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The MTV Generation is a term describing a generation gap or sub-generation that includes the end of the Generation X (a generation following the post-World War II Baby Boom , especially Americans and Canadians born in the 1960s and 1970s ) yet importantly includes the elders of Generation Y (a generation considered to follow Generation X from 1975 onwards). It is one of the only bridges between the Consciousness Revolution era (which the MTV Generation would be the last to be born into) and the starting point of the Culture Wars era which the major part of Generation Y would be born into. However, the offspring of those who were born from parents of the and 1985 . It can also be observed that the MTV Generation is a term used in order to define those who partake in both Generation X and Y - being that today's media targets the youth of tomorrow. The worldwide acknowledgment of an ''MTV Generation'' has been proven through the success of MTV and its by-products on a global scale as well as its influence upon youth culture and society throughout the 1990s . XY CUSP The XY Cusp includes those people born in the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s. The word XY is used because their generational identity is mixed, uncertain, or deviant from X or Y or both, but do not constitute a separate generational group in themselves. Some place the years between: 1976-1983 [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/01/MNGTRI1V2A1.DTL&feed=rss.news [http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/topics/family/multigenerational.php] and 1976-88 [http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=156 . However, both sources agree on the mid-to-late 70s and early 80s. People born within this group are in parallel situations with people born in between previous generations: Generation Jones (between Boomer and X - late 50s, early 60s, teens of the 70s); between Silents and Boomers - late 30s, early 40s (teens of the 50s); and between GI and Silents - late 10s, early 20s (teens of the 30s). They are referred to as Cusper Groups, Transitional times, or Buffer Zones. John Losey states "If you couldn't neatly place yourself in any of the (generations), then you're probably a Cusper. 1943-1947, 1962-1967 and 1976-1983 are each considered transition times. Many people born during these cusp periods identify with the generations on either side. Often, Cuspers feel like they belong to neither and belong to both. They are generationally bilingual. They can act as translators and ambassadors between the generations." {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} DIFFERENCES WITH GENERATION Y It has been noted that those born in the mid-to-late 70s and early 80s exhibit certain societal and cultural traits, habits and preferences that-- while combining certain aspects of Generation X, as well as those which would later be apparent in Generation Y-- render them unique in their own right. This partition has been occasionally referred to as the Early Y or '''Cold Y Generation''' by most scholars. Reasons for this partition include attitudes about technology, societal norms and, in an indirect sort of way, areas like the global political order. This generation was the very last to (assuming born in 1983 or 1984) obtain cognizance or self-awareness before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Therefore they were the last generational segment with any memory of life during the Cold War. They were also the last to have some idea of what life was like when the modern information based society was in its transitional/formative years, rather than the current all-pervasive and totally integrated form it had taken by the early 90's. In other words, they were the final generation to be able to compare and contrast the late Cold War/Space Age society with the Post-Cold War/Information Age society using their own personal experiences and memories. Consequently, one can see these characteristics manifest themselves in areas like the approach to contemporary technology. For the regular Generation Y, modern information technology has always been "there", whereas Early Y grew up during the critical period of technological evolution in which the current bedrock technologies on which our info-based society reliance were moved out of the technical/specialist realm and into the consumer applied realm. Often when traits of each area were mixed and indistinct, giving Early Y a rather odd viewpoint that combines the outlook of the specialist/technical segment of the previous generation (but much more widely disseminated) with the integrationist outlook of the later Y generation. In