Technically, I am a boomer. I was born in 1964. When I was in high school we were already being told that social security would not be there for us when we retire. I have 45 credits of an associates degree. I stopped going because I was able to learn on the job and parley those skills into better employment. After over 40 years in the work force I am making a good wage. I have always been employed as an at will employee, meaning I could be fired at any time. I have been fired twice, though in both cases it was for restructuring. I have worked at jobs that I didn't like or enjoy, because I had bills and a family to help support. I never looked to my employment to feel fulfilled or to make an impact. I think that you are important to a few people in the world, not everyone. I am important to my husband and my children and my boss. I can make a difference with my behavior and choices but no much of one in the world at large. I think that most younger people today are looking in the wrong places for answers to life's questions. My parents were hard working people who never mentioned fulfilment as part of what they were looking for in employment. It certainly helps if you like or enjoy your job but it is not strictly a requirement. I was taught to work hard and that I would get ahead. I was also raised to be responsible and think about the choices I made as I was going to have to live with them. I also believe in God and don't expect that life will be easy, my reward is in heaven. It is a long goal that gets closer every day.
I’m right beyond you, agewise, and I get where you’re coming from.
My personal take has long been that work needs to have value to the worker beyond the paycheck. There are any number of things we might do to earn money, but what is it that drives us to do the particular things that we do?
If younger generations are not motivated by something beyond just earning a paycheck, that does not sound as if the job has value to the younger worker beyond just earning money.
I am certainly not going to presume to speak for an entire generation, but if the data is at all accurate about the broad swath of younger workers, they might be making a significant error by not having a greater vision, a greater sense of who they are as individuals, as it applies to work.
If that’s the case, it’s small wonder they are not thriving, as a rule.
Great comments, Darla. Pretty much the same situation here and I'm older than you. We do what we have to do and I think more than just the millennials and Generation Z workers are unhappy as well. There will always be some people who find joy in their work no matter what group, but I think the vast majority work to make ends meet. Would've pressed the like button as well but for some reason it doesn't work for comments on Substack for me any more, just for the article. Not sure why.
It appears that it is only available for Apple devices and apps, and not Windows on home computers. Thanks anyway. I think I just need an upgrade on my Windows version as it is old and not supported anymore.
They seem to think that they are 'entitled' to things.
My teenaged granddaughters haven't even bothered to thank me for the new air conditioner in their bedroom. As a matter of fact, they haven't thanked me but once for those new iPhones that they are staying glued to. That's the first thing they do, check the iPhone after work or school, but don't try to call them, they won't answer!
I'm a part of Generation X and I can say unequivocally that job security was one thing I have never enjoyed. From shortly after I graduated college right up until now, I have been laid off, had employers go bankrupt, and have been forced out of one job or another. I moved from accounting into information technology for precisely the reason you laid out here: do whatever work I could find to survive. In IT, I went from computer programming to computer repair to web design to network engineering to designing voice over IP systems largely chasing whatever opportunity was in front of me to earn a buck.
My father's career was not much different. He changed jobs multiple times looking for greater security.
As for inflation, as bad as the recent episode of hyperinflation has been in this country, it was not nearly as bad as what the US endured for most of the 1970s.
Managers have always been greedy, and generally shortsighted. Corporations have always put profits ahead of people--the very existence of the labor movement in the early 20th century is a grim testimony to that.
The "old days" were not that different from the present days, except for the explosion of information technologies that has come along since.
I would argue that "choosing an identity" is an essential prerequisite for survival. If you don't know who you are and where you are going, how can you decide which path to take from where you are?
I hope that "impact" isn't DEI and other woke notions.
It would be sad if such misguided idealisms were giving meaning to one's work.
I would argue that "impact" is the antithesis of DEI.
People as a rule want to feel that what they do matters, that their lives are significant.
DEI argues that the individual doesn't matter and has no significance.
I think there's some term like *impact investing*, which is the woke agenda.
I may be wrong, but I can see that you certainly don't mean woke.
"impact investing" is an aspect of ESG, which is a parallel bit of woke nonsense, and is functionally a contradiction in terms.
