Random Thoughts

[Malto Marko]

Hmmmm.

Boomer children are Gen X and Y. Are Millennials the offspring of X?

[The Cat]

Here is the study I referred to.....This may answer your question Mark

WASHINGTON -- Even millennials don't think much of their generation, according to a new poll Thursday.
A Pew Research Center study showed that millennials -- generally defined as those ages 18-34 -- had far more negative views of their generation compared to Generation Xers, baby boomers or other age groups. More than half of millennials, 59 per cent, described their generation as "self-absorbed," while almost half -- or 49 per cent -- said they were "wasteful," and 43 per cent said they were "greedy."
Around 30 per cent of Generation Xers -- those ages 35-50 -- said their own generation was self-absorbed and wasteful, and 20 per cent of the baby boomers said the same about their age cohort.
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Millennials "stand out in their willingness to ascribe negative stereotypes to their own generation," the study said.
The older the group, the more positively they saw themselves, the Pew study found.
For example, the so-called "Silent Generation" -- those ages 70-87 -- overwhelmingly described themselves as hard-working, responsible and patriotic, at 83 per cent, 78 per cent and 73 per cent respectively. The baby boomers were not far behind, picking those same three words to describe themselves, at 77 per cent, 66 per cent and 52 per cent, respectively.
But the millennials and Gen Xers were not quite so positive about themselves: only 12 per cent of the millennials and 26 per cent of Generation X say they are patriotic; 24 per cent of the millennials and 43 per cent of the Gen Xers say they're responsible; and 36 per cent of the millennials and 54 per cent of Generation X say they are hard-working.
In fact, the highest-ranking positive traits the millennials came up with for themselves were "environmentally conscious" at 40 per cent and "idealistic" at 39 per cent.
Many millennials don't even want to be identified as such, with 60 per cent not considering themselves to be part of the "millennial generation."
Instead, 33 per cent say they are part of Generation X.
The "Silent Generation" also didn't want to identify with its generation. Like the millennials, only 18 per cent of the Silent Generation considered themselves part of that group. Instead, more identified as being with the baby boomers at 34 per cent or the older demographic "Greatest Generation" at 34 per cent.
Generational identity was strongest among the baby boomers, with 79 per cent of those within the applicable age group identifying with the "baby-boom" generation.
The poll was conducted using Pew's American Trends Panel among 3,147 respondents, initially selected over the phone but mostly interviewed online.


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A recent Pew study on how generations see themselves contains some disheartening information for millennials. Or rather, it reveals that millennials have a disheartening view of themselves.
For one, only 40 percent of millennials actually properly identify themselves as such. Of the millennial generation, those ages 18-34, those on the older end inaccurately refer to themselves as Generation X, according to the Pew Research Center. Less than half of the younger end feel they are millennials, the report says.
Second, in terms of generational traits, millennials are more likely to identify with negative terms such as "wasteful" and "greedy." Nearly 60 percent say their cohorts are self-absorbed.
Jutta Klee (Getty)

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In addition, just 36 percent of millennials feel the phrase "hard-working" actually describe cohorts, according to the report. That may have something to do with the millennial generation also having the lowest credit scores.
Medical Daily acknowledges millennials' debt burdens are a considerable stress factor here, one that leads to the "quarter life crisis."
A subconcious subplot here could also be that millennials are the generation most likely to view themselves as "idealisitc," which can amplify disappointments and shortcomings.
Read the study here.

[Malto Marko]

....and it does.

I am a boomer and I have children born from 1976-1990.

I am trying to see if it is the Dr. Spock way of raising children that I have always thought was out of touch.

Disclaimer: OK, I know the younger crowd is going to laugh at me making a reference to a Star Trek caracter. However, there is a published book by a Dr. Spock on child rearing that was embraced in the early 70's.

[Marko69]

....and it does.

I am a boomer and I have children born from 1976-1990.

I am trying to see if it is the Dr. Spock way of raising children that I have always thought was out of touch.

