What's Wrong with Young People Today?

By Andrew Ready

Have you ever heard this phrase muttered in exasperation? I was born in 1979, so whether I am a ‘young person of today’ probably depends on your perspective. At my age, I fit somewhere between two younger generations - Generations X and Y.

There are a lot of opinions expressed about Generation Y. Compared to previous generations, most in this particular generation have grown up privileged. The majority come from smaller families than did their parents and grandparents, and most have grown up with material possessions and educational opportunities their older relatives would have only dreamed of. People in Generation Y are “native” computer users – they have learned to use them automatically just as they learned to walk and talk.

Some claim that the combination of privilege and technology has made them quite a selfish generation. Others argue it has given them a self-assurance and confidence that has made them very proactive, and that their familiarity with technology has opened up their awareness of global issues. This self-assurance and broader awareness has motivated many in Generation Y to seek to change their world for the ‘better’. They are often people who ask difficult questions, challenge the status quo, and expect things to change.

This can make them difficult to work with in the workplace. I have heard it said that many in Generation Y finish their studies thinking they know how to run the company, rather than expecting to work their way up from the bottom. In contrast, I have heard of others who like employing staff from Generation Y because they bring a fresh view of things, often seeing out-dated practice for what it is. Their confidence and desire to find short cuts helps them make new, innovative suggestions that can increase productivity.

So, are young people from Generation Y selfish and arrogant? Or are they global citizens with an assured confidence toward making the world a better place? I began asking some of the ‘young people of today’ here at Chapel on the Boulevard what they thought. I received some quite insightful answers.

Question. Is technology helpful or a hindrance to relationships?

Answer. ‘I think that technology makes it easier to keep in touch, though it can easily be on a very superficial level. Technology brings it’s advantages and disadvantages. Along with greater convenience has come an increased pace of life, where we all expect quick responses. As a result, life often feels very hectic. We all need face-to-face relationships where significant friendships can flourish and grow, but we also enjoy the convenience of email or social websites to keep in touch.

Question. What do you think of the Y-Generation label”

Answer. In many ways the stereotypes are not far wrong. I agree that materially we have a lot. Sometimes I wonder if this makes it harder for people to see any need for God, because they feel like they’ve got it all together. I guess every generation seems to have its label, its good points and its difficulties.

Every generation also seems to be accused by the generation before of being more selfish, less well mannered, and too self absorbed. The Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates are both credited with commenting on the youth of their day as disrespectful, indulgent, and wayward; the phenomenon is nothing new.

The simple fact is that every generation, every individual, has been born into the sinful human race, and needs to be redeemed by God to understand the wonderful plan God had for each of us before we turned out back on Him by wanting to do things our own way.

Question. Do the opinions of society about your generation have any effect on you?

Answer. I have found a greater sense of purpose in knowing God than in anything popular culture or broader society could offer. I am glad to be free of the ‘Generation Y’ label, knowing the Lord's culture and way of living is far better than any that my peers and I can forge. The Lord wants to break through generational behaviour defined by the world, and He calls us to be one with Him. To be one with Him, we meet younger to older, older to younger in a mode of relationship the Lord teaches us. This is the way of love and offering. By this we mean that we can be enabled by God to love in the unique and selfless way He does. To live this way impacts every facet of our lives, how we approach work, friendships, hardship etc. If our measure is Christ, and He dwells in us, we will know the freedom of living in the one generation He determined for us before time even began.

What a wonderful response!

King Solomon said there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. This includes a time to be born, a time to live, and a time to die. Eccl 3:1. To be born in a particular period of history is not an accident. The Bible says, ‘All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be’. Psalm 139:16. Society’s view of your particular generation need not be the definition of who you are. Instead, people in every generation have the accountability to seek God for His definition of who they are - to know whom He made them to be. Then we will know our purpose, and can receive His help to walk it out. It is written of King David that He served God’s purpose in his generation. Acts 13:36. So the bigger question is not really, ‘What is wrong with the young people of today?’ Instead, the question is really ‘Do I, regardless of my generation, live my life defined by the world around me, or am I actively seeking out and serving God’s purpose in my life?’