusion that their may be two right answers, and have come to accept that fact.
Don’t Tell Us; We Already Know
Since we tend to build on pride on how much we know, making it obvious to you that we already know it is key. Don’t try to tell us about the newest Lamborghini concept, something you just heard today about politics on CNN, an up-and-coming movie release starring Denzel Washington, the rumor of Green Day’s next LP, or even what the definition of LP actually is; we already know it. We fill our minds with useless information just so we finish your sentences for you.
We’re so full of our own self pride that we can’t be told anything new, even by someone with clearly superior in intellect to us. Apparently it would be a mockery of our own intellect to learn something from someone else and not the internet.
An Insatiable Hunger for Hilarity
We always have to be laughing at something, and we always have to be making you laugh. In my generation it has become awkward to sit in silence; to not hear some twisted joke just to break the tension. We feed ourselves humor constantly, be it from friends, movies, television, websites, or anything. In fact, if we can’t find something humorous in what’s going on around us, we’ll take someone else’s words and twist them, just to make someone laugh. It’s a nervous addiction we have, but it can never be fed enough.
It’s obvious that some of our elders try to make efforts to reach out to my generation. The problem is, we’ll just make a fool of you for a cheap laugh from our friends. You can tell us the funniest joke you know, but it won’t make us laugh. We’re obliged not to. What will be funny is the condescending remark we make towards you directly after. Take the same joke, put it in the mouth of Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell in a movie with a ridiculous plot, and we’ll find it hilarious.
See, it’s not just about laughing. It’s about knowing what to laugh at, and twisting everything else so others will laugh at your “wit”.
Vulgarity and Sacrilege
Our insatiable hunger for hilarity gets worse. We’re at the point where we must make absolutely everything funny, no matter how much of a stretch. The easiest and cheapest way to make anything hilarious is to make some sexual innuendo out of it. But we don’t stop there. We’ll make references to pornography, rape, incest, bestiality, or any other abomination you can think of, just to get you to laugh. Oh, you’re not laughing? You must be an idiot then, because everyone else thinks what we’re saying is hilarious.
Just take, for example, the recently overwhelming popularity of “That’s what she said” jokes.
In conjunction with vulgarity, we’re not afraid to offend the Creator whom we should be worshipping with our words. How many times do we take the Lords name in vain every day? I imagine most of us lose count before lunch. How little we respect someone who has done so much for us. We constantly take Him for granted. We fail to realize that all of the things in this list, when used improperly as they most commonly are, are means of sacrilege, because in sinning, we are continuing to destroy the perfect character God intended for us.
The Odds in Our Favor
We arrange our lives so that everything works perfectly in our favor. Our relationships, our schooling, our income, everything. If anything starts to fall apart, we drop it and leave, never looking back. We have a horrible issue with commitment for this reason. We figure that if something does go wrong, it must be because we aren’t meant to be in the given situation, so we bail. A loving God wouldn’t expect us to fail, right? We avoid confrontation, which could resolve the issue and bring a closer to those around us, and we choose to back out. It’s the short term, easier approach to solving all of our problems.
Keeping Up With the Joneses
It all goes back to our pride, but we have to look like we have it all together, even though we’re probably an emotional wreck. Yes, I wear expensive clothes. Yes, I have a fancy car. Yes, I buy Apple because they cost more than PC. Yes, my Daddy’s rich and pays for my college. Yes, yes, yes. Is my economic status impressing you? Because it should be.
We always have to have the latest and greatest new product, no matter how useless and overly priced it may be. Sure, we could have found a cheaper brand for $5, but this was has a name attached to it, and it cost me $50!
Maybe it looks like we have money, but we really don’t. We have plastic and we have PayPal, the things that have done more damage to our economy than anything else in history. When we see something we want, we can’t wait. My generation has no patience. We must have it now, not at the end of the month when we get our paycheck. We know we can always buy it on credit and pay it back later or, better yet, use the credit card our parents pay off.
We want you to be impressed with the size of our house. We want you to be impressed with the things we can afford. And, in reality, you probably are. But you aren’t impressed with us as a person, and that’s what our human nature truly craves. But how can you be impressed with us as a person if we act so superficial towards you?
Constant Occupation
Do we look busy enough to you? In the same way we feel we must always make someone laugh, we also feel the urge to constantly look busy. We’re always texting, always in a rush to get back to the dorm to check our Facebook and email, always calling someone, always doing homework, always doing something. If we sit back in silence and let our minds wander, we might actually realize how messed up and far from God our lives have become.
Shock Value
We aim to offend. It could be how we dress, it could be how we talk, it could be what we watch. But somewhere along the lines, about the time we lost all respect for our elders, we decided to take it to the next level and openly offend them.
My generation thrives on awkward situations ... Awkward for you. We don’t find much awkward because we’re so numb to the world, but we know you do. In our cravings for attention from others and, yes, even from you, we’re willing to do just about anything to shock everyone around us into being impressed. Maybe you’re not impressed, but you gave us your attention for a moment, right? And, trust me, our friends are impressed. It’s why we talk so loudly in public, lacing our sentences with obscenities that actually make us sound ridiculous. It’s why we wear formfitting outfits that look cost twice as much but look like the sewing machine ran out of thread half way.
It’s the same reason we tease the kid with the short temper. We want to see him snap; it’s what bullies thrive off of. My generation is just a generation of bullies towards everyone they meet. As soon as you snap and yell at us, we get our adrenaline high.
Apathy
We’ve reached the point where we’re almost raised not to feel in certain situations. It’s not that we’re completely against feelings; on the contrary, we can be quite emotive. We’re only against feelings when there’s the potential for vulnerability or hurt. Our apathy can be responsible for most of the inconsistencies in our character; it’s why we try to offend and it doesn’t phase us, it’s why we have a lack of commitment, it’s why we have no respect for our elders, it’s why vulgar music doesn’t phase us, and it’s why we don’t jump in scary movies. Nothing phases us because we just don’t care. This behavior is completely against everything humans are created to be. Feelings are at the root of our very beings. Being vulnerable is the only real way we can ever express those feelings.
Maybe this is evident in every next generation, and maybe everyone at some point or another has the same feelings of annoyance that I do toward their own generation (and their own characteristics), but I felt the need to get my thoughts out there to see if anyone else felt the same way.
And I think I feel better now.