Millennials compared to your generation
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xFunctionalStrengthx wrote: »Worthless degrees are putting millennials in debt. There has been a big push for people going to college and getting a degree that they then can not apply in the workforce. Liberal arts degree for one. Beyond that, far too many are getting master's degrees when they don't need to.
Research disagrees actually. As mentioned for millennials, they tend to focus on immediate feedback, satisfaction and return on everything they put effort into. There is plenty of research that college degrees more than pay for themselves over a 10 year period, and very valuable beyond. It is a longer term investment than many people want to consider, but that is nothing new. Just seems to very prominent in discussions now. It took me nearly 7 years to pay off my degree debt, but having my degrees has served me very well past that, allowing many more opportunities for employment and advancement. There are plenty of students that do not do enough research into their areas of interest and career choices though (liberal arts, English, etc) and do end up incurring larger debt for what their industry will support. They will have a longer payback period, but all the reports I have read pay out after no more than 10 years. Ironically, politicians love to place blame directly on colleges and universities that they didn't warn students of their choices, but almost all campus's have career research tools and resources that are free, but students rarely use them except to find work while going to school. Colleges are doing better to provide industry forecast information links directly on program pages now though so it helps queue students into maybe doing that research.
I remember sitting through all the "our magical degree will get you the job you want" speeches when looking into college options as a jr/sr and thinking "well of coarse you are going to say that, you are trying to sell me something". I think we may have gotten suckered in a bit and forgot that while they are there to educate, they also have to make money and they want your money. Make sure you think about weather you are spending it well.
I think we also got lost in the "name brand schools" and thinking the big universities degree is better. It may be the case in certain fields, but definitely not all of them. In my experience, once you get the first couple years of being in the workforce under you belt just having the degree is all that matters and your reputation and experience become more important than what school you went to.2 -
sportychic87 wrote: »Apparently 30 is considered a ‘millennial’?
I had an interview with a lady 2X my age and she seriously asked me if I knew what an I9 was...for an HR spot
I stared at her for a good two minutes and busting up laughing...
This whole ‘millennial’ thing is over the top. People are just people. Everything else is superficial stuff IMO.
I'm at the top of millennial and I'm 30. Baby Boomers can't seem to grasp the difference between a millennial and a Gen Z.
they overlap alot though0 -
Seems like we were punished a bit harsher for violating the rules of the house. More of emphasis on spankings and other harsh punitive measures. My parents would have me and brother kneel down on a hard wood floor covered with raw rice if we were being disrespectful. I guess parents these days can't get away with doing any of that for fear of having the police or CPS getting involved.0
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »xFunctionalStrengthx wrote: »Worthless degrees are putting millennials in debt. There has been a big push for people going to college and getting a degree that they then can not apply in the workforce. Liberal arts degree for one. Beyond that, far too many are getting master's degrees when they don't need to.
Research disagrees actually. As mentioned for millennials, they tend to focus on immediate feedback, satisfaction and return on everything they put effort into. There is plenty of research that college degrees more than pay for themselves over a 10 year period, and very valuable beyond. It is a longer term investment than many people want to consider, but that is nothing new. Just seems to very prominent in discussions now. It took me nearly 7 years to pay off my degree debt, but having my degrees has served me very well past that, allowing many more opportunities for employment and advancement. There are plenty of students that do not do enough research into their areas of interest and career choices though (liberal arts, English, etc) and do end up incurring larger debt for what their industry will support. They will have a longer payback period, but all the reports I have read pay out after no more than 10 years. Ironically, politicians love to place blame directly on colleges and universities that they didn't warn students of their choices, but almost all campus's have career research tools and resources that are free, but students rarely use them except to find work while going to school. Colleges are doing better to provide industry forecast information links directly on program pages now though so it helps queue students into maybe doing that research.
I remember sitting through all the "our magical degree will get you the job you want" speeches when looking into college options as a jr/sr and thinking "well of coarse you are going to say that, you are trying to sell me something". I think we may have gotten suckered in a bit and forgot that while they are there to educate, they also have to make money and they want your money. Make sure you think about weather you are spending it well.
I think we also got lost in the "name brand schools" and thinking the big universities degree is better. It may be the case in certain fields, but definitely not all of them. In my experience, once you get the first couple years of being in the workforce under you belt just having the degree is all that matters and your reputation and experience become more important than what school you went to.
