The Me Generation: October 2014

Monday, October 27, 2014

Draft

Millennials as lazy

Millennials as fragile

The Me Me Me Generation: Joel Stein and Josh Sanburn

A Generation of Slackers? Not So Much: Catherine Rampell

The Overprotected Kid: Hanna Rosin

Catherine Rampell’s “A Generation of Slackers,” takes a look at why millennials aren’t exactly the slackers they are made out to be by older generations. She explains the ways we have it easier these days with the availability of technology, yet counters those facts with evidence that we are a very hardworking generation, which aims to get ahead. According to the article, millennials have higher GPAs than other generations, are very focused on the future, participate in more community service, and work well in collaborative, team-oriented activities. Rampell basically believes that our generation simply works differently than those before us, and that it’s okay. Time Magazine writers, Josh Sanburn and Joel Stein, authors of the article “The Me Me Me Generation” provide an alternative viewpoint. They say we are fame-obsessed, development stunted, and just plain lazy. Part of this stance comes from the technology that millennials have at their fingertips. It portrays us as lazier than we actually are, in a lot of cases, and adds to our sluggish image. It raises the question of whether or not millennials are preparing themselves for adult responsibilities or hindering that development. Stephen Parkhurst’s “Millennials: We Suck and We’re Sorry” video also takes a look at how millennials may appear lazy and unfocused, but he contrasts those ideas with facts that we are faced with many serious issues that have been caused by older generations. They started two wars, jacked up college tuition, and destroyed the global economy. Millennials were born into a recession and must face the fact that ninety percent of jobs since 2009 are part time. Maybe we appear lazier because our actions are imperative to the future of the world, and others are anxious about that.

They say we are a lazy generation, but I think we are simply unlike others in our work method and though process. Adults are constantly nagging us to get off our phones, laptops, and other devices in order to do schoolwork, help around the house, and basically do something better with ourselves. It seems to be a general belief for adults that technology, in a personal context, is a distraction, anti-intellectual, and always congruent with laziness. They want us to do schoolwork to prepare us for jobs later in life, and house work to maintain a home in the future, ultimately, they want to teach us how to be an adult, but who says we aren’t learning the same things on our own terms. According to the Department of Commerce, “Ninety-six percent of working Americans use new communications technologies as part of their daily life, while sixty-two percent of working Americans use the Internet as an integral part of their jobs.” So that fact alone shows that technology should in fact be a vital part of our education and lives, to prepare for the future. Not to mention the fact that just because we are using technology, does not meant we are stalking our friend’s friend’s cousin on Facebook, watching dumb YouTube videos, and updating people on our lives every second of the day.

Ms appear lazy in their personal lives because they're always on social media and the Internet. [This is What They are Saying about Us] [Productivity and Technology] In your personal life, what do they want you to do instead? Do school work so you can get a job. Help with the family, chores. Learn about responsibility and how to maintain a household. How to be an adult. Ultimately, they're teaching you how to be a grown-up and instill the values that they have about adult life.

This is What I have to Say about That....[Social media and internet help you get what your parents want for you in terms of values and lifestyle or social media and Internet help you get a different kind of future that is not uncommon for Ms.]

Sanburn and Stein also talk about the prolonged life stage between being a teenager and adult that millennials seem to have, explaining the changes that has caused. With texting and social media, children and teens are under the constant influence of their friends, which is “…anti-intellectual…” according to Mark Bauerlein, writer of “The Dumbest Generation: How Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30).” He thinks that young people must relate to older generations to develop intellectually, but I think millennials are as grown-up as any other generation before them.

Hanna Rosin’s, “The Overprotected Kid,” provides an outlook on how the behaviors of millennials start out in childhood. This article is stock full of information about risky play, ‘adventure playgrounds’, childhood norms and influences, and current dangers for kids, all intertwined with real-life experiences and informative data to back everything up. It is the perfect combination of facts and stories and it engages a reader from start to finish. Rosin probably aimed this article to those who have kids of their own, millennials that may have had experiences with overprotective parents, and anyone else who is interested in these topics. She breaks her article down and discusses the nitty-gritty, but overall, encompasses the issue that Gen Y parents have created, and gives evidence that millennials aren’t entirely at fault for the way we act today. It also most likely aims to influence future parents to let their kids engage in certain risky play.

I plan to create an Instagram account to display my ideas on millennials. I will combine photography and maybe even video with my research and opinions in the caption at the bottom of each. I think having a visual representation of what I am writing about will help engage and connect the reader. Also, using such a popular media platform will appeal to other millennials and perhaps convey my ideas in a clearer way since I also enjoy using Instagram.

