In the essay “The New Greatest Generation” by Joel Stein, Stein discusses characteristics of the millennials that he admires. First, Stein thinks the millennials “could be a great force for a positive change (Stein 572).” Stein may think this is so because of the data he has received from Tom Brokaw. Brokaw says, the millennials are “inventing new apps and embraces the whole economy.” Also, Stein may think millennials will make a positive change because they are “more accepting of differences (Stein 572).”
An opinion may be appealing to the ear; however, appealingness does not make a statement accurate. In Joel Stein's article, “The New Greatest Generation,” his overall message is generalized to the idea of what effect do millennials have on society. In the first portion of his writing, Stein criticizes millennials’ ways of life using statistical data and stereotypes the entire generation as indolent and selfcentered. The second portion of Stein’s article is a counterargument that millennials are not a fruitless generation, and that their way of life may be beneficial to all. Stein creates a compelling argument, however his counter argument is entirely opinionated making his writing an unreliable source.
The article stresses allowing questions to be asked, making it a relatable setting, and keeping it engaging which I agree with. One that I disagree with is Abraham’s last point that says, “There’s no better place to date than church.” This point has nothing to do with specifically millennials because all generations like the coed feel to any environment. Another point that flagged disagreement was this statement, “Millennials value mentorship and respect older generations advice, but also want to do things themselves.” I feel this generation wants to prove to everyone that they smarter than their past counterparts, and they do not need help because they are the help they were looking for all along.
In the novel A Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Phillipe, the author uses character interactions to explore the theme that stereotypes can influence how people perceive others and the world around them. Phillipe emphasizes the limitations of stereotypes through the protagonist Norris' interactions with Maddie, the popular cheerleader, and Patrick, the rowdy jock, who are initially presented as common stereotypes. However, as Norris interacts with these characters, he begins to realize that they are more complex than their labels suggest, challenging his preconceived notions of them. For instance, Maddie defies the cheerleader stereotype when she shows genuine concern for Norris, providing him with advice and comfort despite
We’re Not Special Because We’re All Special: The Generation Y Conundrum In the article “Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy”, author Tim Urban utilizes ethos, logos, “young” diction, and first person narration to mock Generation Y yuppies. Ethos and logos are created through the use of graphs, statistics, and definitions. The author’s informal tone and modern word choice create a young atmosphere and overall mood in the article. Finally, the author’s use of first person narration allows him to compare the mentality of Generation Y to that of a child.
However, because he is a staunch Republican, the father of children growing up in this generation, and the CEO of a moderately sized conservative marketing agency, his readers believe that he is more than qualified to voice his opinion on the matter. Although this may be a generalization, it seems as though many older generations are not only ‘‘set in their ways’’ and aren’t as apt to change, they’ve also placed all of the blame on this generation for these dying industries and their lack of morals. They also apparently have these preconceived notions about who millennials are without factoring in the constantly changing future, individuality, and diversity in their beliefs. Reyes most likely generalizes this age group because of interactions he may have with these individuals, or the articles and stories he’s collected from the always-reliable internet. He appeals to this audience because he confirms something they believe to be absolutely true.
When individuals are told that there is a problem with themselves and society, the reaction could be either anger or confusion. Since this generation never made a transition from analog to digital, a reader from this generation would be offended. This change to Carr’s mind has always been the mind of a person from this generation. Almost as if, Carr is depicting this generation is strange and unusual. As young children, fitting in was what most aspired to do because of the fear of ridicule and isolation.
Stein assists in helping the readers understand that millennials have "just mutated to adapt to their environment"(31) by providing quotes and examples, even of people who may be a part of the older generations. This helps readers acknowledge there has been a change within technology, which millennials have had alongside them their entire lives. Stein points out: "Imagine being used to that technology your whole life and having to sit through algebra"(32). Although millennials seem to be on their phones a great deal, they have not been taught to do otherwise. Millennials did not grow up "trapping their friends in houses to watch their terrible vacation slideshows"(32); they grew up "watching reality-TV shows"(30) and "interacting all day but almost entirely through a screen"(29).
Selina Raymond English 102 Mrs. Hildebrand 2 February 2018 Rhetorical Analysis of “The New Greatest Generation” Words that most resonate with Millennials are narcissistic, lazy, and entitled which many people feel to be true. Author Joel Stein, Wrote “The New Greatest Generation,” published in 2013, and he argues that while the data he provides proves Milliennials may be narcissistic, lazy, and entitled, they are not defined by it; they are defined by how they respond to real life situations. Stein begins to strengthen his purpose by using a sarcastic tone while providing the facts and statistics, successfully making the readers question whether the evidence is valid; another way stein successfully furthers his purpose by using an order of
In the story “The Know-it-all Generation” the author sets the scene in the first person and gives a personal account to prove an underlying issue that the generation may be facing. The generation consists of individuals that ultimately go off into the world with a sense of entitlement, false hope, and a pompous attitude due to constant specious comments made by those around. Meaningless compliments have become requirements for teachers, coaches, parents, and even peers. Being wrong is not an option in this generation. The main two points that the author states throughout the paper are 1.)
In the essay, “The Beat Up Generation”, by Abby Ellin (2014), within several discussions she explores and discusses the division and differences among generations that differ by age group starting with the baby boomers to the GenXers leading up to the generation today, the millennials. She uses factual evidence, examples, studies, and stereotypes to show how millennials are highly criticized by the older generations although they are better to adapt and needed in the changing world. The purpose of the essay is to point out these differences and criticism amongst the generations, how predecessor generations misunderstand the millennial generation. The intended audience refers to any individual that falls into the each generation.
Stein discussed how he thinks that anyone born from 1980 to 2000, also known as millennials, are lazy human beings. As a member of the millennial society, I may seem like a traitor for cosigning with Stein on this topic, but I completely agree with him; most teens today are often so used to things being done for them that they do not even remember how to do it for themselves. For example, if someone were to ask a millennial to solve a simple multiplication or division problem without using a calculator, most of them would drop their heads in shame because they don’t know how. This is only one of the many sad realities of a millennial
This demonstrates the primary way to reach the iGeneration, which is through self- actualization. Her personal experiences create an informal tone that the readers can connect with on a personal level and this effectively promotes her argument. These real-life experiences allow the reader to relate to the issue personally and deepen their understanding of the argument. Through Wilson’s experiences, she gains a better understanding of the generation and can appreciate the beauty behind technology. Her change in attitude towards the generation demonstrates that a deeper understanding of the generation is necessary to appreciate the greatness of this generation.
Me-llennials In “The New Greatest Generation,” Joel Steins focuses on his opinion that millennials are “lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow”(Stein). Stein argues that millennials are narcissistic and self-entitled. Also, that technology is weakening millennials brains. He believes that with each generation it get lazier.
The article “The Me Me Me Generation” by Joel Stein mentions how Millennials are a self-centred generation who have been raised with many participation awards and parents who mistakenly believed that strengthening their self-esteem was they key to success rather than focusing more on strengthening up their character and skills. Stein mentions that the younger generation lives mostly through screens, whether those on phones, iPad’s, or computers, and believes someway that it is entitled to success without experiencing the rough situations in lifetime. Stein also presented studies showing that the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder among Millennials is massive. Stein concludes the article by mentioning that this has not taken him by surprise, because this began with their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers, or known as the “Me Generation.” Millennials seek to make their own mark on the world.
