Generation Gap

From the 1970s to the late 1990s, there has been a generation that has been known by the name Generation Y, among others. I am a part of this generation. There are many things that define a generation and how they come to be known as time goes on. Each generation before us and the generations after us will be different in many ways. The generation before us, known as Generation X, had in their lifetimes the Vietnam War, the beginning of technology to influence culture such as T.V. and radio, and the decline of colonial imperialism. The generation after us, which is coming to be known the New Silent Generation, has the internet at their fingertips since they have been born but has not been around long enough to be given a proper name.

The definition of every generation has, gives a meaning that everyone in this group of people that was born in this certain time demonstrates when acting in a certain way. Of course this is not for all of the people born in this period of time but is more stereotypical for this group. My definition of Generation Y is Generation Popcorn. It sounds silly, but the similarities that our generation has with popcorn are strangely true. The pressure that is put upon the generation and the individuals are enormous. With technology becoming an essential part of our lives, there are too many ways that we can get information and that leads to pressure that is set upon them to obtain the most information they can when they are required to. The pressure that is put on Generation Y also has many other issues that it is related to other things such as keeping in contact with family no matter where someone is, being open to other forms of religion and races that now should be equal to everyone, and being out with friends and having a social life.

The pressure that has been set upon our generation gets greater and greater because of technology and new technology that comes out everyday. The technology has put a requirement that says that the availability of someone to be just a couple of buttons from contact is essential. This has caused people to feel like there is no such thing as privacy anymore. Generation Y is pressured to be contacted at a moment’s notice whenever needed no matter where they are in the world. From teachers to parents to friends expect that there always be a way of reaching a person without have to give it much effort. When I began my college career, the first thing in most classes that I was told was to check my school e-mail at least three times a day. I have witnessed that many students are penalized for not having seen the assignment on their e-mail or e-campus, a website that is sponsored by my school so that teachers can post assignments and such to their classes. This is due to our generation being the first to have the first personal computers that are cheap enough for anyone to buy and are expected to have. Personal computers have become predicted to be everyone now and are not seen as a luxury anymore.

In contrast, the differences end, between Generation X and Y, with always be there for whoever is in need especially parents. In Generation X, they were allowed to go do what they wanted to and became independent as a result. Now, for Generation X parents this continues because they are doing the same thing their parents did. It seems to be working because Generation Y, seem to always be away and out of their own house. For example, my mom did not want me to go to a college that was near our house because she said she wanted me to live at college to be more independent, and paying for a dorm that was twenty minutes away was stupid.

Furthermore, when there is a child that does not seem to go out and have many friends then he or she is abnormal according to today’s society. It does not matter whether they have one or two close friends and interact with them a lot; they need to have a large amount of friends not just close ones or be labeled as out of the norm. This is because Generation Y is a generation that has many friends, but it does not go out to “play” like the other generations before them; because of the entertainment that we now have inside their own homes. For example video games, TV, and all the applications those come for personal computers. Generation X was known to never be inside of the house and find things to do outside, i.e., jump rope, wall ball, hop scotch, etc. The result is pressure that is set in to tell a member of the Generation to have many friends. This pressure was not there before and should not be their now because sooner or later someone is going to pop, such as