X + Y = Entitlement
Technically I'm a member of generation X. A few years behind my generation is generation Y. I'd like to propose a name change. Let's just call us all Generation E (for entitlement). Sometimes I look around and see that we're a sorry, sad group of whiny folks feeling entitled for no reason other than the fact that we exist. And I think it's getting worse.
In 1976, I lived in Newdale, Idaho. In June of that year there was a historic flood that occurred when the Teton dam broke. I was six years old and what I remember is that and 1976 the people of Southeastern Idaho worked together to help each other. The area was literally cut off from the outside world for days. The residents organized temporary housing, food distribution and other necessitites before the Red Cross could access the area.
Sadly, this past week has seen how a new generation reacts. There has been some unusual winter flooding in Rexburg, Idaho (where I lived from 1979 until 1989). This generation is asking who's to blame and who's going to fix the problem.
I'm not picking on Rexburg (this same thing happens all over the place). I'm pointing out a cultural change in personal responsibility and perspective that I think started in my generation. I'm saying let's all grow up and stop looking for our government (or anyone else) to fix everything that may go wrong. Bad stuff happens. Deal with it.
I'm not the only one who's noticed: read here.
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In a way, I am blown away that no one has commented on this. Yet, this is a comment in itself on our society. Everybody seems to be in their own little world, not paying attention to what's going on -- and expecting "someone else" (i.e., government as the big example) to take care of everything. I know we are all really busy (hence why I'm doing what I'm doing), and I too am guilty of not being more in-tune with what is going one (hence me only finding this post days later), but, we all have to try to keep important things on the radar scope, like, "what can * I * do to help the situation at hand," be it something that is affecting me, my family, my neighbor, my state, my country, my world.
Posted by: Jeffrey Cox | March 16, 2006 11:26 AM
I think it's pretty rational for us (I'm a gen-Y-er myself) to feel entitled, though. I mean, there are huge institutions tasked with taking care of us in emergencies (coughFEMAcough) or providing help when we're down and out, so we rely on those institutions and spend our time/money/psychic energy on other stuff. It would be irrational to behave as if we still live in small towns where everybody pitches in to help the less fortunate or weather a crisis, when in fact we've all moved to big cities where it's impossible/irrational to trust (or even know) your neighbors, and then half of us moved back out to the suburbs where the whole point is to get away from other people, especially poor people who need our help.
I'm not saying we shouldn't care more about our fellow man or take more responsibility for our communities; I'm just saying that in this day and age it makes more sense to do that by means of impersonal state agencies, for better or for worse. Blaming our generation(s) for feeling entitled means not blaming the agencies and institutions that are responsible for filling the gap where small communities used to be. Until we can wave a magic wand and bring back agrarian social arrangements, we have to feel entitled to help from the institutions tasked with helping us. We are entitled, after all.
Posted by: Brandon | May 7, 2006 12:32 PM