A Generation in Trouble

I always believed my generation was a generation in trouble. Although we are born with unmeasureable amounts of talent, we carry the burden of the past and the future. We are generation Y, the next great generation.

Our generation enter the workforce in their 20s. Climb the corporate ladder by 30, and start planning retirement before we reach the age of 50. Our generation is a generation that works hard. Society expects us to work hard as we are the born-free generation. A generation that has unlimited access to technology, and achieves successes that our parents never thought to be possible. We are a generation of high achievers, and  although this is a good thing we often find ourselves working for others. We work hard in order to give back to those that raised us, and who were not afforded the same possibilities. We work hard so that our children will never know the meaning of luxury. We work hard to fulfil our wants, and even harder to fulfil our needs.

We chase money, even when we have it in abundance. We post pictures of expensive alcohol and fancy cars on social media, almost as if to reassur ourselves that life is going as planned. We are so consumed in the material that we were thought we had to acquire in the shortest time, that we forget the everyday realities of life. Generation Y is a fitting name as we always seem to find ourselves questioning the true meaning of life. We follow the instructions given to us by our parents, yet we find ourselves increasingly empty. For a reason unknown to us, the money can’t seem to fill the void within. We date recklessly and live on the edge. Our carefree behaviour hiding something more fragile and scared on the inside.We are a generation that craves for love, but does not know how to find it.

Today in training our fascilitator says she feels sorry for our generation. A generation that does not know how to love because our parents were too busy fighting for a better world for us to live in. A generation that feels guilt because we believe we have deprived our parents the opportunity to acquire and maintain wealth.

Although born free, we are a generation constantly feeling undeserving.