terms of political and societal outlook, there are also noticeable differences. Whereas Gen X has now largely had time to fall into the standard orthodoxes of political participation (in a relativistic sense, not a judgmental/absolute sense, i.e. if you are on the far left in the U.S., a Trotskyite labor group could be considered an orthodox political outlet), and mainstream Gen Y has either done so also or (for a wide segment of it) remained apathetic or non-participatory. Early Y, on the other hand, has also manifested tendencies towards a less common form of what has been termed "policy-centric pragmatism", which places a lower value, relatively speaking, on constructs like ideology or formalism. When what could be termed 'ideology' does manifest itself, the Early Y's seem to have taken-on an unusual tendency to look towards an often imported belief or value system that lies outside the scope of those normally brought into the U.S. from abroad. Speaking in terms of societal mores and values, Early Y seems to be in a limbo between the post-Sexual Revolution norms of Gen X and the emergent ones of Gen Y (which have been described by some commentators as simply the normalization or commoditization of those of Gen X). This includes an apparent embracing of the basic outlooks of Gen X, but a reluctance to carry to their logical extremes, as we see occurring now with Gen Y. In many areas, Early Y seems to embrace the more cynical world-view exhibited by X while rejecting some of what they view as crassness or immoderation. It has been remarked that in doing so, as Early Y matures they have begun to look several generations behind X in forming certain societal/sexual constructs - thus becoming their own as a generation apart from X and Y. GLOBAL FACTORS DEFINING THE MTV GENERATION Most notable factors relevant to the MTV Generation is the overall Nihilistic attitude of the teenagers growing up through the 1990s having been brought up in the 1980s and recently becoming adults of the 3rd Millennium , as well as
Culture (Political and Social) This generation was also the first to experience:
''The distinct end of Generation X.''
''Crossover with beginning of "true" Generation Y:''
OVERVIEW OF THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF THE MEDIA UPON THE MTV GENERATION The teens of the MTV Generation who grew up in the 1990s have also been referred to as the Doom Generation, picked up from Gregg Araki 's '' The Doom Generation '' ( 1995 ) and due to the popularity of the 1993 computer game '' Doom ''. The meaning also represents the overall feeling of the generation, having been children through most of the revolutionary changes that occurred to Generation X, not to mention living their childhood through the 1980s they had no sense of direction or sentiment of belonging, thus encapsulating an entire generation within a "doomed" atmosphere - giving the re-birth into the Goth and Grunge music and lifestyle. Those born before 1985 witnessed the major movie stars such as Johnny Depp get their starts on television. In Depp's case it was 21 Jump Street . Others such as Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , and The Wayans Brothers got their start on In Living Color , a series that tried to rival Saturday Night Live in the early '90s. Generation MTV fans of Saturday Night Live will also remember the careers of Adam Sandler , Janeane Garofalo , Rob Schneider , David Spade , Chris Farley , Phil Hartman , Norm Macdonald , and a whole host of others. Those born prior to 1985 can also remember the early stages of the World Wide Web - including the first original chat applications such as ICQ and Yahoo! (one of the pioneering "dotcoms" in the 1990s) along with AltaVista being the first major search engines. Those born in the late 1970s probably did not own a computer until their preteen or teen years in the early to mid Nineties. Other aspects of the Internet which were first encountered were the first homepage web host services Angelfire , Geocities , and Tripod , as well as web groups and online communities - such as those in the Excite internet portal. A notable quote of the Simpsons in regards to the generation that defined itself through TV and music:
Movies associated with the generation Director Harmony Korine not only grew up in the generation but also emulates it within his movies which reflect the youth and lifestyle of the XY Generation. Other directors that were prominent icons during the generation would be Quentin Tarantino , Robert Rodriguez , Kevin Smith , Richard Linklater , Wes Anderson , Danny Boyle , David Fincher , and Spike Jonze to name but a few who marked their influence upon those growing up in the XY Cusp.
