Life wasn't meant to be easy (1 Viewer)

[erawamai]

What do you recon? Are we, as generation Whyers, spoilt, unrealistic and living in a fake consumerist world that seemingly gives everything to us oh so easy?

Are a large proportion of Y ers going to get a rude shock?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...1134703611483.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

 

[veterandoggy]

i already have, so i think it is already shocking us.

 

[White Rabbit]

I think most of out generation expects too much, are spoilt and want everything now.

Pretty happy to say I don't fall into these catergories however - it seems having nothing of value in regards to material possessions and growing up close to the poverty line taught me and my siblings life isn't easy, you need to work for your goals - they certainly aren't handed to you on a silver platter and your first care most definatly will not be a BMW - perhaps more to the point, you'll buy the bloody car yourself. Unless you are a millionaire, or marry one, you'll never buy a home in Sydney, based on your projected single income you'll never get a homeloan higher than $250, 000 - and you'll be renting for years anyway.

Also, $75, 000 pa and still living at home is digusting. I'll be offically out of home once I finish my EN's training and will be moving up to the Queensland. Renting, of course. Mind you, I reckon I know which town will be the next Mudgee, and considering homes have a current median price of $150,000 I'd consider looking into getting property there - then selling it when I want a place of my own.

 

[erawamai]

Also, $75, 000 pa and still living at home is digusting. I'll be offically out of home once I finish my EN's training and will be moving up to the Queensland. Renting, of course. Mind you, I reckon I know which town will be the next Mudgee, and considering homes have a current median price of $150,000 I'd consider looking into getting property there - then selling it when I want a place of my own.

Only those with good incomes will be able to afford to live in Sydney in the future. Either that or the child will inherit the parents property and equity/wealth that comes with owning property in Sydney.

However I tend to agree with the article. Young boys and girls are terribly materialistic and somehow expect that, like their parents, they will also live very comfortable lives. I also think kids seem to get alot of 'stuff' that isn't very useful but is also expensive. I'm talking about playstations for 12 year olds and 400 dollar ipods. Personally I cannot imagine paying so much (I mean the average person takes a long time to make $400) for something that plays music and is really just a harddrive in a box.

With the advent and widespread support of economic right policies pushed by the Liberal party it is unlikely that ALL the kiddies of the current generation will enjoy the state sponsored piece of mind and financial security given to the baby boomers by more compassionate and left wing ALP and Liberal governments of the past.

For the current generation of kiddes, of which I'm a part, you are going to have to work hard to make money and if you do fall through the cracks and miss out there is little chance of anyone, let alone a welfare state, coming along to save your soul. If you do miss out and no one is there to save you don't complain, especially if you voted liberal.

 

[jesscookie]

I'm so glad i live in the bush. No offence to the city people, but we dont take anything for granted. My Sydney cousins expect the aforementioned $400 music playing hardrives, live in a posh house, and get everything they ask for. I'll be lucky to get anything, this Christmas, each day we make it through without some form of disaster is a blessing!

 

[Generator]

However I tend to agree with the article. Young boys and girls are terribly materialistic and somehow expect that, like their parents, they will also live very comfortable lives. I also think kids seem to get alot of 'stuff' that isn't very useful but is also expensive. I'm talking about playstations for 12 year olds and 400 dollar ipods. Personally I cannot imagine paying so much (I mean the average person takes a long time to make $400) for something that plays music and is really just a harddrive in a box.

In the case of the iPod it's for the sake of looking good and being fashionable. I mean, duh, come on, iamaware!

Many of these items are considered to be special treats, iamaware (much like the prized bike of old). Just because some may have one of everything isn't to say that all kids do, and I doubt that all kids expect to have everything as soon as possible - wanting is not the same as expecting.

Personally, I would like to know a little more about the study - the number of focus groups, the nature of each focus group (location (within each city), age (not just a range), sex, 'social class', the interactions within the focus groups, etc.), etc. before I pass judgement on an entire generation.

