Gen-Y is afraid of not being heard
Well … maybe not everyone in Gen-Y, but at least me.
Laurel Papworth at Social Media Today, wrote that Boomers need security; Gen-X need success; and Gen-Y needs creativity.
That might be true. When I was little and very naughty … my mom punished me by saying, “I’m not going to listen to you until you stop doing __________.” or my least favorite, “I’m not going to listen to you, until you listen to me.” That was all it took to get me back on the straight and narrow. (Take that Dr. Spock) I think my mother was genuinely amazed that it took so little to discipline me.
I believe that it’s the fear of not being heard that defines Gen-Y. This is probably why we are so socially connected.
The good news is that with today’s social networking we are being heard. What we have to say, is generally positive. We want a cleaner planet. We want opportunities to make our planet a better place to live. We think globally. We are creative and unselfish. We aren’t afraid of failure and we believe that everyone can win.
I’m 26 yrs old and was raised in Peru. I came to the US at 17 and went to a public college. I find Gen Y in other parts of the world to be a little different when it comes to everyone can win, perhaps it’s economic. We didn’t have “loser trophies” in Peru and if I wasn’t slightly afraid of failure I might still be working for my uncle Juan for $10 a day.
Thanks for the comment Efrain! I remember those loser trophies, except, I remember them being loser medals. Without those loser medals I wouldn’t have any trophies at all! But that just goes to prove your point, and I agree that loser trophies are a little ridiculous.