Other movies to have somewhat of an impact upon the generation with lasting effect would be the successes of the '', Steven Spielberg 's '' Jurassic Park '', '' Interview With The Vampire '' and Francis Ford Coppola 's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula ''. Actors who gained considerable prominence throughout the 80s and 90s would later become the A-list celebrities in a post-millennial Generation Y, along with others associated or part of the Brat Pack :
as well as:
who gained wider recognition from international and independent cinema. Other actors would later gain more substantial credibility after the Millennium by leaving film to star in TV shows instead, like Shannen Doherty , who starred in '' Beverly Hills 90210 '' and later '' Charmed '', Michael J. Fox in '' Spin City '', Rose McGowan replacing Shannen Doherty in '' Charmed '', Charlie Sheen replacing Michael J. Fox in ''Spin City'', and Kiefer Sutherland in '' 24 ''. Prominent child actors who would enjoy a successful career up until their teenage years were: TV shows that are often associated to the generation The following list are a sample of televised animated series and sitcoms from the early 80s to late 90s that were popular components in the development of those growing up within the XY Cusp, which would influence a later younger generation and the future current fashion in media and society. Notable cartoons as well as programs that most of the MTV Gen youth grew up with watching:
''Also check Animated Television Series Of The 1980s for more examples.'' Other shows which would be prominent favourites amongst adolescents and the young adult bracket:
TV shows which would have somewhat of an impact on the teen culture and life of the adolescents of the MTV Gen:
TV shows which had a greater impact upon the MTV Gen young adults:
Other TV shows that were a cult success with MTV Gen audiences:
Music associated with the generation The majority of music from the MTV Generation was contributed from artists who were from Generation X, just as previous esteemed musicians of Generation X were born in the baby boomers generation. Generation XY not only shares certain views as those in Generation X, but also the same musical taste which would later cross-over into the MTV Generation due to the effects of Generation X upon the Gen X'er musicians and artists. The music that defined the MTV Generation was mostly pop music which had emerged from New Wave and R'n'B styles, giving birth to the Boy Band phenomenon (which would later become the Girl Power or Girl Band sensation in the later generation). Another important area was the birth of Alternative Rock branching off from Heavy Metal musicians Guns N' Roses and alternative performers such as Nine Inch Nails & The Smashing Pumpkins with the added influence of Grunge Music , which at the time featured prominent artists such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam who would mark a new form of rock music for the future generation. The underground Hip Hop scene would also eventually develop into the Gangsta Rap genre which included different styles between the East Coast ( The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy ) and West Coast ( 2Pac , Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg ) labels. Techno also included itself as an important factor to the devlopment of music during this time, and it would also enter a new domain by opening up the Rave sub-culture which is considered to have truly lasted until the fall of the 1990s. Video game music also became a popular musical influence throughout the 90s with the aid of the Internet and the growth of the Geek sub-culture. {Link without Title} . Later the musical styles and interests that were passed on from Generation X, through to the MTV Generation would be abandoned for a new saccharin and cleaner-cut style of music which would be prominent upon those in Generation Y. The major contributors that would lead the way from the MTV Generation into Generation Y would be:
Influential Music of the MTV Generation Barbara Schneider and David Stevenson, in their research of 90s teens in comparison to 50s teens, noted that "in the 1950s, tastes in music were similar; nearly half the adolescents selected rock and roll as their favorite type of music, and Pat Boone was the favorite singer, easily surpassing all others, including Elvis Presley... (In the 1990s) the types of music (teens) listen to...became so long that we quickly realized that variation was the norm. Students talked about many different types of music, including alternative, country, hard rock, hip-hop, light rock, jazz, reggae, rap, and rhythm and blues, and the list of favorite vocalists and bands numbered well over fifty, with a few overlapping choices." Important icons of the Above Genres who would continue to become an influence into Generation Y and were prominent throughout the 80s and 90s (some of which are still today), especially on MTV and in popular culture were the following musicians: ''Note: this list is not complete, and therefore does not reflect entirely every artist who has influenced the music of the MTV Generation.'' Technology/Media experienced by the generation This generation used or witnessed the following technology from their teenage years (born late 70s) and preteen years (born early 80s):
