Happiness Generation Y

It was written a lot about differences in generations, on their attitudes or behaviors, but there is also an explanation about why the younger generation is more unhappy than their parents generation.

First of all, we define happiness like this:

The young generation is the Generation Y, the generation born between the late ‘70s and ‘90s.

Their parents’ generation is the Baby Boomers, the generation born in the ‘50s.

Because of the socio-economical context, the Baby Boomers career path showed that the reality overcomes the expectations.

Generation Y learned that they can be whatever they wanted to be and this made them be really ambitious:

If the Baby Boomers wanted to live The American Dream, Generation Y wants to live Their Own Personal Dream.

The Generation Y learned that they are SPECIAL.

A problem appears when Generation Y enters into the labor market. While Baby Boomers’ expectation was that many years of hard work would eventually lead to a great career, Generation Y considers a great career an obvious given for someone as exceptional as them, and for them it’s just a matter of time and choosing which way to go. In this way, a great source of frustration for people with a strong sense of entitlement is unmet expectations.

Do you feel you are generally superior to your coworkers / classmates / etc., and if so, why?

The reality can be pictured like this:

Of course, social media can generate an unrealistic image of our reality, so the specialists’ advice is to:

• Stay wildly ambitious. The current world is bubbling with opportunity for an ambitious person to find flowery, fulfilling success. The specific direction may be unclear, but it’ll work itself out—just dive in somewhere.
• Stop thinking that you’re special. The fact is, right now, you’re not special. You’re another completely inexperienced young person who doesn’t have all that much to offer yet. You can become special by working really hard for a long time.
•  Ignore everyone else. Other people’s grass seeming greener is no new concept, but in today’s image crafting world, other people’s grass looks like a glorious meadow. The truth is that everyone else is just as indecisive, self-doubting, and frustrated as you are, and if you just do your thing, you’ll never have any reason to envy others.

The entire story can be read here on Brightside