I do not think that millennials are lazy but I do think that we are fragile. There may be many examples of what seems to be laziness regarding millennials, but I think we are simply a different kind of generation with completely new resources at our fingertips, and so we appear much more lax than other generations. Regarding this topic, I plan to compare and contrast millennials with the Baby Boomers and Gen Y’s to show that we are not more lazy and in some ways less lazy. As far as millennials being fragile, I have to agree, and for this argument I will also use the compare and contrast method. I think the way a majority of us have been raised has contributed to this fragileness and I plan to use resources like The Overprotected Kid to give information on why we are this way now. For both arguments I will definitely use description as well as analogy to convey my message.

The Me Me Me Generation: Since this article provides both the good and bad information on millennials, I can use it to my advantage. I bounce ideas off of anything that backs up the fact that millennials are lazy, and anything that cuts some slack on millennials being lazy. I can take from it what I need to argue my opinions.

A Generation of Slackers: This article will completely back up my argument that millennials aren’t lazy. Just about every point made will contribute to my ideas. The part where millennials are said to have had a lot of things easier will also give me somewhat of a counter-argument in which I can argue.

The Overprotected Kid: This article will help especially when I am agreeing that millennials are fragile. It will provide a solid argument that part if not all of the reason we are so fragile and sensitive is because of the way we have been raised. Rosin talks about the type of risky play that a kid should engage in and I will talk about those and relate them to issues in later life that they might be connected to.

Stance:

Fragility? Confidence....Identity....They say that Ms lack confidence in ????? and don't know who they are? Narcissistic? [psychology]

They say we're overly optimistic as if we don't know what the future lies ahead. They say that we're going to solve the world problems and they assume that we think we can get any job we want and get promotions just by asking for them.

Some Ms are also overly optimistic so I disagree with them too. I'm saying I'm more like you in that I worry about my future.

5Ws Who What When Where Why and How

. “This is a generation that would have made Walt Whitman wonder if maybe they should try singing a song of someone else,” they say, pointing out the narcissistic quality that seems to have reached a high in the millennial generation.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Proposal and Outline

Millennials as lazy

Millennials as fragile

The Me Me Me Generation: Joel Stein and Josh Sanburn

A Generation of Slackers? Not So Much: Catherine Rampell

The Overprotected Kid: Hanna Rosin

In The Me Me Me Generation, an article written by Joel Stein and Josh Sanburn, the flaws of millennials are pointed out, while contrasted against the reasons why some slack should be given to us. The authors first aim to provide information on what exactly a millennials is, ridding any uncertainty from their article. With that said, the piece is aimed at people who are interested in generational differences and specifically millennials, but anyone could read it and have a clear understating of the topic anyways. The authors try to encompass every aspect of our generation, the good and the bad, and seem to have our backs for most of the article, even while pointing out our flaws. “This is a generation that would have made Walt Whitman wonder if maybe they should try singing a song of someone else,” they say. It is witty and engaging, and completely informative.

A Generation of Slackers, written by Catherine Rampell, is a short article meant to explain why millennials aren’t the slackers we are made out to be by older generations. Rampell explains the ways we have it easier these days, yet counter those facts with evidence that we are a very hardworking generation, that aims to get ahead. She writes on the side of millennials and writes for millennials, as well as any audience with an interest in this topic. I love the way she ends the whole thing by saying, “But at least they can take comfort in one fact: someday, millennials will have their own new generation of know-it-all ne’er-do-wells to deal with.” It’s a great article with a fresh perspective on millennials.

I chose The Overprotected Kid, an article by Hanna Rosin, as my last source. This article is stock full of information about risky play, ‘adventure playgrounds’, childhood norms and influences, and current dangers for kids, all intertwined with real-life experiences and informative data to back everything up. It is the perfect combination of facts and stories and it engages a reader from start to finish. Rosin probably aimed this article to those who have kids of their own, millennials that may have had experiences with overprotective parents, and anyone else who is interested in these topics. She breaks her article down and discusses the nitty-gritty, but overall, encompasses the issue that Gen Y parents have created, and gives evidence that millennials aren’t entirely at fault for the way we act today. It also most likely aims to influence future parents to let their kids engage in certain risky play.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Midterm Reflection

To write rhetorically is to look deep into the subject you are writing about, keep an open mind, and find many sources and points of view to build a logical, well though out idea. This is extremely important to me as a writer because the older I get, and the more important my writing becomes, it is imperative that I learn to write rhetorically, whether I am trying to prove a point, provide solid information, or write for fun. I am past the point of focusing on the bigger picture of a topic, and it's time to learn how to really dive into a subject and dissect the smallest parts of it in my writing.

