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On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

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Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#2
Before everybody starts complaining, yes, I know that this is, on the surface, about the health care debate. However, before complaining that this isn't HN-material, consider for a moment the prevailing expectation college graduates have: "I need to get a job, which I can now do because I have a college degree." The author doesn't even consider entrepreneurship.

Can we as a society do better, so more people realize that that no one owes them anything, and any promises that were made to them were probably made by the well-meaning, but ultimately un- or misinformed?

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#3
Well, I wouldn't hire him. Look, no one questions this is a hard moment in time to Graduate. It's just bad luck for those who are entering the job market. But guess what, Life isn't fair. Sometimes your handed lemons. Not understanding that is what makes this guy just as entitled as the articles claim he is.

My advice to him would be get what ever job he can for now, continue to perfect his skills and learn to be grateful for what he does have. If he does that I can almost guarantee he'll find a good job. I can't say exactly when (I can't predict the economy) but it will be before 99% of his fellow 20 somethings

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#5
The author was lied to, but not by me or my kind.

I actually vaguely remember hearing the same lies, but not from my parents, at least not without the "nobody owes you anything" caveat.

It didn't take me long to realize, intuitively, if not explicitly, that finishing college wouldn't help me get the job I wanted. Today, obviously, it might not even help me get any job.

Even absent an entrepreneurship opportunity, I dropped out, and I don't regret it, despite the stigma it carried in the computer industry, well into the dot-com boom.

I'm definitely embarrassed for my generation that we perpetuated the lies, rather than encouraging choices, including self-employment or learning a trade.

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#6
Quote: Apparently people in their 20s are a bunch of entitled whiners.

Judging by the tone of this article I have to say, yes, his premise is dead on.

Someone fix the headline: College boy finds out that life isn't fair, cries a river.

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#7
post #2

Before everybody starts complaining, yes, I know that this is, on the surface, about the health care debate. However, before complaining that this isn't HN-material, consider for a moment the prevailing expectation college graduates have: "I need to get a job, which I can now do because I have a college degree." The author doesn't even consider entrepreneurship. Can we as a society do better, so more people realize t…

A lot of 20-somethings — especially the ones with natural intelligence — grew up jumping through hoops. An adult puts up a hoop, you jump through it. A clear series of steps. Take the tests, ace the classes, get into the good college. It's clear what you're evaluated on, and it's clear what you have to do to ace the evaluation.

But once kids get out of college, no one's putting up hoops anymore. No one's telling you "Do x, then y will happen." And a lot of people have no idea what to do if the hoops aren't being put up by someone else. Making your own hoops — being able to do anything and not necessarily getting clear, immediate positive reinforcement that you've chosen correctly and done well — is simply not something that a lot of people are good at.

Maybe that's related to the upbringing of today's 20-somethings and maybe it's not, but being a member of that group myself, it does seem like a widespread phenomenon.

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#8
1. It's fairly clear a decent portion of the 20 somethings coming out of school now are entitled and don't work hard. 2. It's fairly clear that a lot of the 30 and 40 somethings out there came out of school, gave up their souls and worked for the man and regret it--in other words they weren't entitled enough. 3. It's fairly clear this story has nothing to do with the folks reading Hacker News who are a self-selected group of entrepreneurial folks who are hard working and self-motivated.

Please move along, nothing to see here.

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#9
The article linked to at the end (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/16/our_gim...), interestingly, is complaining about a group of young people who are asking Congress for this list of "youth bailouts":

Among other things, the coalition wants: free college tuition for low-income students who are willing to do volunteer work; the right to be covered in their parents' health insurance program until the age of 26; college loan-forgiveness programs for young people who agree to serve distressed communities after graduation; and micro loans for young entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.

... Frankly, those all sound like far smarter, better initiatives than propping up failing car manufacturers (which are, coincidentally, dominated by an older generation) or expanded government health coverage (which also disproportionately benefits older people). If that's what the 20-somethings of today "feel entitled" to, I feel pretty good about being a part of the group.

Re: On those "Entitled" Twenty-Somethings

#10
I believe private insurance for 20-somethings is very cheap.

Anyway, health care. I think old people understand that the system is kind-of, sort-of insolvent already, and that expanding it will probably push it over the cliff at a bad time for them. Being shrill and ranty is all well and good, but other people have their worries, too.

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