OK fair warning, I'm climbing onto my soapbox today because of several articles I've read lately. I'm so tired of being bombarded at work with messages about how we need to understand the generational differences so that Baby Boomers and Gen X (me) can relate to Gen Y, a.k.a. Millennials. People have been crying some version of "these kids today" since the beginning of recorded history. I think it's probably safe to assume that it's actually been happening since the human lifespan grew long enough for folks to be around when the younger generation started to grow up. I just don't buy into generational differences as a major factor in dealing with others. I think it has much more to do with life stage, and individual differences.
My generation was once the "entitled young whipper-snappers" in the workplace who were troublesome for the Baby Boomers to deal with. Then we started getting married and having families, and we settled into mostly the same patterns as the older generation. I've heard people refer to Gen Y as "digital natives." I get that, but you know what, I grew up with computers in my house and school too. I wasn't using them before I could walk, but we had a computer lab in my elementary school and I took programming classes starting in Jr. High. Technology has changed, and continues to change a great deal, but I use it and learn it. It's not a big deal.
I think the only real difference is where we happen to be in our lives. I'm raising a family right now, so of course that's what is important to me. But I work with people close to my same age who never married or had children, so they actually still enjoy going out and partying and having happy hours. It's not because of their age, it's because of their lifestyle. I know Baby Boomers who have always enjoyed technology and stay on top of it better than some people who are younger than me.
I guess this bothers me so much because it feels like ageism. Trying to deal with anyone based on broad, sweeping generalizations about their gender, race, age, or any similar factor feels very wrong to me; like we're ignoring Martin Luther King Jr's dream of his children being judged on the content of their character instead of the color of their skin (or some other superficial characteristic). We're all people just trying to do our best, with our own struggles and on our own journey. If I was in charge, we wouldn't keep paying "experts" exorbitant amounts of money to "teach us how to deal with entitled Millenials." Now I'm all for free speech, so they could keep writing and talking about it if they want; I just wouldn't allow businesses like mine to financially subsidize them any longer.
OK, time to step back down from the soapbox. I'm actually glad that I can still be stirred emotionally and feel passionate about something, though. In my attempt to control my stress, I was wondering if I'd still be able to get worked up without getting stressed out. I'm happy to report that this didn't stress me out, but I do (obviously) feel passionately about the topic.
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