children of the millenium

[erf_]

First there was the Greatest Generation. Then, there were the Baby Boomers. Then there was Generation X. Then there's us--the Millenial Generation.*

Clearly, there is a trend in which each new generation after World War II gets a progressively cooler name.

Will type more random drivel when the booze wears off.

*Attempts by our older brothers and

Comments

[aesvir]

Heh. You bet I'd rather be part of the Millennials than some Gen Y (which sounds like the lame afterthought of Gen X.)

For all the talk about how the Millennials still live at home or have weird priorities, we're a relatively stable bunch--none of that "I want to run away to get syphilis at a marijuana-growing commune and protest the draft" stuff. The anti-war kids of our generation at least go about it in a rational manner. The Boomers are just jealous that we're not as fucked up as they were. o_0

[erf_]

Not growing up during the Cold War (or its fiery aftermath) will do that to you. When they're not constantly being told that they could die tomorrow, people tend to be better at setting long-term goals. :)

Also, if the second-generation Obies I know are any indication, our generation has benefited greatly from the experience of the generations before us. We emulate what we admire about our parents, but we are careful to avoid their mistakes. (c.f. third-wave feminism, tactical activism, the brand of anarchism preached by Food Not Bombs...)

[aesvir]

Not growing up during the Cold War (or its fiery aftermath) will do that to you. When they're not constantly being told that they could die tomorrow, people tend to be better at setting long-term goals.

And this is where the Greatest Generation sneers at all of us. o_0

[erf_]

The few remaining survivors, that is.

"What's with this namby-pamby building code nonsense? In my day, we were always prepared! Air raid bunkers in every school, fallout shelters in every hospital. This nursing home doesn't even have a bomb shelter! I tell ya, one of these days, the commies are going to come and you're all going to regret it."

"They aren't, Grandpa, thanks to you. Now hush while I replace your feeding tube..."

[jqsilver]

Yesterday I said to Leora, "We are truly the Internet Generation." Then she pointed out the extremely smug expression on my face.

The fact that the moniker Gen Y is disappearing is proof that the universe is fundamentally good.

[erf_]

No, I think it's just proof that we're starting to take over.

We are no longer the future! We are the present!

[lobotomy42]

We're not really children of the millenium. We were born in the 80s, so we're just adults of the millenium.

I guess Andy's somewhat correct in calling us the Internet Generation, but that just doesn't sound cool enough for me. How about, like, the CyberGen 3000. There we go.

[erf_]

CyberGen 3000 sounds like what GenX thought TEH FUTUAR would be like.

Personally, I feel like "Internet Generation," "iGeneration," "MySpace Generation," and so forth are part of a very cynical, misleading, and overly corporate-centered view of our generation by the mainstream print and TV press (which are incidentally both on their way out). It's kind of like how the generation before GenX characterized GenX as the "MTV Generation," before GenX grew up and protested that moniker (and the very mentality behind it). Despite our parents' frequent attempts to rationalize otherwise, we are not defined by consumer products (or any singular technology) any more than our older brothers and sisters were. In fact, I think the generation gap between us and our parents is generally far smaller than the gap between them and theirs. We're not the "Me Generation;" we're the "Me-Too Generation." (The Generation That Never Ended?)

[churchielafemme]

dude, did you just randomly find this? because you should look at the entry for Generations (Book) because it's fascinating! I've been obsessed with it for a while.