THE DOOMED GENERATION An overview of the crime and drug culture related to the XY Gen throughout the 1990 s with added insight on the media antagonism that developed from these trends of the MTV Gen youth. Crime in the early 1990s Crime and drugs are not unique to any generation, however, the crime rate was extremely high in the 1990s and XYers were being exposed to it at an immature age unlike Generation X. In addition, XYers specifically became a target of negative stereotypes. During the late 1980s, there was a Recession . Throughout the world, crime rates rose. In America, a crime bomb had exploded in 1988. [http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/jjbulletin/9812_2/arrest.html [http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/jjbulletin/9812_2/minorities.html] During this period, late Xers born mid 70s were entering adolescence. Naturally, criminologists would have predicted that this group of people would not be a threat until later on when they reached mid teens (15-17). However, crime statistics on numbers of arrests showed that adolescents were being pulled in to crime rings and being arrested in record numbers. The arrests adolescents increased year by year. Criminologists were baffled. Then, in 1992, the 1992 Los Angeles Riots occurred. In 1992, people under 18 (born after 1974) accounted for 13% of all violent crimes reported and 18% of all violent crime arrests. They were responsible for: 9 percent of murders; 12 percent of aggravated assaults; 14 percent of forcible rapes; 16 percent of robberies; 20 percent of burglaries; 23 percent of larceny-thefts; 24 percent of motor vehicle thefts; and 42 percent of arsons. {Link without Title} The arrests increased until finally, in 1994, it reached it's highest peak with those adolescents born 1976-1982. This was a cause for concern. Criminologists rushed to find an explanation of adolescent participation. Some suggested neglect. Follow-up studies of children who had cases of substantiated abuse or neglect found that 26 percent of the children were later arrested as minors. {Link without Title} Others pointed to an epidemic of crack cocaine that fueled urban violence, as well as high unemployment and declining economic prospects for low-skilled workers, especially among minority groups. But the increase in adolescent arrests was a new issue, which couldn't be explained by old causes. Jeremy Travis, Director of the National Institute of Justice, vividly recalls, feeling confident about watching crime rates fall in the 80s. But then "rock" appeared on the West Coast -- a form of smokeable cocaine. Prof. Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University has a hypothesis called the "diffusion hypothesis:" that as new crack entrepreneurs were setting up business, taking over turf previously dominated by others, they recruited young people as sellers and middle managers, then these low level dealers needed guns to defend themselves, and the guns, once in the hands of impulsive adolescents, quickly "diffused" into the youth culture so that garden variety adolescent squabbles over girlfriends and valued clothing got settled by gunfire. [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/speeches/youth1.htm Another cause was influence of peers or membership in a group. Young people who join gangs are four to six times more likely to engage in criminal behavior when they are gang members than when they are not. [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/speeches/youth1.htm Modern gangs became a public concern in the 60s because of the increases in violence, but the issue itself was largely ignored by government officials. They chose instead to focus on juvenile delinquency and other issues. Gangs must not have been big enough back then, but the 90s was a different story. As 1990 came around, the youth gang population grew like never before and was the subject of daily news and community meetings everywhere. However, the gang population continued to grow throughout the early 90s. The issue was so great that government officials couldn't ignore it any longer. They set up separate agencies and research projects specifically on gangs. The increase in gangs somewhat increased along with the rise in arrest rates. [http://www.nagia.org/NGTASection_II.htm [http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/ojjdprpt_yth_gng_prob_2001/contents.html] Gangs of the 90s are also shown in the HBO documentary “Gang Wars: Banging in Little Rock" (1994), Skinheads USA: Soldiers of the Race War (1993), and books such as East Side Stories: Gang Life in East LA (1998), Cold new world : growing up in a harder country (1998). For 1993, the conservative estimate of nationwide gang-crime activity, based on law enforcement reports, is 8,625 gangs, 378,807 gang members, and 437,066 gang-related crimes. This was an increase from 1991 estimates. {Link without Title} On the other hand, many people under 18 were also being victimized by their peers. Between 1987 and 1991, the risk that a person between the ages of 12 and 17 (Born 1974-1979) would become a victim of a crime increased 17%. Most of their victims are friends or acquaintances (53%), strangers (32%), and family members (15%). After 1988, the yearly number of people under 18 being murdered rose above 1000. [http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/ezashr/asp/profile.asp By 1994, 25% of all crimes had victims under 18 (Born 1977-1983). 