I am considered to be in the Generation Y group also known as the "Millennial". I was Born after 1982 and this is what puts me in that generation.
Some of the key characteristics and beliefs/values of my generation would be that we are Tech-Savvy. We grew up with technology and use it often. We apply it in our jobs and daily life more the previous generation. We prefer to communicate through texts and email. We are also classified as Family-Centric. We try to balance more of our work and life. Some believed this is a weakness that we lack commitment and value things different then it once was. Some believe we are all about work and more about family. Another characteristics we are know for as Achievement- Oriented. Which as i have read is kind of contrary to me. We are believed have been papered or coddled by our parents. They wanted us to not make the same mistakes as them. We are considers confident, ambitious and achievement-oriented. We hey have high expectations of their employers, We like a challenge and are not afraid to stand up for what we believe even though other generations can perceive this as arrogance. Generation Y wants our work to mean something and strive to have satisfaction. Even though we are also considered babied as i have heard, not only in articles but by my elders and in general conversation.
I mostly identify with the Family-centered classification. I do value my job but I value my family more. It is more of a priority to me and something I value over my job. I feel that in life your money comes and goes. But your family can and you will never get them back. when you die you are your money doesnt' do with you. but your memories to other and your family doesn't live on. But this doesn't mean I don't value my job. I still am a very hard worker and take my career seriously. It's just if it came down to changing my job or moving for my family this would be what I would do for my family.
What I do not really identify with is the part of my parents "coddling" to avoid me from making the mistakes of my parents. I have a strong work ethic have worked since I was 15 years old and I think this gives me an advantage. I have often heard my employers that they see a lot of examples of my generation who wanted everything right away. That the patent tried "protect" their children and gave them everything they wanted. This was in attempt to have them succeed later in life. I don't agree with this. I think you have to have to work hard and succeed you have to learn right a way. You don't learn by everything being giving to you. You need to learn the harder way to appreciate what you have. It's okay to help you children, just not make the assumption that they need to protect them for them to succeed. Hard work and ethics is what I believe makes drive in a person and make them strive to succeed.
Some events that affected my generation's current beliefs and values are the changes in the economy. There have been more rough times and many changes. Not like the great depression at all but different then the Baby Boomers. We are learning we have to save more. People are living longer then they used to. We have to save more to assure we can afford the cost of living for when we are older. We realize now people are running out of money faster and the older generation my have a harder time now with going into homes and getting medicare. There is fear of not enough Social Security and forcing us to re-evaluate what we need to do to provide for ourselves and families in the future.
All in all every generation is different. But I feel that your values you learned as you were raised is more influential and the others around us. Just because you are in a generation doesnt' mean you apply to all the standards. They never have for any generation they just assume the majority and that's what we are assumed to be. But no one is every aspect of assumptions.
