Hi all, I'm a member of the young generation. You know, "Generation Y/Millenials".... [View all]

[YoungDemCA]

I won't pretend that I can speak for a whole generation (who can?), but I will share some observations that I personally have about my generation (very generally).

We have grown up with more information and technology than we know what to do with. Social media, the Internet, smart phones-the list goes on. This has been a blessing in some ways, a problematic and complicating issue for a lot of people in other ways. It is a blessing, because we can connect with so many people and so many bits of information, far more and far quicker than previous generations could. However, I and many others do wonder what the long-term effects of information overload are on self-reflection, critical thinking, and on our brains in general.

As far as politics goes: while I do think it is accurate to say that on many so-called "social" or "cultural" issues, my generation is quite a bit more liberal on average, many of us also don't feel particularly emotionally attached to programs like Social Security or Medicare. I've noticed that many in my generation don't really seem to get the importance of those aforementioned programs, and why they are under assault by certain organized and corporate interests. Some do, though, don't get me wrong...

A big issue for many in my generation is student loan debt, which, as most of you know, has skyrocketed to astronomical levels. Many of us also are increasingly alienated from organized religion, a development that is connected with the Millienials' more open-minded views on gay marriage, marijuana, and other so-called "cultural" issues.

I think a lot of us are apathetic or cynical about possibilities for change, but a lot of us are idealistic and hopeful as well. Many in my generation are quite active in a lot of volunteer and service-oriented work and programs. Hands-on tasks for "doers," as it were. However, there are a fair number of people in my generation who are, to one extent or another, disengaged with politics and social movements, maybe a larger percentage than previous generations, but I'm not entirely sure, honestly.

Finally, my generation is very diverse in terms of demographics. Some of us come from single-parent families and some of us come from two-parent families. Some of us are from very rich families, some are from very poor families, and many come from middle-of-the-road families in terms of income and wealth. Some of us are white, some are black, a fast-growing number are Latino or Asian. A growing number of us are openly gay, or otherwise not heterosexual or hetero-normative. One other thing I would note is that we are a very urban generation, with many young people leaving rural areas and even suburbs to live (or attempt to live ) in major cities. The point is, we are such a large and diverse generation, that, in spite of the images of the mass media and social media, there really isn't a "typical" member of my generation, or any generation for that matter.

I don't think it's my place, or anyone else's for that matter, to blame previous generations for today's problems. There's enough blame to go around, but it's just so easy to play the blame game, yet a hell of a lot harder to find and implement workable solutions. It's not our fault that we grew up in this world, but at some point, we do have to accept responsibility for making the world a better place.

Thanks for reading my rambling.