I have learned quite a lot in the course about my own writing and how I can improve upon it. I have really liked writing these posts and challenging the norms of academic writing so far this year. One of the best lessons I have learned has been the importance and necessity of shitty first drafts. The whole concept takes a weight off the stress of essay writing, or even paragraph writing. I have also learned that when writing, I have to be more aware of my audience, and not just state facts, but back up my opinions and research with strategies like repetition, analogy, and compare and contrast. Overall, this course has been very interesting and helpful to me at this point in the semester, and I can’t think of anything I would change.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Millennials Guide to Baby Boomers: A Response

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1a6M3dBNwc

I chose to write about the video that responded to the previous video we watched: 'Millennials Guide to Baby Boomers'. The content in this article basically pointed out the flaws of both the baby boomers and the millennials, as well as where each generation should be cut a little slack. It provided an overall well-balanced idea, especially when compared to the other videos we watched which clearly favored on generation over the other.
One of the strategies used in the video was humor. A lot of what the man said was meant to put down one generation or the other in a joking way, but the tone of it helped the overall message of the video. Using humor in more serious contexts helps to relate the material to the audience, and people will be more interested if it more than a straightforward argument.
Another strategy used was comparison. Obviously, the video author compared millennials with baby boomers. In my opinion this video compared in the best way possible. They made points of why each generation has issues, and how some of those issues aren't their fault. It compared the two but didn't throw out information simply to put the other down. It was informative.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Strategies for Arguing

Obama's quote about our destiny being like the 50 stars is an analogy used to invoke emotion and tie together many related issues in one all-encompassing sentence. He means that we are supposed to work together to achieve our destiny. This is an effective way to carry his message to his intended audience because as Americans, we are very prideful in our country, so the 50 stars part really carries that well. Also, as Dillard suggest, words can be used as tools to explore a topic and "dig a path", which is exactly what Obama's quote does.
Classification is when you group items according to their similarities. An example would be grouping houses by the style of architecture they are built in. Using classification is a good way to organize and explore a topic, as is comparing and contrasting. To compare and contrast in your writing, there are two ways to do it: block and point by point. When using block, you compare and contrast each topic separately, one after the other. When using point by point, you combine the topics into one and compare and contrast from there. Either way can make your writing more effective to the reader. Williams uses different method to make his writing so effective. Instead of just listing off events without description, he includes dominant impression and visually takes us through the events, making it seem like we know what it was like.
From the start, Steve Jobs experience with cancer effects pathos greatly. Just talking about it effects it I think. But as he went on in his story it got more and more effective. First, when he talked about getting ready to die, and secondly, when he talked about the details of the surgery he underwent. The entire thing effected me pathologically. He obviously wants to effect his audience in that way. As I read through, I was so wrapped up in the sadness of the story that it shocked me in the end to see what the point of the story was. I think he hopes to effect people that way to make a stronger point in the end.
On another note, humor is a great way to convey a point in writing, as long as it fits the context of the audience it is being delivered to. In the passage from the Onion, a more serious message about the lack of focus on academics at Florida University is made. It is humorous, while conveying a clear point which makes it appropriate to use in the passage.
And lastly, reiteration emphasizes and supports an argument very well. That is one reason why Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech has resonated with Americans for so long. Repetition makes writing more memorable and in a lot of ways, powerful.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

On Millenials

The first video, 'Millennial's in the Workplace Training Video' just made me angry. It is of course a comedic video, but it is aimed at adults who also think millenials are inadequate in the workplace, as well as millenials to show us what we do wrong, which seems to be everything. It claimed that we are lazy, and never want to do more than the bare minimum, but still expect praise for doing that. It claimed that we always ask for more breaks and more incentive, backing our wants up with silly excuses. I'm not saying that these assumptions aren't true, because for a lot of millenials, they are, but that does not mean that we as a whole are lazy, excuse makers. This also doesn't make there generations look good either, I mean, part of the reason we are the way we are is because of the way we were raised. The video also didn't make much sense because it was showing older generations that it is better to let us be the way we are and perpetuate these negative characteristics. Even though its comedic and probably shouldn't be taken too seriously, the video isn't exactly the reality of the situation.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Baby Boomers and Narcissism

The sixties were times of great economic growth and cultural movement. There began to be more of a focus on the individual, and just as we are seeing in the me generation, that can lead to the rise of narcissism. With the Civil Rights Movement going on and first-wave feminism taking off, women were especially focusing on themselves. In times where they couldn't open their own bank account, start a business, serve in juries, and do countless other things, dissatisfaction was prevalent among women. Then, with great influence from The Feminine Mystique, and later, Sex and the Single Girl, women began to be more proactive and daring in their fight for equality. This single-minded goal and ultimate focus on ones-self definitely comes off as narcissistic. In Tyler's article, Freud is quoted, saying "Narcissism, in this sense, describes a process of self-management; it is the means by which the subject adapts to sociocultural ideals." In reference to this, women of the sixties might have seemed narcissistic, but only in a process of self-managemet, and by means to adapt to cultural ideals. Through this narcism, many strides were taken. Reproductive freedom, The National Organization of Women, ivy leagues opening doors for women, and an overall challenge of patriarchy occurred. Overall, what may seem like a bad thing can actually make a change.

Millennials in the Media Project