Gen Y - My Generation

As of late, I've been reading a lot of disheartening news about my generation (Gen Y). Most notably the following statistics really saddened me:

• Only 56% of those who work say they're covered by some form of health plan.
• Just 58% pay their monthly bills on time.
• Nearly 70% of Gen Y is not building up a cash cushion, and 56% of those who work admit they have not done anything to build retirement or financial security.
• Credit card debt is high, with 43% carrying too much debt on their cards. The average Gen Y holds three credit cards, with 20% of them carrying a balance of more than $10,000.
• They are the least likely of any generation to own their own homes.

Unemployment is through the roof for my generation - 37% of 18-29 year olds are currently unemployed or out of the workforce! That's the highest share among this age group in over 30 years - People, we are not doing well...

Now, there are some people that look for someone to blame for the bleak situation of my generation. So, let's try pointing some fingers...

Maybe we can blame our parents for sheltering us too much from the cruel, hard ways of the world because let's be honest, life was a helluva lot easier when we were 5 versus being 25.
Maybe we can blame our high schools for preaching to us to GO TO COLLEGE! A GOOD COLLEGE! And get an education. NOBODY mentioned that when we're finished we'll have 6 months, then it's HELLO, you're $50,000+++ in debt because you HAD TO GO TO COLLEGE TO GET A GOOD JOB. Which, by the way, is a buncha fooey. Do you really need a college education to get an entry level admin job? Get real.
Maybe we can blame the job market for requiring a college education to get even the most basic of jobs these days.

Regardless of blaming anyone, there is something seriously messed up with the way our society is raising it's youth right now. Luke and I have SO MUCH DEBT from student loans it's ridiculous. AND Although I was lucky to get a job after I was done with college, Luke couldn't! He finally had to settle for a teaching assistant job just to do something and get some job to start some kind of experience besides "construction".

What's worse, the better paying jobs won't hire you unless you have 5,7,10+ years of experience. But hey, how the hell can I get this "experience" if I can't get a job??? And so, we have a generation either...

a. Unemployed.
b. Working as a server or bartender.
c. Going back to school - collecting more debt.
d. Working in a job position where they're underpaid, under appreciated and OVER educated.

This is a sad, sad state to be in. Trust me, I am normally a happy-go-lucky optimist and I'm starting to really lose hope. My husband and I are overflowing with debt, have two children, health care costs are through the roof and we're on an HDHP to keep premium costs low, we're making "too much money" to be eligible for any kind of help from the state or anybody that has a program, so basically we're the "working poor" or America's new version of "the middle class".

Here's a few things I can tell you about my generation.

1. We are SO SMART.
2. We are well informed.
3. We know how to use Google better than anybody. Be warned.
4. We take multi-tasking to a WHOLE different level.
5. We are well educated - book smart or street smart or both, we know things.
6. We're resourceful. I've managed to put an amazing dinner together with chicken noodle soup, flour and bisquick.
7. We're independent.
8. We're healthy. Most of the youngin's in my office read labels, go organic or pick the green over the starch.
9. We may be young, but we weren't born yesterday.
10. We don't like being told what to do.

For those of you that are my age or a Gen Y'er and are having a tough time with life, your circumstance, whatever, hang in there... Unfortunately, it may get worse before it gets better, but like everything else in this life we will pull through it TOGETHER and we will bring this country back to a sensible place.

For those of you that aren't my age or a Gen Y'er - Infamous words from The Who:

Why don't you all f-fade away
(Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Don't try to dig what we all s-s-say
(Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation)

My generation
This is my generation, baby