I would tell most youths to get a associates degree until they figure out what they actually care about doing. It applies to a 4 year and is more valuable out of the gate. Also, many people decide to do something different after they been working for awhile. (How can a 17/18 year old make a decision that will impact the majority of their life at that age?)
The thing that's valuable now is a Masters degree. Which would be the only reason I would suggest a 4 year degree.
Also, for some reason, many businesses requires a 4 year degree but it doesn't have to relate to the actual business, which is weird. I don't understand the point of that. Also it doesn't matter if you have the experience.
Plus the weird business catch-22 of we want experience, but college kids can't get experience unless they get the job.0 -
TeacupsAndToning wrote: »I hope that when I am older I don't feel as negatively towards the younger generation as some other people.
I personally don't get it. I'm GenX (1974) and I know quite a few millennials...I'm in an executive position at my work, and my star performer is a millennial...she's 26 or 27 I think and she is hands down the hardest worker in our office and does whatever needs doing regardless of whether it's in her "job description." On the other hand, there are a lot of baby boomers and early GenX in my office and they're just collecting a check and counting down to retirement and God help you if you ask them to do something that isn't specifically in their duties description.
My best lady friend (outside of my wife) is a latter end millennial...she and her husband run their own business as personal trainers and own their own gym...they're always working and rarely have time for a long weekend getaway, let alone an actual vacation.
I graduated college when I was 30 and went to work for a regional mid sized CPA firm...I was the old fogie there as staff accountants go...I'd say about 90%+ of the staff accountants at the firm were millennials in their early 20s just out of college...bunch of millennials grinding out 12 hour days 6 days per week and traveling 25 weeks out of the year for basically peanuts (good money didn't come until you made it to senior associate)...bunch of lazy bums I tell ya...7 -
macrologger wrote: »The economy sucks for the millennials....not their fault. The opportunity is still there to achieve as much as they want, they may just have to work a little harder and get a little more creative in doing so.....a majority of them would rather not.....that is their fault. The present time is your reality and if that means if you have to act in a way the previous generation didn't have to....so be it. That's life and it isn't fair.
I was a kid and a young man in the 80s and early 90s. I lived in the projects in the Bronx poor as *kitten* and didn't have the same opportunities as those in other places that were enjoying a great economy. Generation this or that had absolutely no meaning or bearing on me. I went into the Marine Corp as an escape.....and it proved to me how wrong I was about not having the same opportunities. I just had a different path, a harder path, but it was there just the same. It was up to me to take it or not.
Well, it's many years later and I am not poor, don't live in a ghetto, and enjoy all the same privileges as anyone else and then some.
I work with millennials on a daily basis - trust me, they won't work for it. They want it handed to them.
Interesting...some of the hardest working and top performers I know are millennials...2 -
RaeBeeBaby wrote: »CanesGalactica wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I'm 32 (nearly 33) and I didn't obtain a driver's license until I was 20. I just had no inclination to learn to drive because where I lived (which was rural, mind you) everything was still completely walkable (for me). Didn't seem like there was much incentive to learn, especially since I couldn't afford a vehicle, had three jobs and was going to school full time (which I was paying for, in part).
I believe I only know one person that waited until after she hit 30 to learn to drive.. and that was because it was a necessity. Everyone else knew how to and/or had cars before they even hit college.
So living rural you walked to 3 jobs and school?! (Not being facetious, that just seems pretty incredible.)
If so, then good for you. Not only time consuming, but great exercise. If mom or dad was your taxi service, then getting the driver's license would have been helpful to them even if you were borrowing the family car.
Yes. And yes, it was time consuming, but.. I didn't have a vehicle and those I knew who did I did not feel comfortable asking constantly for a ride when they had their own jobs/school to worry about.
To be fair, two of the jobs were on campus so only 10 or so minutes from my place at the time. Last job was a bit of a stretch and yep, grocery shopping was a pain. Had to be done in really small intervals or I had to wait until 3AM when my flatmate would go shopping, lol.
My folks lived about 1 hour and 4 hours away (divorced) and worked swing shifts, so no dice there most of the time even though they offered help plenty of times with a weekend grocery shopping trip here or there when they came to visit me. Otherwise, I just managed on my own.
