Week 1

            After reading “The Millennial Muddle” by Eric Hoover, I was struck by the differing opinions among intellectuals about my generation, “the Millennial.” Before reading this article, I had been mostly exposed to negative viewpoints about “the Millennial,” but Howe and Strauss had wildly positive outlooks, citing us as “the next ‘hero’ generation, destined for coming-of-age triumphs, intent on taking action and building community.” Prior to this opinion, I had only heard about how self-absorbed, technologically dependent we are, and the “Generation Me” opinion, which are some ideas explored later in the article. It was encouraging to see a range of viewpoints though.

When you were born, where you were born, who your parents are, and how much money they have, were cited as the defining factors in shaping one’s life. Based on these criteria, I find it hard to generalize about generations as a whole. Howe believes that historical events are what shape people and generational ideas and values are a result of these events. I agree with this to a point, but I think it is also important to look at the diversity of a generation and the range of reactions to a particular event. In Freaks and Geeks and Veronica Mars, many of the characters clearly had differing high school experiences, as some were outsiders and some were more popular, so it is difficult to see why they would be group together. Hoover explains the lack of diversity in the generation model when he writes, “Over the last decade, commentators have tended to slap the Millennial label on white, affluent teenagers who accomplish great things as they grow up in the suburbs, who confront anxiety when applying to super-selective colleges, and who multitask with ease as their helicopter parents hover reassuringly above them. The label tends not to appear in renderings of teenagers who happen to be minorities or poor, or who have never won a spelling bee. Nor does the term often refer to students from big cities and small towns that are nothing like Fairfax County, Va. Or who lack technological know-how. Or who struggle to complete high school. Or who never even consider college. Or who commit crimes. Or who suffer from too little parental support. Or who drop out of college. Aren’t they millennial too?” These generational models seem only to be based on the upper echelon of society, failing to take into account the wide range of experiences that people have and the diversity that is formed by these experiences. I am sure there are some overarching themes throughout a generation, but is there a way to acknowledge these themes while also embracing diversity?