Amber Bowie
Prof. Ray
English 100 Online
March 8, 2017
Joel Stein’s Millennials
In Joel Stein’s “Why Millennials Will Save Us All.” article, Stein argues that those born between 1980 and 2000 (aka Millennials) are “lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow.” (Stein, 3) Stein states he has many studies and statistics to prove this statement. He mentions that the National Institutes of Health found that people in their 20s are more likely to suffer from narcissistic personality disorder than elders (Stein, 3) and that 40% of Millennials believe they should be promoted every two years despite their performance (Stein, 3). He believes Millennials are lazy because we’ve had computers, calculators and other technologies readily available to compute …show more content…
Stein begins his argument by referring to Millennials as the Me Me Me Generation. He says “Whereas in the 1950s families displayed a wedding photo, a school photo, and maybe a military photo in their homes, the average middle-class American family today walks amid 85 pictures of themselves or their pets.” (Stein, 3). While it may be true that the average American could have hundreds of selfies in their phones at any given time, I do not know anyone who has blatantly framed and posted their selfies on their mantels. We understand the importance of family, creating memories and capturing those memories. Technology today is more advanced than the past. We have the opportunities to capture moments that are extremely precious to us. I am a mother of two little girls who also has countless selfies with my girls but we also have family photos and school pictures hanging on our walls. In my opinion selfies can be a bit awkward and self-centered but we are capturing ourselves and the world around us. Stein says that we have become this way because of our parents. “People wanted to improve kids’ chances of success by instilling self-esteem. It turns out that self-esteem …show more content…
The beginning of our growth began with 9/11 and the down fall of the economy. College is approximately 10xs higher than it was for our parents and grandparents. And while Stein has argued our narcissistic ways he also states, “So, yes, we have all that data about narcissism and laziness and entitlement. But a generation's greatness isn't determined by data; it's determined by how they react to the challenges that befall them.” (Stein, 9) and I could not agree more. Millennials are misunderstood and isolated yet we are succeeding and adapting with the growth of technology and the world around us. To say an entire generation is lazy is unfair and wrong. There may be Millennials out there who are narcissistic and self-centered but the majority of us are just playing the cards we have been dealt, the best way we
Prof. Ray
English 100 Online
March 8, 2017
Joel Stein’s Millennials
In Joel Stein’s “Why Millennials Will Save Us All.” article, Stein argues that those born between 1980 and 2000 (aka Millennials) are “lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow.” (Stein, 3) Stein states he has many studies and statistics to prove this statement. He mentions that the National Institutes of Health found that people in their 20s are more likely to suffer from narcissistic personality disorder than elders (Stein, 3) and that 40% of Millennials believe they should be promoted every two years despite their performance (Stein, 3). He believes Millennials are lazy because we’ve had computers, calculators and other technologies readily available to compute …show more content…
Stein begins his argument by referring to Millennials as the Me Me Me Generation. He says “Whereas in the 1950s families displayed a wedding photo, a school photo, and maybe a military photo in their homes, the average middle-class American family today walks amid 85 pictures of themselves or their pets.” (Stein, 3). While it may be true that the average American could have hundreds of selfies in their phones at any given time, I do not know anyone who has blatantly framed and posted their selfies on their mantels. We understand the importance of family, creating memories and capturing those memories. Technology today is more advanced than the past. We have the opportunities to capture moments that are extremely precious to us. I am a mother of two little girls who also has countless selfies with my girls but we also have family photos and school pictures hanging on our walls. In my opinion selfies can be a bit awkward and self-centered but we are capturing ourselves and the world around us. Stein says that we have become this way because of our parents. “People wanted to improve kids’ chances of success by instilling self-esteem. It turns out that self-esteem …show more content…
The beginning of our growth began with 9/11 and the down fall of the economy. College is approximately 10xs higher than it was for our parents and grandparents. And while Stein has argued our narcissistic ways he also states, “So, yes, we have all that data about narcissism and laziness and entitlement. But a generation's greatness isn't determined by data; it's determined by how they react to the challenges that befall them.” (Stein, 9) and I could not agree more. Millennials are misunderstood and isolated yet we are succeeding and adapting with the growth of technology and the world around us. To say an entire generation is lazy is unfair and wrong. There may be Millennials out there who are narcissistic and self-centered but the majority of us are just playing the cards we have been dealt, the best way we