I Found this link on a cigar forum I post on. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/busines...gger-an-arab-spring-or-summer-in-america.html After reading the article and the comments this one in particular got me thinking about my generation, the millenial generation. I've read numerous times that the baby boomer generation screwed everything up, but after thinking about my generation i've come to the conclusion that nothing is going to really get better. I'm 23 I'll admit i used to be one of the entitled lazy bastards that you read about in the quote, but i eventually changed because i want to go somewhere in life. I have plenty of friends who don't want to work or do a damn thing. They have excuses for everything: being late, not calling you back, missing work, not doing homework, leaving work early, not applying for a job (when i help them find the job after they asked me to help), the list is endless. The people at my work, who are my age: always ask me if they can leave early, they sit around and do nothing, they take extremely long smoke breaks and plenty of other thing. Anyways, I guess i'm starting to rant so i'll stop here Here's a video that portrays my generation perfectly. Sorry i don't know how to embed it and make it work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Sz0o9clVQu8 What are yall's thoughts and opinions on the millenials and the economy in the long run when my generation is running the world?
I think each generation has this problem, perhaps it has got worse recently, hard to tell. I used to employ a lot of juniors but now have a older workforce as they are more reliable with less issues of texting, facebook, relationship breakups etc. Although at times it seems I have traded those worries for staff with sick children... But if the problem in the millenial generation is like you report, then I suggest - WHAT A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY for hard-working people like yourself. You will rise to the top quickly and be the boss of these layabouts when they hit their 30-40's, realise they don't own a house or have a family of their own, and have to start working for a living.
You never heard of NEEP's? (No Education Employment or Prospects) In Europe the UK, Spain, Italy & Greece in particular have dedicated their social systems to rearing a couple of generations of 'em, and they're generously referred to as 'the underclass' by UK media at least. The comedy show Shameless was one of the first to pump this to the max, based in my beloved Manchester (set in Benchill, Wythenshawe estate, near the airport)... Listen to Frank's eulogy to disenfranchisement introducing this episode... Pure class... Love it. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXj9fcjS3A[/youtube]
I am a similar age to you (24) and luckily I have not been exposed to many of the 'lazy' behaviors you mention above. While I was in the army, I felt very privileged to be surrounded by other ambitious and hard working young people and now that I have left (well got medically discharged, long story) and become a secondary school teacher most of my colleagues are from older generations anyway. Every generation has its challenges and I think you will find that while 'millennials' are being maligned now, they will rise to the challenge. I bet there were lots of parents in the 50's shaking their heads at the youth at the time, then when they were parents themselves in the 60's and 70's they probably thought the youth were no good hippies. If it can indeed be proven that there are a greater proportion of lazy/unmotivated people in the millennial generation, I wouldn't be worried. It just leaves more opportunities for those of us who are motivated.
"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."
All these new I phones and gadgets etc etc have taken over and made them lazy...not to mention the financial costs of all these new things? Plus we are ALL facing the realitiy of a 'world wide recession' that's probably going to get worse as time goes on...Look at Spain, Italy and Greece, they're basically in depression as we speak. I just finished 10 yrs as a tradesman and I worked HARD, overtime everynight and Saturday for ten years.....But now I have some money behind me and if I play my cards right I can invest it in places and make it work for me and back off the overtime for a little while..
I don't know how I can continue in business as most of my furture employees will be in this generation After 8 attempts I've found one, or maybe given up and kept on an apprentice. In my job adds I asked for someone who is located in the western suburbs, self motivated, able to follow simple instructions, able to read plans and drawings, have own transport and basic math? 90% had their own transport called mum, 80% lived on the other side of the city Once I gave them a call a lot couldn't give me a reason why they were interested in the job, one I asked "in your resume you say you have done a per apprenticeship for mechanical, you love working on cars and you want to be a mechanic. Why do you want to be a carpenter?" Response "I thought I'd give it a go" I've had one who sat down at 10am because he was exhausted, he only carried 20 studs, what about the other 300? Another guy was great for the first two days, on Monday when I picked him up he was still hung over from the weekend, my fault for giving him cash on Friday afternoon? The guy I employed doesn't retain anything taught two days prior, doesn't believe that my customer will not pay for half a job, and did not believe me that the council does inspections and can stop work? Seriously thinking or going back to retail, I was on the gravy train and got bored. Wo stupid was I?
There are some great kids around (my step son is one of them). You will find a good one you just gotta keep trying new ones till you find the one that's right and gets what running a business is all about..... Sometimes its the kids that have done it hard growing up that really appreciate a good job.... Just because someone passed year twelve or uni doesn't mean they will put in and get the job done when you need them to? Carpentry is a great trade....You can learn how to build your very own house for half the cost as everyone else!
Love that quote - Socrates almost 2500 years ago. But technically, it's probably Plato that wrote that since no original work of Socrates survives and everything comes second-hand through Plato.