I do really miss the exercise from all that walking.1 -
xFunctionalStrengthx wrote: »Worthless degrees are putting millennials in debt. There has been a big push for people going to college and getting a degree that they then can not apply in the workforce. Liberal arts degree for one. Beyond that, far too many are getting master's degrees when they don't need to.
Research disagrees actually. As mentioned for millennials, they tend to focus on immediate feedback, satisfaction and return on everything they put effort into. There is plenty of research that college degrees more than pay for themselves over a 10 year period, and very valuable beyond. It is a longer term investment than many people want to consider, but that is nothing new. Just seems to very prominent in discussions now. It took me nearly 7 years to pay off my degree debt, but having my degrees has served me very well past that, allowing many more opportunities for employment and advancement. There are plenty of students that do not do enough research into their areas of interest and career choices though (liberal arts, English, etc) and do end up incurring larger debt for what their industry will support. They will have a longer payback period, but all the reports I have read pay out after no more than 10 years. Ironically, politicians love to place blame directly on colleges and universities that they didn't warn students of their choices, but almost all campus's have career research tools and resources that are free, but students rarely use them except to find work while going to school. Colleges are doing better to provide industry forecast information links directly on program pages now though so it helps queue students into maybe doing that research.
Anecdotally, everyone that I know that completed a master's degree found much greater advancement and opportunity with it, as I have. The issue becomes that you have the higher paying jobs that require the masters degree and you have a lot more candidates that apply for them. They are coveted positions and that is what everyone wants. It isn't like walking into any McDonalds and almost every one will hire a person. Employers have very highly qualified people applying and can be selective. Again, that is my personal experience in both applying for positions and doing a lot of hiring of those positions over the years. The last open position we posted had 42 applicants, all with masters degrees and higher, and a lot of years of experience. Then again, if you look at stats the higher degrees also do pay back over time.
Views will vary depending upon the field of study and work one is in. If you're in research, education, or other similar fields, then yes. A master's may very well help you out. However, there's many times where college degrees don't add to much and people can't find jobs in the fields they studied. Thus, you have college educated burger flippers and espresso makers. Where's the value in that?
Is it the college's fault that their students graduate with a degree that most likely won't benefit them? To some degree, yes. They will market said degrees heavily, and some will talk about lucrative careers with high salary. But, at the same time, it's also the individual's responsibility to study the job market and determine what jobs pay well, are good solid careers, and which of them they'd like to do. Not everyone can be a college professor, politician, or game developer. You need auto mechanics, tradesmen/women, and other general laborers to fill a wide variety of roles. Yet, there's a heavy emphasis on going to college for these as well. So, in many ways, colleges market themselves the same way Pepsi or Coke will. "Consume this and you'll be great"
Not everyone requires a college education, nor a master's degree, to succeed. Again, it comes down to what's relative for your field. For a while, there was a heavy push for certifications in my field. But, in my almost twenty years, the fact that they lapsed over 15 years ago doesn't matter. It's the skills, the knowledge that's accrued over that time which is more important than the piece of paper. College degree? Sure, it might help to get hired by some companies which require them. But, they don't pay any better, nor are those jobs more prestigious than what I do. Again, experience.
If two candidates are 100% equal in terms of skills, personality, thought process. yet, the ONLY difference is papers one may hold, then it might make a difference. But, rarely do papers make the sole deciding factor. More often than not, again, it's the experience, work history and personality. Usually, references (including google searches on candidates), have a deciding factor as well.
Another key factor, which someone eluded to before is that there isn't much loyalty from employers to employees. True. But, at the same time, when a company hires an employee only to have them leave a few months later after they've built skills. The employer sees it as well. Or, a long time employee jumps ship because they are making less than a recent college grad with minimal experience being brought in. There goes the experience, yet the market demands higher salaries for new employees so the old leaves for higher pay. Again, an employee may jump ship because they're tired of the annual 1.5% pay increase. The only way they'll get a decent salary is the jump jobs a time or two. So, who's really to blame? They both are.Anyway, it is interesting that noted differences in generation makes people think you are old and negative. Being the father of two boys with these varied skills, priorities, and valuation, I am far from it. In order to communicate and work with anyone of any age you have to understand their mindset, then work within it to teach or relate.