Disclaimer: OK, I know the younger crowd is going to laugh at me making a reference to a Star Trek caracter. However, there is a published book by a Dr. Spock on child rearing that was embraced in the early 70's.

That ^^^ entire post is illogical, Captain. :smile:

[Malto Marko]

That ^^^ entire post is illogical, Captain. :smile:

But, the reality of a journey that no man has ever gone before.....

[kayrone]

Helicopter parenting has wreaked havoc on milennials. IMHO.

[Marko69]

I had to "google" helicopter parents.

"A parent who constantly hovers overhead, overly interested in what their children are up getting up to."

I agree, Kayrone. My nephew has unfortunately turned into the largest pain in the fucking arse that I know at this moment in time......., and I quietly blame my sister for it. What an "in your fkn face" parent she is.

[Panoptes]

I am Tiger Mom

You finish work, NOW!

[kayrone]

@Marko - it's a little more than just their constant presence - they constantly "help" with homework, constantly volunteer at the school so they can keep tabs on the kid, call / email / harass the teachers, etc. A helicopter parent basically views their kid as an extension of themselves rather than a separate individual who needs to learn from their own successes and failures. A good friend of mine is a history professor at ISU, and half of her students have no idea how to handle anything because mommy and daddy handled everything for them their entire lives. She has all sorts of crazy stories!

[CGVT]

@Marko - it's a little more than just their constant presence - they constantly "help" with homework, constantly volunteer at the school so they can keep tabs on the kid, call / email / harass the teachers, etc. A helicopter parent basically views their kid as an extension of themselves rather than a separate individual who needs to learn from their own successes and failures. A good friend of mine is a history professor at ISU, and half of her students have no idea how to handle anything because mommy and daddy handled everything for them their entire lives. She has all sorts of crazy stories!

My Brother in Law was a speech professor at Penn State. The stories he tells are amazing. "Little Suzy always gets As. What are you doing wrong?" "Are you sure you know what you are doing." "Have you ever taught this class before?" (after thirty years of teaching) Parents wanting to sit in on classes, etc etc.

[SeattleLionsFan]

At the University level? That's shocking

[YT]

Being involved with my son's BSA pack, I start all the boys with tasks/assignments outside of what they are required to do in their handbooks. The older they are, the tougher the tasks/assignments.

I want the boys to be prepared for what they will encounter as they get older, unlike our pack committee chairman who wants the boys to sing stupid pre-school songs and reward mediocrity (BTW He's a career HS music teacher who I despise).

I also encourage the boys to "spread their wings" and be independent...at least for an hour a week. The parents usually freak out a little at first, but they usually settle down when they see their "precious" won't be starting fires or using a knife to kill a rat.

Those usually happen when they become Boy Scouts

BTW, I didn't ask to be involved...I got DRAFTED!

So if I'm in charge, I run things my way...and leave the parents to watch on the sidelines.

[LionsFanInJapan]

I haven't had to deal with any parents like that over here...yet. They had a show on tv a few years ago called "Monster Parents", which was about what you guys are discussing. I never watched it, because Japanese tv dramas are complete garbage, but I'm interested to see what school life is like for Tyler when he starts 1st grade next April.

EDIT: I just remembered one mom whose daughter was having trouble turning in her homework and coming to class on time. I asked her if she could help her daughter out with those things, to which she said that was my job...her daughter was 19 years old. Of course, kids don't become adults until age 20 here.

[Panoptes]

Tiger Mom

[Marko69]

@Marko - it's a little more than just their constant presence - they constantly "help" with homework, constantly volunteer at the school so they can keep tabs on the kid, call / email / harass the teachers, etc. A helicopter parent basically views their kid as an extension of themselves rather than a separate individual who needs to learn from their own successes and failures. A good friend of mine is a history professor at ISU, and half of her students have no idea how to handle anything because mommy and daddy handled everything for them their entire lives. She has all sorts of crazy stories!

Yip. Everything you describe there is my sister with my nephew. I dread to think what his life will be like when he reaches the teen years. I'm going to take him down Easter Road one day and let him see some "real" life. Shite football, but real life.