Looking Around

People used to talk a lot about Generation X.  These days, talk about Generation Y is on the rise.  How does one make interesting observations about a large group of people without resorting to bland, overly broad generalizations on the one hand (e.g., these folks, well, they’re all … uh … people), or overly narrow descriptions that fit only a small subset on the other hand (e.g., these folks, well, they’re all called Pat)? 

A recent article in USA Today, "Generation Y: They’ve arrived at work with a new attitude", makes an attempt.  Some main points: (a) they are more financially savvy than earlier generations were; (b) they put more emphasis on balancing work and life than Generation X’ers; (c) they’re more prepared for change, e.g., in jobs and careers.  My own observations give me no reasons to object, and I will even venture a partial explanation: this is the information age, where knowledge is becoming more and more efficiently disseminated, with the rise of "new media" like the Internet and so on.

Speaking of new media, "Pennsylvania teens’ weblogs reveal Christian faith" makes interesting observations about the blogging of teenagers.  Example: "Her webpage is pink, and she talked online like most teens using acronyms and incomplete sentences, the shorthand of the net, throughout her postings".  Another example: "They are filled with the angst of adolescence: immediate, emotional and important, each seeking peer acceptance."  Ha, amusing.  Seems quite accurate of many blogs.  Then again, what do I know - I’m from Generation X. Even if I weren’t, I’ve no idea why I blog so am in no position to comment.

Then there’s "Lack of curiosity is curious", which laments the lack of curiosity in students these days.  Apparently, ignorance isn’t new, but in the past, students used to be ashamed of that ignorance and would be more eager to fill the gap.  They attribute this to the explosion of information in recent years, plus the lack of job security.  I have to disagree.  Students have always been curious only if something was interesting or exciting to them (which could be influenced by various factors like good teaching style).  These days, I have students of my own and I don’t see them as being any more or less curious than I was when I was a student myself.  The explosion of information should provide more things to be curious about, and the lack of job security should provide more reasons, rather than less, to learn new things.  What’s true, I think, is that teachers are usually more interested about their subject than their students are, and so they always have had, have today, and are going to have, misperceptions about their students’ curious lack of curiosity.

If we could read the secret history of our enemies,
    we would find in each person’s life sorrow and
    suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

now that’s a thoughtful quotation (attributed to a Henry Longfellow)