Identifying Important Factors of the Twenty-Something Generation - Research Paper Example

Identifying Important Factors of the “Twenty-something” Generation Introduction From time to time the young generation has shown different trends of emphases and interests in the course of human history. For example, in the narrative by Douglass, we find that many young black slaves in the 18th or 19th century America wished to achieve proper education and equal opportunity. In relatively modern times, many of the 20th century youth were inspired with the ideas like social change. But what are the youth priorities today? The twenty-something generation actually represent a whole cohort of young adults who are active and intellectual. Yet, due to inexperience and constraints of societal circumstances such as unemployment, the young adults are seeming placing more emphasis on certain undesirable factors. In this paper, the most important factors have been enumerated. The order of importance of these factors of emphasis is arranged from greater to lesser. The most important factor is thus that of want of money. Young generations in today’s world, across all countries, are invariably emphasizing the importance and desirability of money. However, money is not a key to all happiness. But the young adults appear to be somewhat reluctant to think otherwise and continue to indulge in the fancies of their freedom loving minds. Thesis Statement The four most important factors for today’s twenty-something population are: Want of money, self-seeking agenda, consumerism, and excessive desire for independence. These factors are creating rivalries in the society and leading to chronic segregation. Easy availability of the facilities like education has made this generation somewhat inapprehensive toward their responsibilities and goals of life. The Four Most Important Factors Roughly, the four most important factors for today’s twenty-something population signal that the future is not so very bright. The most important factor for this population of young adults is money. The next most important consideration is the fact that the twenty-something population appears to have become highly self seeking. So interests of one self are the second most important factor. The third most important factor is consumerism. The fourth most important factor is independence. This sense of independence in today’s young adults is not about the constitutional meaning of freedom or moralistic and spiritualistic emancipation of one’s mind. This independence is simply independence that can even result into being not only self seeking but also self asserting and arrogant character. Discussion Factor 1 The first most important factor is that of seeking money almost all the time. These tendencies can lead to greed and greed for money may lead to delinquency in the long run. If greed of money finds way to the hearts and minds of today’s twenty-something population, then that will result into increased ambition and mental pressure. The young adults have a crucial role to play in the development of a society. These adult persons have huge potential. They are the young hires in any company. They are the first and most important group of population that conscripts to get trained for the security of the country. It is true that democracy does not compel anyone to live and die for the community or join the defense/security forces. Yet, at least a minimal sense of responsibility and community feeling is highly expected. If a young adult seeks to earn money all the time, then he/she may become much insensitive even toward his/her own family. There are two aspects of seeking money. The first way of seeking and spending money is to get addicted toward various luxuries. Frequent drinking, buying jewelry and latest fashion products, continuous marketing, etc. call for lots of money. The second aspect of becoming rich is to earn more and more. This craze of increasing one’s income all the time reflects on how the young adults have become so career conscious. Becoming career conscious and making more money are different things. Forgetting one’s native culture, customs, and giving way to a culturally unknown way of life are potentially risky (Ehrenreich). Therefore, if money becomes so important and relatively stronger currencies like dollar and euro become the most widely sought after foreign exchange everywhere, young adults would start to lose their liking for the home economy. Particularly in the developing and under developed countries, young adults are victims of unemployment and occasional ethnic violence. The US cannot engage itself in all the problems like international cross border tensions or fighting violent separatist movements. However, if money becomes everything for the young men and women in our society, then seeking more and more money can be culturally harmful too. Young adults in migrant groups will do everything to assimilate in the mainstream population and society of the developed countries. And in doing this, the innate knowledge and creativity will be destroyed. When the young people are left cut off from the traditional family life, they may become counterproductive due to inferiority complex or fear of failure in new challenges. Factor 2 The self-seeking tendencies of the young adults are also annoying and alarming. This is blatant selfishness. Sometimes, the twenty-something population cannot simply accept that they have a duty towards their families. However, family values are perishing rapidly. Being selfish is like being self-centered too. The twenty-something population does not want to think what their basic responsibilities toward the society are. Not only this, the twenty-something population appears to be reluctant. There is less drive for changing the society or thinking about the needy people around us. The twenty-something population generally wants jobs, security for future, and guarantee for a secure life as in the case of government service appointments. When that is not possible always, the twenty-something population mentally prepares to go to any extent for getting money. That is why and how boys from lower income groups sometimes attack the life and property of others. In the developed countries like America, the situation due to immigrants has become more tensed. Most of the migrant population comes to America because they want job, food, and shelter (Cohen, 140-145). Further in this context, Cohen writes that being “fairly selfish” is not a matter of shame (Cohen, 237). Naturally, the migrant population in the US is highly career oriented. And money plays a crucial role. In the long run, want of more money may subside. If money lenders start to operate separately and secretly, then the situation would become even more difficult. And in case the investments fail to give expected results, future planning shatters down. So being selfish is like being separated from the rest of the society. And in such a scenario, more families would break up and feelings for others would practically cease to exist. Factor 3 If we look at our history, then there are numerous examples of people who rose from humble backgrounds. Also, during global crises like the Great Depression and the World Wars, many young adults laid down their lives because of desire to survive, patriotism