Question for people over 30+.....?

Question

I've asked about the sense of entitlement kids have today and I see it in this place often in the blatant form of questions such as:

"How can I get a NEW car with no money?"

"Where can I get music and movies for free?"

"Where can I get a job starting at $50,000 a year without college?"

"How can I get a degree without going to school?"

I've also heard more than one 20 year old intern at work whine that they shouldn't have to work late since they've already graduated and have "paid their dues".

I think we all wanted stuff we didn't earn at some point but we never actually EXPECTED it. They really seek things they don't deserve now as if it's owed to them without any regard to the logistics or consequences of where it comes from. Some of these people are getting into their 20's and not seeing the light. Had you heard anyone back in "our day" actually ask any of these questions with a straight face, wouldn't you have thought they we're mentally ill on on drugs?

Answer 1

we have the media to partially blame because they show ads depicting how necessary or important it is to have these wonderful things and what a loser you are if you don't have them. Parents are also somewhat to blame for this attitude because they've promoted these ideas. Remember in the 80's when so many people were making some really good money? In earning this money they bought their kids all the things the kids wanted with out making them earn them. It's really sad because now these kids are out in the real world having to earn their way and are totally clueless.

Look at the wedding industry. Brides these days are convinced that they must spend thousands on their wedding or it will be a dismal failure. Anybody else remember when you went to a wedding on Sat. afternoon and at the reception you had cake, punch, 5 - 8 finger foods and thought it was nice?

I can only imagine what the kids of today will be like in a few years when they are out on their own. I shudder at the thought.

Answer 2

You're so right. I hear this almost everyday. People expect things just because they have a colllege degree. Some of them can't even construct a sentence that makes sense. I work with kids between 20-25 some have college degree, some don't but all of them have no patience. They quit their job as soon as they think it's hard. They don't give it a chance. They expect to get pay at least 50,000 just because they have 4 years college which they were barely get by when they were in school . I do have a MA but because I always work hard and a result, I get paid more than they do, not because I expect it.

My company struggles to retain young people because this kind of attitude.

Answer 3

Well, where do you think they got these ideas?

Kids are raised by parents who want them to have all the things they (parents) didn't ~ and kids learn to expect that as their right.

They look around our modern world and see high placed officials cheating on their taxes, their wives/husbands and their employers, and voices raised in support, they think 'oh that must be OK'.

They see people doing things that are unscrupulous and unethical, and being called the 'friend' of people in high positions of power and authority, so they learn it's OK to do things that are unethical.

They see people who have money are revered, regardless of how they got that money, and they see that our newspapers, magazines and television devote hours of time to wealthy so-called celebrities who contribute nothing to the world, and almost none to serious issues or people who give their time to make the world a better place.

They see a world where intolerance is called a virtue and people are taught to demand and want before they are taught to serve, understand and give.

And they see people whose highest ambition is to get some 'hos' and 'bling' (or whatever the latest phrase is) by selling poorly written and recoredcalled entrepreneurs and awarded prizes for helping the community.

And they see their elders joking about 'spending the kids inheritance' on expensive trips around the world and disposable toys, buying bigger cars depsite known environmental costs, and bigger houses despite local and global poverty.

My goodness, I'm surprised ALL they want is a credit card or free music downloads!

Let's face it ~ we 'older' generation are hardly the kind of examples OUR parents and grandparents were. We were raised by people who went through a depression and one or two world wars. They knew what it was to face rationing, shortages and fear.

We have been SUCH a lucky couple of generations and yet we complain the young are over indulged?

Then why is it I see so many of them working hard at McDonalds and other low paid jobs so they can save money for school, why is it every shop or office has young people on staff? How come universities and schools are full of young people planning their future?

I reckon we should give them a break, myself.

Cheers :-)

Answer 4

Ugh, I see it to and hate it. I want to just laugh at them and tell them how "tough" it was for us to take care of things... then I realize I sound just like my parents LOL.

MOST (Not all) kids these days have the "Entitlement" Disease. The world owes them for having to struggle through school, the world owes them for the color of their skin, the world owes them for being a female/male/old/young/etc, "so and so's mom and dad let them do this so I should be able to do this as well!", etc.

Pretty sad that these kids are going to be our future leaders.

I plan on teaching my kids different. They won't get a brand new car, they will get a beater car that they can learn how to work on with their father. They won't get a new cell phone with the works, they'll get an average phone that THEY will have to pay for monthly. They WILL get their keys taken away if they do not follow the rules, do not do their chores, do not get good grades, and if they get a speeding ticket or in an accident they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions. If they get caught using a cell phone or a music listening device (ipod, cd player etc), that gets taken away as well.

At least, this works in theory. We shall have to see when kids come around!

Answer 5

as one person wrote .. many people today don't appreciate the difference between the meanings of the words NEED and WANT.


In my life .. there is really so very little I NEED. I have food, I have shelter, I have an income....
as for what I actually WANT .. I have most of what I want ...but it is far more important to get my needs met.

I have also been working since I was 12... ie counting baby-sitting as my first source of Income....at one stage while i sat my Higher School Certificate .. I held down three jobs ( and studied)...

BUT as well as not appreciating the difference between WANTS and NEEDS .. there seems to be no satisfaction in achieving something from working hard .. or just from working hard and doing a job well done... there has to be More $$$$$$ than job appreciation.

I HATE To say it BUT maybe we do NEED a Great Depression ( like what my grandparents lived through ) for people to get an understanding of WHAT is important and to get them to appreciate the simple things....it isn't what I WANT ... but sometimes what you don't want is what you NEED....

Answer 6

We are living in a different era..Materializm has taken over. We are programmed with all these commercials that we have to buy everything we want. and, the sad thing is that we can hardly afford them, and, as a result, we are living in a society where everything is put on credit. No one really has to earn anything anymore, its all put on plastic.

We have I guess lost patients to wait for the things we earned and deserved, and, in my day, we were not bombarded with so many commericals. and, only the rich spoiled kids had the attitutde you described. not everyday common people.

Answer 7

most of the people you have just stereotyped dont know the difference between "need and want" , blame their parents or todays media at the end of the day if life is about learning then give them time to learn in their own time and have a little tolerance :)

Answer 8

Twenty year olds aren't the only demographic that posess this attitude. You will find people of every age with this attitude. I personally think that you can blame their parents for their values.

Answer 9

How can convince my parents to give me a credit card, ( I love that one)......I`ve been good ALL WWWWWWWEEEEEKK!! Friggin kids today!!