 

[erawamai]

In the case of the iPod it's for the sake of looking good and being fashionable. I mean, duh, come on, iamaware!

Oh I know that. Even Apple marketing has gotten to me sometimes. It's hard not to want one. But then I realise I don't have much music anyways.

Many of these items are considered to be special treats, iamaware (mjch like the prized bike of old). Just because some may have one of everything isn't to say that all kids do, and I doubt that all kids expect to have everything as soon as possible - wanting is not the same as expecting.

Every damn house I walk into, regardless of the kids age, seems to have a playstation. I can't think of anything thats more of a waste of money.

 

[malkin86]

Part of the motivation behind aspiring to have gobs of money might be the *security* that comes with having gobs of money. Most of this generation would have been profoundly affected by September 11th and the war. (and the media saturation of such disasters.) Since 2002, the first since the war on terror began, Anzac Day ceremonies have reportedly had a noticeable increase of young people.

And part of the celebrity thing is that they become like friends that you can gossip about - they also determine some of the debates in society - Michael Jackson is the poster boy for pedos, and Angelina Jolie has been a very prominent bisexual and has also provoked discussion about the ethics of international adoption (if kids should keep their birth names and learn about their birth cultures).

 

[Comrade nathan]

There is an economic reason for this. There is a large section of Australian workers who come under labour aristocracy. That is a large population of the workers benifit from super profits of imperialism. If ever the economic conditions change, and we get alot of countries nationalising and building to be self sufficient then there is going to be a huge shock from the labou aristocracy.

 

[Iron]

I can identify with the stereotype gen-y (expect everything without doing anything) from school, but I always felt that the HSC was their rude awakening...

Anyway, I hate the culture of impermanence and the commodification of the individual and the reckless greed of both baby boomers and gen-ys. But I havent lost faith in the highly driven and informed of us. I dont accept that we're irreversibly sort-sighted and incapable of lifting a finger for others. Although most of us are Howard's children, I think the deifying of the economy to the neglect of the big picture has generated real disgust amongst the minority educated elite. Depending on the brakes in Iraq, I wouldnt rule out another proverbial Gough re-writing the wrongs of the proverbial Menzies - and I have faith that the apolitical gen-ys will be awkoken by leadership and idealism and rally around change, as their parents did.

Also, the plethora of support/love from parents, according to Freud, results in inflated self-esteem which can yeild real results - and I refuse to condemn initiative, drive and confidence when matched with skill and balance.

 

[loquasagacious]

My suspiscion (given the findings of the study) is that the focus groups were typically from the upper social echelons. My aquantances are broad and the only people I know who expected a BMW as their first car (and got) are most firmly from the upper end of the scales.

Personally I doubt that there will be that much of a rude shock. As the article suggests GenY has some hefty demographic advantages - the groups interviewed also benefit heavily from education and financial support of their parents.

In the short term a large asset transfer looms from our grandparents to us. The theory runs that seeing as the baby boomers are firmly established it will become far more common for inheritance to skip a generation. This has some interesting consequences of giving GenY a further step up.

Personally I largely agree with Iron (not so much his concept of repeating history/communism ). Gen Y is largely driven and has the skills to achieve. If anything I would expect economic policy to become even more liberal as GenY's become more dominant. (the plus is I think GenY will push a more liberal humanist social line). The simple danger (as always) is economic upset.

 

[White Rabbit]

^^ Thats true - I highly doubt many Gen Ys from Mt Druitt or Egale Vale expect BMWs or their parents to support them through their entire life. If you don't have everything to begin with, more often than not, you know you need to work for what you want - and thats carried into adulthood. If you've been (by comparrison) smothered and protected and gotten whatever you want, then it becomes part of you - the ingrained feeling that you want it NOW.

Its the same reason why kids born 1995 > are such brats. Thet scream parents say would you like lollies with that - they learn for a young age that they get what the want, and scream and cause w scene when mum and dad say no. It's the same thing.