“Gen Y” or “The Entitled Generation?”

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak about volunteering to a groups of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. I spoke with them about the importance of volunteering, not only because it helps their community and the world but also because, well, it just feels so good to help others. These kids, if you can call a 17 year old a kid, were so bright, so motivated, so eager to give of themselves that I found myself wondering all the way home how anyone could describe this generation “The Entitled Generation.”
Do these kids have more stuff than their parents? In most cases, yes. Are they more likely to take that stuff for granted? In most cases, yes. Are these kids more likely to forego the opportunities of making more money or having a bigger job if they must sacrifice their quality of life? In most cases, yes.
While there are certainly bad apples in every basket, I absolutely love this generation. These 17 year olds were 13 years old on 9/11. They were, for the most part, too young to have held jobs and still young enough to be highly impressionable. They’re still young enough to be idealistic and cynicism about their ability to make a difference has not yet set in. And they are eager to make a difference, even if the difference that each makes individually won’t change the world.
I’ve spoken about my volunteering efforts to rooms of Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers, and Gen Y’ers. Boomers typically sit back and listen. They typically are interested and like being entertained, but when it comes time for them to make a contribution, they usually beg off by claiming that they’re too busy. Are they? I have no doubt that they’re busy. We all are. But like everything else in life, it is a matter of priorities. If they really wanted to volunteer to help better the lives of those around us, they could and would.
Gen X’ers also tend to be somewhat passive when hearing about volunteer opportunities, but when it comes time for them to make a contribution, most of them do. The biggest issue that I’ve found with Gen X’ers is that many and perhaps most of them have not yet identified the one or two causes about which they feel passionate. They struggle with how to divide their energy between different causes because they feel positively about many. They are willing and able to make time in their day, week, month, or year to make a difference but they need help figuring out how to do so.
Gen Y’ers, much more than the other two groups, dive right in. At yesterday’s sessions, I heard no excuses about being too busy or a desire to simply write a check. Instead, what I heard was, “How can I be involved?” They had no doubt that they wanted to contribute and would find a way to do so. Their questions were not based upon deciding how what is the minimum amount that they should contribute. Instead, they wanted to know from those of us with more experience how they could make the most difference to the lives of those around us.
Does the world have problems? You bet. Do we all need to be surrounded by more people who care and who get involved? Absolutely. Are we in good hands with this youngest generation of adults? Without a doubt.
Steven Rothberg, President and Founder
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