ALL people are being socialized the same so the effects are broadly distributed over all age groups. Younger people are more influenced by it and it is deeper in their experience is all. So while things like critical thinking, immediate satisfaction, etc are notable to most younger groups, it still effects a portion of older groups.
That said, get off my lawn.
This is far more accurate of a description in how people are than generational labels. I know some people in their mid 20's with very solid work ethics. But, I also know more who care for nothing other than themselves and what they can get for free because they feel they get the shaft and they "deserve" it.
Personality traits cross many different demographics such as age, gender, and whatever else labels people want to put on themselves beyond those two.1 -
rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I know a lot of people who can't/don't drive...millennials, genx, boomers...because they're in the city and never needed to.
I had my license at 16, but I went years in my 20s without a car and without driving...'cuz I didn't need to...anything I needed was within walking or biking distance and if not, there was public transportation. I didn't need a car until I turned 30 and graduated and took a job that required me to commute and travel.0 -
TeacupsAndToning wrote: »I think what bothers me is the generalizations. I could come out and say, "I hate how gen x-ers do this, I hate how gen x-ers do that." If I were to do that, I'm sure a lot of gen x-ers would get mad at me because I've just put them into a box that they don't necessarily fit into.
I get offended when someone says that millennials take things for granted, millennials are babies, millennials have no respect for their elders, blah blah blah. None of this is true for me and for most millennials that I've met, this isn't true for them either.
The issue is that when you are NOT part of a generation you CANNOT understand what it's like to be a part of it. You don't understand what we have to deal with and often when people don't understand something, they *kitten* about it.
I went to university and I've had a stable job for 7+ years now. I work hard for my money. I respect my parents. I don't think everything should be handed to me - I just think that people, in general, deserve more. I don't think that's a crazy concept.
This makes a lot of sense to me.0 -
I find it funny when people say the music of today is crap
Have you heard the old "American top 40s" shows they play on the radio now and again? All one hit wonders that nobody would ever listen to now, even by the generation that listened to it at the time, pure garbage.
Yeah, I love older music, but a lot of it wasn't popular at the time or well known, and even if it was some of it was pure fluff (I love the Beatles but c'mon, they were a fluff band lol)
I agree that most of the songs on the radio today is crap, but most of it was crap back then too. We just tend to focus on all the hits that popped up in between the crap.
If you listen to indie bands from todays generation, a lot are very very good and some are my favourite bands.
I'm sure it was the same with previous generations.2 -
Most every generation thinks the music from older generations is awful. In actuality, the evolution of music through the decades is pretty amazing, speaks to the culture of the time, and carries pretty great historical significance. I wouldn't really call any of it "crap" or "garbage".
And to call the Beatles a "fluff band"? Now that's pure sacrilege!
(and that wasn't even my generation) 1 -
CanesGalactica wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I'm 32 (nearly 33) and I didn't obtain a driver's license until I was 20. I just had no inclination to learn to drive because where I lived (which was rural, mind you) everything was still completely walkable (for me). Didn't seem like there was much incentive to learn, especially since I couldn't afford a vehicle, had three jobs and was going to school full time (which I was paying for, in part).
I believe I only know one person that waited until after she hit 30 to learn to drive.. and that was because it was a necessity. Everyone else knew how to and/or had cars before they even hit college.
i was in my early 30's when i got my licence. i didn't really need it where i lived but after getting my licence i sure knew how my mom felt driving us all over. it is a pain having others depend on you for a ride everywhere. my mom was the only one who could drive legally. so we all depended on her.
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CanesGalactica wrote: »RaeBeeBaby wrote: »CanesGalactica wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I'm 32 (nearly 33) and I didn't obtain a driver's license until I was 20. I just had no inclination to learn to drive because where I lived (which was rural, mind you) everything was still completely walkable (for me). Didn't seem like there was much incentive to learn, especially since I couldn't afford a vehicle, had three jobs and was going to school full time (which I was paying for, in part).
I believe I only know one person that waited until after she hit 30 to learn to drive.. and that was because it was a necessity. Everyone else knew how to and/or had cars before they even hit college.
So living rural you walked to 3 jobs and school?! (Not being facetious, that just seems pretty incredible.)
If so, then good for you. Not only time consuming, but great exercise. If mom or dad was your taxi service, then getting the driver's license would have been helpful to them even if you were borrowing the family car.