60% of victims between the ages of 12 and 19 (1975-1983) were attacked by someone between the ages of 12 and 20 (83% with weapons and 27% being seriously injured). In addition, four times as many minors were killed with a gun in 1994 than in 1984. [http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=38 As a result of the crime wave of 1994, the public was now definitely scared of youth. The media even predicted a new cohort of “super-predators” based on what had happened between 1988-1994. "Conservative academics such as James Q. Wilson and John DiIulio and a small band of mainstream criminologists such as Alfred Blumstein and James Fox forecasted societal disaster. Wilson predicted “30,000 more young muggers, killers, and thieves”; DiIulio in 1990 foresaw another 270,000 violent juveniles by 2010. He warned of a “crime bomb” created by a generation of “fatherless, godless, and jobless super-predators.” The media hyped the story, and many elected officials exploited it. The citizenry was told about a generation of babies, born to “crack-addicted” mothers, who would possess permanent neurological damage, including the inability to feel empathy. The scientific evidence supporting this claim was nonexistent. More than 40 states made it easier to transfer children to adult criminal courts." [http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=10120 As a result, early Y criminals had a tougher time in court than Late Xers. In 1998, juveniles (1981-6) were more 3 times more likely than adults to be charged with a violent felony. "Educators enacted “zero-tolerance” policies to make it easier to expel youngsters from school, and numerous communities adopted youth curfews. Many jurisdictions turned to metal detectors in public schools, random locker searches, drug tests for athletes, and mandatory school uniforms. The panic was bipartisan. Every crime bill debated by Congress during the Clinton administration included new federal laws against juvenile crime. Paradoxically, as Attorney General Janet Reno advocated for wider and stronger social safety nets for vulnerable families, President Bill Clinton joined congressional leaders demanding tougher treatment of juvenile felons, including more incarceration in both the adult and youth correctional systems." They also used youth correctional boot camps or “scared straight” programs that use prison visits to try to frighten youngsters away from criminal lives. [http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=10120 [http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/usermanuals/subabuse/subabusep.cfm] Likewise, the crime rate was also high in the schools. Schools implemented methods to prevent crime (listed in order of most used to least used) suspension, student conduct/discipline code, collaboration with other agencies, expulsion, school board policy, alternative programs or schools, staff development, and conflict resolution/mediation. Other used by a minority of schools were training/peer mediation, locker searches, closed campus for lunch, mentoring programs, home-school linkages, dress code, law-related education programs, multicultural sensitivity training, parent skill training, search and seizure, security personnel in schools, support groups, student photo identification system, gun-free school zones, specialized Curriculum, drug-detecting dogs, work opportunities, telephones in classrooms, metal detectors, volunteer parent patrols, closed-circuit television, establishing safe havens for students. [http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/GovPubs/gao/gao15.htm Unlike Generation Y, which had never questioned the presence of metal detectors and other safety precautions in school, XYers were present during their installation and inception, leading them to question whether it was for their own protection or for society's protection against XYers. Cultural influences of crime in the early 90s Whereas Generation X was criticized as so wild and stupid as to put the nation at risk, XYers were feared as violent and destructive harbingers of a cold new world. As a result, they have been specifically criminalized, frisked, searched, and feared by society and each other resulting in a culture of resentment and antagonism towards society. In addition, the experience or the perception of danger from peers has made them antagonistic and distrustful towards each other, yet extremely protective over their own friends and family. Since they were exposed to violence and destruction at an immature age, either on TV or in reality, they were likely to misinterpret the causes or rationale of what was happening. They viewed the world with fear because of the chaos and inability of authorities to control the situation. Media antagonism also caused self hatred [http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap7/chap7e.htm In contrast, Generation X would have been mature enough to understand that the situation in the early 90s was only temporary and understood its causes. The sources of resentment in the two groups are different. Generation X gets its resentment from being the forgotten latchkey teens of the 80s. They were affected by the continual bombardment of images of the nuclear family and feelings of inadequacy and isolation from society resulted. On the other hand, XYers