Technically, I am a boomer. I was born in 1964. When I was in high school we were already being told that social security would not be there for us when we retire. I have 45 credits of an associates degree. I stopped going because I was able to learn on the job and parley those skills into better employment. After over 40 years in the work force I am making a good wage. I have always been employed as an at will employee, meaning I could be fired at any time. I have been fired twice, though in both cases it was for restructuring. I have worked at jobs that I didn't like or enjoy, because I had bills and a family to help support. I never looked to my employment to feel fulfilled or to make an impact. I think that you are important to a few people in the world, not everyone. I am important to my husband and my children and my boss. I can make a difference with my behavior and choices but no much of one in the world at large. I think that most younger people today are looking in the wrong places for answers to life's questions. My parents were hard working people who never mentioned fulfilment as part of what they were looking for in employment. It certainly helps if you like or enjoy your job but it is not strictly a requirement. I was taught to work hard and that I would get ahead. I was also raised to be responsible and think about the choices I made as I was going to have to live with them. I also believe in God and don't expect that life will be easy, my reward is in heaven. It is a long goal that gets closer every day.
I’m right beyond you, agewise, and I get where you’re coming from.
My personal take has long been that work needs to have value to the worker beyond the paycheck. There are any number of things we might do to earn money, but what is it that drives us to do the particular things that we do?
If younger generations are not motivated by something beyond just earning a paycheck, that does not sound as if the job has value to the younger worker beyond just earning money.
I am certainly not going to presume to speak for an entire generation, but if the data is at all accurate about the broad swath of younger workers, they might be making a significant error by not having a greater vision, a greater sense of who they are as individuals, as it applies to work.
If that’s the case, it’s small wonder they are not thriving, as a rule.
Great comments, Darla. Pretty much the same situation here and I'm older than you. We do what we have to do and I think more than just the millennials and Generation Z workers are unhappy as well. There will always be some people who find joy in their work no matter what group, but I think the vast majority work to make ends meet. Would've pressed the like button as well but for some reason it doesn't work for comments on Substack for me any more, just for the article. Not sure why.
Try rebooting and if that doesn't clear it up, delete Safari or IE memory, reboot, and then you could be good to go.
Thanks anyway
Have had this issue for over a month, I think my my browsers and internert explorer version is just too old and can't be updated anymore.
Try Safari.
It appears that it is only available for Apple devices and apps, and not Windows on home computers. Thanks anyway. I think I just need an upgrade on my Windows version as it is old and not supported anymore.
Or ditch it and go to a MAC. Or a Linux box if you want, Windows is slow death and endless updates.
I’m on a 2013 Mac Pro, I’ll have to upgrade eventually, but not yet.
They seem to think that they are 'entitled' to things.
My teenaged granddaughters haven't even bothered to thank me for the new air conditioner in their bedroom. As a matter of fact, they haven't thanked me but once for those new iPhones that they are staying glued to. That's the first thing they do, check the iPhone after work or school, but don't try to call them, they won't answer!
There does seem to be a dearth of gratitude in the world today.
"Oh, wait…I promised you absurdity, didn’t I? Well, absurdity we shall have."
-Peter Nayland Kust
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Touche
I'm a part of Generation X and I can say unequivocally that job security was one thing I have never enjoyed. From shortly after I graduated college right up until now, I have been laid off, had employers go bankrupt, and have been forced out of one job or another. I moved from accounting into information technology for precisely the reason you laid out here: do whatever work I could find to survive. In IT, I went from computer programming to computer repair to web design to network engineering to designing voice over IP systems largely chasing whatever opportunity was in front of me to earn a buck.
My father's career was not much different. He changed jobs multiple times looking for greater security.
As for inflation, as bad as the recent episode of hyperinflation has been in this country, it was not nearly as bad as what the US endured for most of the 1970s.
Managers have always been greedy, and generally shortsighted. Corporations have always put profits ahead of people--the very existence of the labor movement in the early 20th century is a grim testimony to that.
The "old days" were not that different from the present days, except for the explosion of information technologies that has come along since.
I would argue that "choosing an identity" is an essential prerequisite for survival. If you don't know who you are and where you are going, how can you decide which path to take from where you are?