Yes. And yes, it was time consuming, but.. I didn't have a vehicle and those I knew who did I did not feel comfortable asking constantly for a ride when they had their own jobs/school to worry about.
To be fair, two of the jobs were on campus so only 10 or so minutes from my place at the time. Last job was a bit of a stretch and yep, grocery shopping was a pain. Had to be done in really small intervals or I had to wait until 3AM when my flatmate would go shopping, lol.
My folks lived about 1 hour and 4 hours away (divorced) and worked swing shifts, so no dice there most of the time even though they offered help plenty of times with a weekend grocery shopping trip here or there when they came to visit me. Otherwise, I just managed on my own.
I do really miss the exercise from all that walking.
That really is inspiring for a young person to take all that on. I'm sure it taught you a lot about responsibility and self-sufficiency. Good lessons for any age!1 -
RaeBeeBaby wrote: »Most every generation thinks the music from older generations is awful. In actuality, the evolution of music through the decades is pretty amazing, speaks to the culture of the time, and carries pretty great historical significance. I wouldn't really call any of it "crap" or "garbage".
And to call the Beatles a "fluff band"? Now that's pure sacrilege! (and that wasn't even my generation)
Well I don't actually think the older generations music is awful, it's most of what I listen to.
My dad raised me on his music, BUT most of that was never top 40 hits haha.
however, to say that the music is somehow inherently better when a lot of it is just nostalgia clouding memories, does a disservice to creators today.
(and yes, I stand by my belief that the Beatles were a fluff band lol they were way more interesting as solo artists)
STILL LOVE THEM THOUGH WOOHOO NORWEGIAN WOOD
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RaeBeeBaby wrote: »Most every generation thinks the music from older generations is awful. In actuality, the evolution of music through the decades is pretty amazing, speaks to the culture of the time, and carries pretty great historical significance. I wouldn't really call any of it "crap" or "garbage".
And to call the Beatles a "fluff band"? Now that's pure sacrilege! (and that wasn't even my generation)
The Beetles in the British Invasion days were totally the first "boy band"...they morphed into something else later, particularly as they went out on their own as individual solo artists, but they totally started out as a fluff boy band and that was the height of their popularity with all of the screaming young girls...1 -
^^ took the words from my mouth @cwolfman130
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cwolfman13 wrote: »RaeBeeBaby wrote: »Most every generation thinks the music from older generations is awful. In actuality, the evolution of music through the decades is pretty amazing, speaks to the culture of the time, and carries pretty great historical significance. I wouldn't really call any of it "crap" or "garbage".
And to call the Beatles a "fluff band"? Now that's pure sacrilege! (and that wasn't even my generation)
The Beetles in the British Invasion days were totally the first "boy band"...they morphed into something else later, particularly as they went out on their own as individual solo artists, but they totally started out as a fluff boy band and that was the height of their popularity with all of the screaming young girls...
You're right and I stand corrected. I was too young to be part of the screaming hoard and only became aware of their music after they became more political. Although it was still good music (IMO) and something new on the music scene.0 -
This thread reminded me of this advice from 20 yrs ago.....it sums up all generations...
https://youtu.be/MQlJ3vOp6nI 0 -
I just realized that if I am in fact a millennial then I can compare myself to other millennials. All I have to say about that is, people are people and technology is what changes.0
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RaeBeeBaby wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »RaeBeeBaby wrote: »Most every generation thinks the music from older generations is awful. In actuality, the evolution of music through the decades is pretty amazing, speaks to the culture of the time, and carries pretty great historical significance. I wouldn't really call any of it "crap" or "garbage".
And to call the Beatles a "fluff band"? Now that's pure sacrilege! (and that wasn't even my generation)
The Beetles in the British Invasion days were totally the first "boy band"...they morphed into something else later, particularly as they went out on their own as individual solo artists, but they totally started out as a fluff boy band and that was the height of their popularity with all of the screaming young girls...
You're right and I stand corrected. I was too young to be part of the screaming hoard and only became aware of their music after they became more political. Although it was still good music (IMO) and something new on the music scene.
Definitely good music...though I enjoy their individual work more and they were good musicians...0 -
nataliecg926 wrote: »I find it funny when people say the music of today is crap Have you heard the old "American top 40s" shows they play on the radio now and again? All one hit wonders that nobody would ever listen to now, even by the generation that listened to it at the time, pure garbage.
