In their article in the New York Times, Todd Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz argue that Americans are somehow failing as a group. The so-called "Generation Y" is becoming complacent, not working toward making their lives (and the country) better off. The article is certainly intended to capture its audience's attention, with the title "The Go-Nowhere Generation. In it, they use hard data from the Pew Research Center and studies conducted at universities, among others. More interestingly, perhaps, is how they link this data and their claims to certain emotional stories, events, and ideas of our anscestors. The authors forcefully claim that Americans are not just failing to do a good job, but dissapointing those who came before us.
Let me give …show more content…
The first is that the article suceeds: the readers realize they are being forceful enough in taking control of their lives. And of course, the second is that the article fails: the readers, for one reason or another, ignore or don't follow the prescriptions of the article. I argue that the second possibility is more likely. This is certainly anecdotal, but as someone who has spends his time constantly with people in Generation Y, I know for a experience that they are already extremely insecure, and most, though certainly not all, would wave off the criticism present in this article. However, as I know anecdotal evidence is close to no evidence at all, I will point out that the nearly 75% of the readership of the New York Times is composed of those over 35—certainly the not the Generation Y to whom this article is focused. Furthermore, many of the references used in an attempt to draw an emotional connection between the facts and claims and this idea of what our anscestors did will not resonate with the youth to which this article is geared. While the authors are making an obvious effort to focus on the youth—for instance, by making references to the Disney show "So Random" and the book "Grapes of Wrath," which many high schoolers must read—most of the references fall falt, such as the entire idea of facing enemies like those we faced during World War II, and even the referral to Bruce
Let me give …show more content…
The first is that the article suceeds: the readers realize they are being forceful enough in taking control of their lives. And of course, the second is that the article fails: the readers, for one reason or another, ignore or don't follow the prescriptions of the article. I argue that the second possibility is more likely. This is certainly anecdotal, but as someone who has spends his time constantly with people in Generation Y, I know for a experience that they are already extremely insecure, and most, though certainly not all, would wave off the criticism present in this article. However, as I know anecdotal evidence is close to no evidence at all, I will point out that the nearly 75% of the readership of the New York Times is composed of those over 35—certainly the not the Generation Y to whom this article is focused. Furthermore, many of the references used in an attempt to draw an emotional connection between the facts and claims and this idea of what our anscestors did will not resonate with the youth to which this article is geared. While the authors are making an obvious effort to focus on the youth—for instance, by making references to the Disney show "So Random" and the book "Grapes of Wrath," which many high schoolers must read—most of the references fall falt, such as the entire idea of facing enemies like those we faced during World War II, and even the referral to Bruce