Our Generation:Still Generation X?

Our Generation: Still Generation X?

Generation X: a generation of people born between 1965 and 1980. Rock music, chain smokers, raves, and skipping class are just a few examples of this unique generation. But a significant question remains: what about the rest of us born after 1980?

Often we hear of the generation gap; the distance between parent and child. Perhaps it is an acquaintance gap. Young people and adults do not know each other and the inability to communicate often enters the picture. Sometimes it is because neither knows what the other is interested in. They live under the same roof, but rarely see one another, especially after the teenage years come along. Each parent goes off to work, usually before the child awakes, which leaves the children to get themselves up and off to school without the help of their parents. Then, after school there is ball practice, drama club, or something else that consumes their time. Maybe even a job that lasts until after dark. All of these activities may be important and fun, but still the family suffers because there is little time spent together. This causes many children to make too many decisions on their own, when they should be talking to their parents about them. Our generation complains about parents not understanding us, but the truth is that we don't give them the chance to. I think if we actually sat down with them and explained our situations, trust would be gained and problems would be solved much easier, and who knows, maybe we would be able to do what we want more often.

"Misunderstood" is a word often used to describe teenagers in the world today. We are the most complex generation because everyone is so different from one another. We are the generation that has dealt with and are still dealing with broken homes, drug addiction, AIDS, and bleak futures. Many young people in this "misunderstood generation" think very little about the future or current issues. This generation has lost sight of long term goals and the idea that hard work pays off in the end. Instead, we care only about money and ourselves, never thinking about the consequences of our actions. We seem to be concerned with what will bring immediate satisfaction or gratification. We value possessions and beauty, obsessed with trends and popularity. There are so many followers, and not enough leaders to lead us in the right direction. We are the generation that got its morals from watching television and playing video games at every opportunity we were given.

The media has had a tremendous influence on our generation as well. Television becomes our reality by bringing into our lives the happenings of the outside world. Reality shows, for example, have been a huge craze throughout the new millennium. We enjoy watching other people living their lives, when we could be living our own. Ordinary people getting hurt by doing insane things are entertaining for us as well, because we are glad we are not the ones doing it. But then again, we can not say watching T.V. is bad because, in reality, it's not. Many programs have a purpose and if anything, we're going to learn something new. Like how to make a seven layer cake from Martha Stewart, or how to fix a squeaky hinge on a medicine cabinet from Bob Villa. I think we need to stop focusing so much on celebrities and reality shows, and start being real with ourselves, because if we don't, all of us will be in a