Yeah, I love older music, but a lot of it wasn't popular at the time or well known, and even if it was some of it was pure fluff (I love the Beatles but c'mon, they were a fluff band lol)
I agree that most of the songs on the radio today is crap, but most of it was crap back then too. We just tend to focus on all the hits that popped up in between the crap.
If you listen to indie bands from todays generation, a lot are very very good and some are my favourite bands.
I'm sure it was the same with previous generations.
I do listen to indie music (it's the major genre I happen to listen to), but I happen to also listen to a lot of that stuff you are calling garbage and "fluff". Most of it is not fluff if you actually pay attention to it. That's what drew me to a lot of indie groups in the first place. It wasn't just the sound, it was the content. A song is like any other form of art; it's supposed to do more than just make you feel good. If it makes you think (even a little bit), then it's doing its job.
Also, clearly you need to go back and listen to some of The Beatles' later stuff (post 65). Not fluff. A lot of interesting stuff going on in there musically and lyrically. Which is why we still talk about them as a group today and people remember them. They started out as poppy fluff and evolved. That's what good artists do.
P.S. I am a millennial and I love one hit wonders, fluff or not.michael1976_ca wrote: »CanesGalactica wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I'm 32 (nearly 33) and I didn't obtain a driver's license until I was 20. I just had no inclination to learn to drive because where I lived (which was rural, mind you) everything was still completely walkable (for me). Didn't seem like there was much incentive to learn, especially since I couldn't afford a vehicle, had three jobs and was going to school full time (which I was paying for, in part).
I believe I only know one person that waited until after she hit 30 to learn to drive.. and that was because it was a necessity. Everyone else knew how to and/or had cars before they even hit college.
i was in my early 30's when i got my licence. i didn't really need it where i lived but after getting my licence i sure knew how my mom felt driving us all over. it is a pain having others depend on you for a ride everywhere. my mom was the only one who could drive legally. so we all depended on her.
I only got mine because my dad kept giving me *kitten* about it and I honestly got tired of listening to him go on about it.RaeBeeBaby wrote: »CanesGalactica wrote: »RaeBeeBaby wrote: »CanesGalactica wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »All my friends couldn't wait to get their driver's license on their 16th birthday, I know several Millennials who are in their 20s and can't drive.
Millennials also have the worst handwriting. My handwriting is terrible compared to most people of my generation, but most Millennials grew up writing everything on a screen and have handwriting like mine before I started grade school. And some can't even read handwriting - one of the things I do as a hobby is transcribe historical documents for NARA, and some of the young people I have encountered are shocked that I can read perfectly legible cursive handwriting, they have never learned.
I'm 32 (nearly 33) and I didn't obtain a driver's license until I was 20. I just had no inclination to learn to drive because where I lived (which was rural, mind you) everything was still completely walkable (for me). Didn't seem like there was much incentive to learn, especially since I couldn't afford a vehicle, had three jobs and was going to school full time (which I was paying for, in part).
I believe I only know one person that waited until after she hit 30 to learn to drive.. and that was because it was a necessity. Everyone else knew how to and/or had cars before they even hit college.
So living rural you walked to 3 jobs and school?! (Not being facetious, that just seems pretty incredible.)
If so, then good for you. Not only time consuming, but great exercise. If mom or dad was your taxi service, then getting the driver's license would have been helpful to them even if you were borrowing the family car.
Yes. And yes, it was time consuming, but.. I didn't have a vehicle and those I knew who did I did not feel comfortable asking constantly for a ride when they had their own jobs/school to worry about.
To be fair, two of the jobs were on campus so only 10 or so minutes from my place at the time. Last job was a bit of a stretch and yep, grocery shopping was a pain. Had to be done in really small intervals or I had to wait until 3AM when my flatmate would go shopping, lol.
My folks lived about 1 hour and 4 hours away (divorced) and worked swing shifts, so no dice there most of the time even though they offered help plenty of times with a weekend grocery shopping trip here or there when they came to visit me. Otherwise, I just managed on my own.
I do really miss the exercise from all that walking.
That really is inspiring for a young person to take all that on. I'm sure it taught you a lot about responsibility and self-sufficiency. Good lessons for any age!
