me now
One thing that is hard, for me as a boomer, to understand is why students so quickly embrace the "me now" mentallity. As a boomer I was promptly reprimanded by my parents for being disrespectful and self-centered if I acted in the fashion our students do today. I can really see this in the students' urgency to get their test results.
Shaghayegh,
and this is why I particularly like group projects with this generation as it helps them break out of this mind set.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I truly could not agree more with all parts of your statement! There is little sense of being "part of a whole". They feel themselves to be the focal point of everything relating to them, at home and otherwise.
Michael,
this is a great observation. Even though "team" is so strongly emphasized, it seems that this generation has missed the concept. They are used to doing things in groups, but have lost the value of the team & helping.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I could not agree more. The parents that have raised their children as the center of the home have raised a generation that only cares about themselves. I have a lab environment incorporated into my class and I have found that they care more about themselves than the group. If one struggles they all go their seperate ways. Instead of helping each other and working as a team to overcome the obstacles.
Mazen,
this is an excellent point. When working in the corporate world, we actually had a parent of a 20something call the manager who gave her child a bad performance review. The more we can help these students to learn to stand on their own, the better.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Sometimes the phrase "helicopter parents" is used to describe a parenting style in which the parents or guardians seem very reluctant to allow their children to fail or problem solve on their own. Younger generations then are programmed to expect "others" to fix or resolve their situations sometimes, which is really not the way the real world works most of the time. Therefore, trying to teach self sufficiency and efficacy is a worthy classromm goal to better prepare students for their careers after college.
Geminelle,
I agree with you & applaud this sense of blazing new trails. At the same time, I do see many Gen Y students who have been told that they should never settle for doing a job they don't love & isn't related to their passion/soul-fire. I personally feel there is value in spending some time working at a job that is menial & even boring. There is a certain level of character building that occurs with being willing to stick it out & wait for the right job.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Not only have Generation Y students been raised as the center of the home, they also have access to a lot of information which allows them explore different talents and skills and knowledge making them multifaceted individuals. As a Generation Y'er, myself, I've found that the "me now" mentality comes from the idea that most Generation Y'ers can find other options, they are not limited to one avenue of success. Although Generation Y can learn a lot about respect, compassion, and patience from the older generations, I personally believe this trait of practicing ones voice is useful in this age.
The generations that preceded us chose one path and stuck with it, many generation y'ers see opportunity to blaze their own trails. That is why I believe they have a "me now" mentality.
Gen Y people will have to learn to "care about others" not just themselves.
In my personal life, I have discussed this with parent friends about my experiences with adult learners who have had "helicopter" parenting and the disservice it does to the young adult learner who still expects to be the center of attention.
Mary,
and with many jobs going the route of team based work, we can use these activities to really prepare students for their careers.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Mary,
and with many jobs going the route of team based work, we can use these activities to really prepare students for their careers.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Good point about Gen Yers working better in groups and being team players. The use of peer pressure to perform and compete with other groups helps them to reach their goals. I routinely encourage students to join study groups and the students who are active in study groups generally do better in class and on exams.
Gen Y has been exposed to sports figures, corporations, movie stars, politicians and music videos that all emphasize personal gain and self promotion. We are what the media wants us to be. I'm a Baby Boomer and I wanted to act and look like all the stars at Woodstock when I was growing up.
David,
I have found this to be true in my experience as well. I personally think it is because these students have been raised by a generation of parents who made the child the center of the home, rather than a part of it.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As a Gen X'er, I used to think the same thing about Gen Y students because of their demand for instant gratification on everything. But, what you have to keep in mind is that in their world it is just a normal expectation because that feedback on everything is so quick now (technology, changes in business, etc.)
I bet if you stepped back into your world 20 or 30 years ago the "old you" might consider the "future you" self-centered in comparison too because we all adapt to the environment in which we live as it continues to change. I think in the academic world, regardless of whether we understand or agree/disagree (or even fear) Gen Y students, we have to adapt our thinking about teaching because what used to be acceptable even 10 years ago results in a much different, and even ineffective, response now.
As an administrator I deal with this every day - how do you motivate a student that wants to come and go at will (show up late, leave early), turn in work whenever THEY feel like it, think individual work is a waste of time (would rather work as a group) - and I've had to adapt my thinking to the context in which most of these students live, and how do you get a positive and successful response by using methods that go against everything that you're used to when going through school.
The best I've come up with so far is constant, short-term feedback (answers your urgency question); exercises that are team and group oriented but let them explore their strengths and perform tasks that they are good at and build confidence in; have clear expectations of the outcomes, and show why the short-term outcomes build to that end goal; use peer pressure to let the students govern themselves in groups because they don't want the slackers to make the collective look bad or fail; accept that the work environment is adapting as well and that as more Gen Y'ers enter the workforce this flexibility actually becomes a competitive advantage that companies are looking for because the world has changed.
Yes, they are accustomed to instant gratification with all the modern conveniences (fast food, overnight package deliveries, instant messaging, etc.). We were raised when things were a lot slower and corporal punishment was not against the law.
yes I agree - especially in medical we need to look at what is best for our patients - the gen y's only seem to care about themselves - how will they care for patients?