and fellow feeling. In a largely impoverished society or environment, young adults may seek to become more responsible. Young adults in today’s world must understand the facilities that they get must not be taken for granted. Even in such circumstances, young adults are falling prey to consumerism. The twenty-something population appears to be completely unaware of the bad side-effects of consumerism. Consumerism destroys spending patterns, creates unwanted competitions, and brings rivalry. There are many examples of how people achieved their rights. In his work, Douglass gives examples of people who were deprived of education but who organized themselves to achieve that basic facility and improve their lot. For example, Douglass has vividly described that what kind of difficulties he had to face just because he wanted to get education, which has been recognized as a basic right in the modern world (Douglass, Chapter VII). Nevertheless, life stories depicting struggles and lessons for survival are purely in contrast with consumerism. However, today’s twenty-something population does not appear to be much worried about the lessons that are to be learnt from past. Opportunities to basic education and even college level education are being increasingly taken for granted. Rights and opportunities around education, voting, municipal system, etc. are not being cherished with sufficient care and respect. And hence, the twenty-something population continues to want more and more. Those who have good source of income can survive this struggle. But persons who do not have that much money may become envious toward those who are leading the race. Indubitably, consumerism is giving rise to segregation on economic grounds. And the twenty-something population appears to be completely unaware of its harmful effects in the long run. Authors like Cofer often appear to be acknowledging that consumerism is actually a salient feature of American society. Modern American society is capital based. Without consumerism, the society will become sluggish in the sense that markets would shrink. More buying power must be supplemented with more buying tendencies that might appear to be aggressive consumerism. And in that case, consumerism is a good thing for the American economy as a whole since it provides impetus to the market. But even in such a state of affairs, today’s twenty-plus population must understand that excessive consumerism would bring nothing else than bad spending habits and inferiority complex. Factor 4 Being freedom loving is basically a good characteristic of mind. However, excessive self assertiveness and desire for independence may not be completely justified in all circumstances. During teenage, every individual passes through emotional ups and downs. These ups and downs take place because adolescents are confused about both of themselves and their surroundings. However, the young adults are also not very immune to such tendencies. The twenty-something population can also be excessively freedom loving but feeling confused at times. However, today’s twenty-something population is always seeking more and more independence. Basic questions like their understanding, credibility, and sense of responsibility are being blatantly ignored. Today’s twenty-something population is always, more or less, independent minded. They not only ignore, but at times, completely overlook opinions for experienced persons and seniors among the family and friends. This kind of behavior can turn out to be serious folly. According to Stanley (50), the twenty-something population can be defined as people who are having “emerging adulthood,” where issues like gross inexperience and restlessness are noticed. According to Stanley (50): This period of the life span has characteristic and significant personal challenges, and it also contains New Zealands highest proportion of problem behaviours such as hazardous drinking, dangerous driving, loneliness and mental illness. Research on 18-25 year-olds who have overcome difficult upbringings can provide insights on how to respond to other young people whose development is compromised. So how much independence can actually be allowed to the twenty-something population? It can be understood that the twenty-something population wants as much freedom as possible. However, should their constitutional right be allowed to become so powerful so that the opinions, suggestions, and advisory of experienced persons are completely neglected? Definitely the answer is no, but the twenty-something population does not appear to be very much willing to understand the scenario around them and their inexperience. Conclusion In the context of the developed countries like the US, it cannot be denied that social assimilation is an important issue. In most of the western countries, the culture and values are more or less similar in several ways. However, immigrant populations face certain degree of difficulty. In assimilating with the English-speaking natives, the individuality and ethnic qualities are lost a lot. The twenty-something generation in the groups of immigrants is thus especially vulnerable. Young adults often deviate from their traditional and ethnic values and characteristic. Consequently, they do not add to the country’s diversity and pluralistic culture. American brand consumerism, together with capital oriented economy, has led to drastic changes in both attitudes and perspectives. In the contemporary world, globalization ahs spread American culture world wide. Freedom loving youths are now everywhere on this planet. These young adults are inexperienced and self assertive. And most of them want to be rich. The four main factors of emphasis have been, therefore, contextually explained in this research paper. Desire to become richer or want of money may lead to problems like mental tension and increased competition. Selfishness is another characteristic factor of emphasis. Most of today’s young adults think that being selfish is rather okay. So, pursuing one’s career and happiness have become very important. Next, young adults are paying considerable attention to consumerist activities. Finally, assertiveness is a prime characteristic of the twenty-something population. They are independence loving people, although they are not sufficiently experienced to go on experimenting with challenges of life. So now problems associated with young adulthood must be examined with the help of a more wholesome viewpoint. Social conditions may also be considerably responsible for this situation around the young adults. Works Cited Cofer, Judith Ortiz. “The myth of the Latin woman: I just met a girl named Maria.” Boricuas. Ed. Roberto Santiago. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995: 102-108. Cohen, Michael Lee. The Twenty-something American Dream: A Cross-country Quest for a Generation. Plume, 1994. (outside sources) Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Random House LLC. 2007. Ehrenreich, Barbara. "Serving in Florida." and “Evaluation.” Nickel and Dimed. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2001: 11-50. Stanley, Peter. "Twenty something: The social policy and practice implications of emerging adulthood." Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work 23.3 (2011): 50. (outside sources) Read More