I guess, but I attribute most of what I learned when I was younger to having parents who instilled those values (they themselves are of the baby boomer generation) in me. I just did what I had to because it needed to be done.0 -
I grew up in a musical family so my appreciation is very, VERY broad and eclectic. I don't have generational constraints and take music at face value for how it appeals to me. There are genres that do absolutely nothing for me because of crass, negative, or derogative language, or just presented in a way I can't understand.1
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xFunctionalStrengthx wrote: »Nikki10129 wrote: »...so we can forget about how hard it is to get a job with our degrees that cost us 40k+
It will be better now, and much more so in the long run than without it.
One thing is, millennials are much more about immediate satisfaction than my generations. They also do not understand critical thinking as well because of the dominance and reliance on knowledge bases like Google which lack depth of learning.
Worthless degrees are putting millennials in debt. There has been a big push for people going to college and getting a degree that they then can not apply in the workforce. Liberal arts degree for one. Beyond that, far too many are getting master's degrees when they don't need to.
I’ve done quite well with my “worthless” liberal arts degree.
I also haven’t used cursive since I had to learn it in 4th grade other than for signatures.2 -
pomegranatecloud wrote: »xFunctionalStrengthx wrote: »Nikki10129 wrote: »...so we can forget about how hard it is to get a job with our degrees that cost us 40k+
It will be better now, and much more so in the long run than without it.
One thing is, millennials are much more about immediate satisfaction than my generations. They also do not understand critical thinking as well because of the dominance and reliance on knowledge bases like Google which lack depth of learning.
Worthless degrees are putting millennials in debt. There has been a big push for people going to college and getting a degree that they then can not apply in the workforce. Liberal arts degree for one. Beyond that, far too many are getting master's degrees when they don't need to.
I’ve done quite well with my “worthless” liberal arts degree.
I also haven’t used cursive since I had to learn it in 4th grade other than for signatures.
Millennial here who can only use cursive
it's so much faster to write I feel like the odd millennial out 0 -
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leut_underpants wrote: »I'm a Gen Xer, I guess. I say I guess because I never bothered to find out until a few minutes ago which decades slotted where. Rather than tell you ways in which my generation was better or worse, I'll share some things that have worked and lessons that I picked up. *puts on grandpa underpants*
First, many of you may have no idea how you will provide for yourselves, never mind how to start and care for a family. This is normal. I remember deep fear about having skills that anyone would want to pay me money in return for providing, never mind a large sum. The factory worker/nuclear family idea died or was dying before I came along. While we can lament it's death, the reality is that many of us didn't want that life anyway, working the same low skilled job for decades, maybe eventually working into management of that same position. I find it is better to accept that change, voluminous and rapid change, is not just a path to earning potential, but to human happiness. It keeps our brains entertained finding new ways to solve problems.
Does the world need ditch diggers? You bet. Does the world owe you happiness in return for digging? Nope. A living wage? Nope, and unless you are a particularly skilled negotiator, you likely won't get it. After all, almost every human can do that job...labor force is large, economics says great supply makes prices drop. You're selling what everyone else is...so don't be surprised at the race to the bottom. Is that fair? Doesn't matter. Reality doesn't care about fair. Legislation really only affects edge cases - let's say $15/hr minimum wage becomes law. I might even agree that it should. What does that do *for you* and your happiness? Probably not much, at least long term. Want to be more than an edge case? Embrace that you will have to adapt, to change, to constantly sharpen, educate and build yourself, and that it may take many years to be rewarded. You are competing with all other humans, and challenging economics problems in many areas with housing and wages. That is your reality, just as it is mine. Accept it for what it is and find ways to adapt and find happiness.
I sucked at school. I was highly undisciplined, and found little of interest there. I wanted/wished for the accolades of success there, but did near nothing to attain it. I became far happier after I left school (as a college dropout). It allowed me to swallow knowledge at my rate (far faster than school) without constraint when I found something I loved. I worked menial or unrewarding jobs on the way up. I was a janitor, a computer salesman, a computer technician, a staffing agent. I moonlighted to supplement my income. I dug those ditches well when it was what I was doing. Our little family turned from one to two children in those years (eventually to four). We lived in tiny apartments, and then a tiny house. Over the first five years or so I built skills, and more importantly I showed up reliably, on time and ready to work. Once in awhile I got recognized as an outstanding employee. Sometimes I wasn't that great, but I learned from failing. You can make a life without an advanced education. It's harder, but possible. I don't know anyone who is a truly hard worker and bent on self improvement that hasn't. I've known a few that took awhile longer, but they all arrived. I know many that only paid the idea lip service that never busted through. The world is full of that. The world doesn't need you in their numbers.
