The New Greatest Generation Analysis

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In Time's article "The New Greatest Generation", author Joel Stein demonstrates his view on the Millennial generation. Stein clearly sets a tone that clues the reader in right away; the title has a sarcastic element to it and Stein is obviously not a fan of Millennials. He jumps right in and calls them "lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow." (para 1) He immediately claims that he has proof; he has studies, statistics, and quotes from academics to back it all up. Nobody can deny that this generation has grown up with more technology at their finger tips than any previous generation before. Stein claims this technology comes with a price. "The idea of the teenager started in the 1920s; in 1910, only a tiny percentage of kids went to high …show more content…

This is something most previous generations only received when at school or in social settings, but never all day long. He compares Millennials to teenagers of the early 1900s. These teens didn't have much Williams 2 peer socialization, so it likely would have resulted in maturing quicker and learning from a peer group that consisted of more experience and wisdom. Stein's observation about constant influence is concerning. We all have been the victim of peer pressure. I know I can't possibly even think of how many more mistakes I would have made if I would have had constant peer pressure at my fingertips. When we are young and impressionable, actions of our peer group influence our behavior. Younger generations have proof of those actions easily accessible 24 hours a day. They also have real-time updates of where their friends are and what they are doing. This alone creates a need to check phones because of a fear of missing out. When Stein refers to the constant influence, it is much more than peer pressure. Younger generations also have the constant comparison of their lives on social media. They compare how many friends they have. They compare how many likes they