I saw a quote the other day that could have been written by any number of law firm partners I know about younger law firm associates — members of the so-called Gen Y generation, sometimes called the “Internet generation” or simply “Millennials.” As the first generation to grow up immersed in the immediacy of a digital and Internet-driven world, Gen Yers often get impatient with repetitive tasks that are the workaday world of young associates. Raised by parents particularly attuned to raising their childrens’ sense of self, Gen Yers are quick to question the time-honored law firm way of doing things and to voice their opinions, which oftentimes raises the hackles of the partners they work for. The Gen Yers’ assumption that their work should only consist of tasks that are meaningful has earned them the moniker of being “entitled.”
So here is the quote:
“Affluent parents have become role models for luxury and licentiousness, and have moved far away from caring about whether their children develop habits of discipline and self-restraint. As a result, young people are increasingly impudent and have a total disregard of the respect they owe to themselves and others.”
But it wasn’t written by a contemporary. Rather the criticism was voiced awhile back – by Tacitus in 75 A.D.
My impression is that a great deal written about generational diversity just reflects the time-honored distrust that most generations seem to fell toward the generation following them. I know, the subject is of particular currency because today, for the first time ever, four generations are in the work force trying to work together amicably.
More important, I wonder about the continued accuracy of the complaint about Gen Yers. In law firms and elsewhere these “entitled” young attorneys have been laid off in droves; many have been forced to accept work they don’t want and still others are unable to find work at all. Perhaps, they and Traditionalists, who were raised during the Depression, or Gen Xers, who endured the bust of the 90’s, will find their life experiences to be more similar than they originally thought. Of course, there will still be the generational divide represented by Twitter and Face Book. But no two generations were entirely strain-free.