My wife and I didn't always have a lot, but we made it work. We did without, or we took on the smallest debt we could to satisfy a need. We bought used cars - usually 8-10 years old, always fuel efficient. There's better things to spend money on than gas. We still buy used, usually 3-4 years old. It takes 30 minutes of reading to be able to almost always identify a decent used car. Learn how to do that. I've bought one bad car, and I was because I didn't do my homework first. It caught fire...oops. We live in a modest house. We could afford much, much more expensive. I have better things to spend on, including helping other humans.
Debt is a claim on your future labor. That's what debt is, in the end - the hours you work to remove it. Think about that. Interest is a cousin to debt. Both need to be understood. When they are truly understood, behavior is modified to avoid them (debt or owing of high interest) or earn them (gains from compounding interest).
I'm fortunate to have arrived at a great place. There's been plenty of good fortune that helped me, and people I owe for helping me...but I also intended to come here, even though I didn't know how. The fear I felt as a teen has been replaced with the assurance that all of the old things that previous generations grinch about still apply. Hard work, especially over time, matters. Ethics still matter. Doing the right things for the right reasons still matters. I am still planning, sharpening, learning. I have to. I'm a human. I'm headed back to school this fall? Why? Because I might need that degree. It may give me some edge at a future job, even if it looks like I've arrived. In my opinion you must always push forward, even if it looks like you shouldn't have to anymore. Be grateful for what you have, even if it's little.
New generations have a lot to offer, too. Diversity? That makes me better, and makes the world better. Inclusion? Yep, that too. Not being a workaholic? Yes. Conserving resources? Absolutely. Working smarter instead of harder. There's balance that's needed. Take the best ideals of all the generations and you'll likely come out just fine.
You don't have to become a YouTube star. You don't have to invent Thing X. You just have to be you. The good you, maybe even the little bit great you, and likely over many years...but you. You are enough, but only if you go and do, improve, get better, stretch and push.
#grandpapants
And I thought you was just a pretty pair of powder blue polyester slacks.
Well said man.0 -
My parents are Baby Boomers, and I respect them and love them dearly, but you really can't name anything that the Baby Boomer generation touched that didn't get completely ruined or significantly degraded on their watch. And they aren't finished yet...2
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Bry_Lander wrote: »My parents are Baby Boomers, and I respect them and love them dearly, but you really can't name anything that the Baby Boomer generation touched that didn't get completely ruined or significantly degraded on their watch. And they aren't finished yet...
Interesting. I think they are happy they lived through the Cold War, fought Communism, championed the fight against racism and sexism, created EDM, artificial hearts and tons of medical breakthroughs, and created the the technology and the Internet so people have a platform to knock them.2 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »My parents are Baby Boomers, and I respect them and love them dearly, but you really can't name anything that the Baby Boomer generation touched that didn't get completely ruined or significantly degraded on their watch. And they aren't finished yet...
Interesting. I think they are happy they lived through the Cold War, fought Communism, championed the fight against racism and sexism, created EDM, artificial hearts and tons of medical breakthroughs, and created the the technology and the Internet so people have a platform to knock them.
Yeah for fighting Communism, boo for the political correctness (PC is 100% a Baby Boomer infliction) imposed upon our military that degraded our capabilities significantly throughout the 1980s and into the 90s and cost a lot of lives (the Lebanon barracks bombing and Blackhawk Down come immediately to mind).
Yeah for good intentions on racism, boo on a racist welfare system that essentially destroyed the institution of marriage and 2 parent households, thereby ensuring generational dependence on the government.
Yeah for fighting sexism, boo on the popularity of divorce and death of the stay at home mom / one income families and the negative effect on kids (from a former latchkey kid)
The medical technology breakthroughs were great, the fracturing of the health care system and the monopoly of big pharma, not so much.
The internet was created by the WWII generation by the DoD in the 1960s (sorry, Al Gore)- I give Boomers credit for developing and advancing it.1
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