Plurk paste

The article is not, by any means, an academic resource or meant to be one. That doesn't mean it's wrong, but I also fully acknowledge and respect the need to view it skeptically, sure. As I sort of said already, I was more intrigued/captivated by the HAPPINESS = REALITY - EXPECTATION equation which I think is very true and accounts for a great deal of our generation's depression. The entitlement is something I do believe exists in a lot of people, but that it's one of a jillion factors. The expectation vs reality thing, though? Come on. Like you said how it's not entitlement to expect a job that supports you. Those are your expectations for a person entering into the world. If those expectations are not met, you will be unhappy, etc. In this, I also believe that you and I view entitlement as likely having a different definition/scope, but nbd there are good points to be discussed.

As I said in the previous plurk pastes, I think p much all the points made are true in terms of real issues that our generation is facing. We're expected to complete more tasks (in both education and profession) for less pay (even taking inflation into account), nothing is guaranteed even for the best of us, etc. These are real problems.

I don't think that the bubble has been burst so widely or so profoundly as you suggest. Yes, a lot of people I see are extremely discouraged about their prospects of finding a job (myself included lawl), but how much effort are they putting in? WHICH I KNOW can very easily be a catch-22 sort of 'well they're discouraged so of course they don't try as hard as they could' but I've also heard many times, in many iterations, (including from a friend on plurk 2-3 days ago) 'I kind of just keep expecting one to come to me' or 'I can find a job, but not in the field I want/not doing what I want.' I also hear tell from a lot of people about how broke they are (remember my old roommates?) but they only work one parttime job or quit their jobs that are stable and decently paid but make them feel shit to go find something else.

I'm not going to argue f that's reasonable or healthy, etc, but I do think IF you allowed the definition of entitlement to stretch to incorporate things like that, then entitlement is still prevalant. Look at how many of our parents are in deadend jobs they hate but they do it because that's what you do? OBVIOUSLY I am super biased by my own exposure because that's all I know (as I mentioned to Kiby, I no longer have academia resources so I can't really research these things for fun anymore).

Going back to arguments you made, like how it's not entitlment to get an education and financially support yourself. Arguable, but let's say that's true. There's still a wide spectrum there: community college vs state school vs private university, 2yr vs 8yr; support yourself renting a house in Kansas or apartment in Utah for $650/month vs wanting your own place in NYC for $1200/month; and so on. What constitutes entitlement in that sense?

I also agree with what you brought up about the friend relying on their parents and I think that actually is why I feel like a lot of peeps DO have that sense of entitlement (in our generation), because so many of them rely on their parents for things. Like that bitch I interned with that was all "omg I don't understand why she's making such a big deal out of spring break it's only like $800" or whatever it was, whose mom was covering the costs for her. (I feel odd peppering with anecdotes because I know you want hard numbers, but I don't have any and the stories help illustrate my point). As I also mentioned to Kiby, it's like that study that said now more school kids woudl rather be famous than be President. We have this obsession with the ends rather than the means.

(I'm reading your replies as I right this so sorry it's a little repetitive or not addressing everything at once.)

OKAY I DO agree that conditions can't improve if we don't demand them to. I guess my thought is still teh spectrum argument, right. What's reasonable vs what's entitled and who decides that and what's okay vs what's unreasonable? It's an individual thing, I know, but I can see it being rampant AND being the cause of a great deal of distress in people whose expectations outpace their realities (how many people are like 'this is not what I expected life to be at age X;' I feel like everyone I know feels this way and it was that exact comment that actually prompted my digging for articles, after a conversation last night about our generation's difficulties in transitioning to Adulthood).

Totes agreeing about diversifying education. The Czech Republic is actually super great about that. (And the most atheistic nation in the world.. COINCIDENCE?)

...and I p much agree with all of what you said later. WITH THE CAVEAT. I do think every generation has been entitled to some extent, but that those expectations are growing disproportianately to what reality is making available. Also that whole thing about social media and image crafting is also super true (I have studies for that somewhere in a works cited page if you need).

I'll totes read that article, thanks. Tim Urban will still be my hero forever, but I appreciate resources!! You know how I am. Unleash me on EBSCO or something.