Unrealistic Expectations in Millennials and Gen Z -- Alex Wang

Hi Lucas,

When you say that "parents have filled the heads of millennials", there's an interesting point in and of itself right there. Obviously, the generation prior to our own had different ideals and values. However, at the same time I don't believe that such a body of thought could have wholly arisen from one generation in such a way, and so dramatically.

It's interesting to note how this can also be explained in the frameworks of other theorists. For instance, the work of Gramsci and Marx suggest that a cultural hegemony has been formed and instilled which states that anyone can be successful and have a 'good future' so long as they work hard and earn the right credentials. As such, it leaves me to wonder whether or not parents are the ones filling the minds of millennials with such a mindset, or if this bourgeois notion has been instilled into their social expectations and is now simply being reproduced, where the effects are more strongly visible in the unrealistic expectations for millennials and generation Z.

I find myself in agreement with Jaden's thoughts on how a bourgeois notion in today's society might be a factor in these expectations of millennials rather than parents being the sole influencers of the mindset to succeed. I think that through capitalism and globalization there is higher regulation in society and amongst individuals because there comes more pressure to abide by societal norms and follow the broader notion of what it means to be successful today. Society has an immense influence on individuals in which they abide by the norms which determine individual pursuit. This regulation limits the individual and produces a set of rules for each sphere of life in which actions of the individual become predictable. The collective consciousness acts as a moral power to help keep society in line and one that subjects individuals to regulation in all aspects of life.

I agree with Jaden in terms of the influence society and its hegemonic ideology have besides (if not above) the agency of individual parents over their children. I would however like to also share a thought on Millennials and the expectations placed upon them that slightly differs from what has been agreed on so far. I found surprising to read that the perception of what has been set as our generation’s expectation is that of success and realization of meritocracy through hard work. I felt that, instead, I and my peers have been growing up with the notion of a precarious and unstable future ahead, scarce if not unlikely possibilities for success, and a quite given up consciousness taht hard work may not really be enough for someone who does not have birthrights to happiness. I then realized that my surprise may depend on where I’m from and the different cultural and economic context I grew up in. Indeed, I feel that our generation in Southern Europe (and probably in many other places even more, I just speak from my own experience) has been fed a lot of the anxiety and fear coming from what Bourdieu calls precaritè, and which increasingly characterizes post-industrial societies, especially in Western Europe and especially after the 2008 crisis. Not only youth unempolyment is stably elevated, but those that are employed face temporary/on call or unpaid jobs as normal routine, and many struggle to achieve independence from their parents’ household before they are in their 30s. If anyhting, our generation has been told that they would have to sweat and that most likely they would not get much more than crumbles anyways. Although it is oversimplified, this context is one where expectations upon youth are increasingly leaning towards emigration and career development abroad, and, paradoxically, they are still pressuring and high but also rather pessimistic.