were not bombarded by images of the nuclear family as teens [http://www.askmen.com/toys/top_10/31_top_10_list.html [http://perc.ca/PEN/1995-12-01/s-hruska.html and by the 1990s, the traditional family was portrayed as a norm of a long forgotten past [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htmlF/familyontel/familyontel.htm . The overall cause of resentment in XYers was from being spotlighted and treated as criminals during the early 1990s. Media Antagonism of the late 1990s During the late 90s, there were a rising trend in School Shootings , which created widespread panic because unlike the early 90s, there was no longer a direct correlation between school shootings and societal crime rates (which were falling). Some identified it as a disfunctional generational side effect of bad parenting. XYers were now, in the late 90s, portrayed as incorrectly raised and as a result, psychologically troubled and potentially lethal. {Link without Title} Others blamed popular culture of the 90s, such as the internet, music, and violent video games such as "Doom." XYers were under constant watch for being "anti-social" and "odd," amongst other common traits of shooters. [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/09/06/fbi.school.violence.02/ The threat of being punished for not conforming to the mainstream lifestyle (as opposed to alternative culture) and facade of team-player, wholesomeness, friendliness, and innocence was real, some being sent to jail. Many XYers viewed that authorities were violating freedom of expression. [http://web.mit.edu/m-i-t/articles/dc.html [http://www.aclunc.org/aclunews/news0408/poem.html] {Link without Title} [http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=11414 However, many still complied for fear of being accused. [http://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/usa/1999-0524-PNS-highschoolviolence.html] This is unlike Generation X, which were able to express their true cynicism through media and lifestyles. Bad press about this generation continued throughout the late 90s In the Woodstock 1999 concert teenagers were blamed for the violence that occurred [http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,20-8252,00.html [http://www.essaydepot.com/essayme/1803/index.php . In the 1999 Seattle protests of the WTO, many of the protesters who got beaten and arrested were XYers. Paul Richmond says "While the demonstrators were fairly well organized, many of the organizers of the civil disobedience were young, in their teens and early twenties." This only led teens and early twenties to feel that nothing was wrong with society, but with their peers only, creating a heightened sense of fear amongst each other [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5549613/ [http://www.appa-net.org/TeenCrime.html] [http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/media/media.html] [http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ntac_ssi_report.pdf] [http://www.cjcj.org/pubs/shooting/shootings.html] and fear from their own parents[http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/parenting/report.pdf . At the turn of the century, colleges then made a big show over those seeking therapy, causing psychologists to call XYers the "Therapy Generation," showboating XYers as psychologically disturbed. [http://www.humancomp.org/candy_wei/memories/the_therapy_generation(printer-friendly).htm However, Jean Twenge, an American psychologist found that all "Americans have shifted toward substantially higher levels of anxiety and neuroticism during recent decades." XYers were only unique in that they were only exposed to stress at such an early age and it could have impacted their personality development. She found that "The average American child in the 1980s reported more anxiety than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s. Correlations with social indices (e.g., divorce rates, crime rates) suggest that decreases in social connectedness and increases in environmental dangers may be responsible for the rise in anxiety. Economic factors, however, seem to play little role. Birth cohort, as a proxy for broad social trends, may be an important influence on personality development, especially during childhood." [http://www.psychology.sdsu.edu/faculty/twenge.html If anything, XYers had learned during childhood that having anxiety was a fact of life. They had always accepted it as a normal problem to deal with and put out in public. Hence, the rise in XY therapy visits and resulting shock from older generations that were accustomed to hiding and denying their own psychological problems. [http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=18635] AN AMBITIOUS GENERATION OF DRIFTING DREAMERS Barbara Schneider and David Stevenson, in their book, ''The Ambitious Generation: America's Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless'' acknowledged that popular media had portrayed 90s teens as "slackers, drug users, and perpetrators of violent crimes." However, after conducting extensive research on the subject, and analyzing data from national longitudinal studies from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s using the Alfred P. Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development, they discovered that media's portrayal was far from the truth. They found instead, "The overwhelming majority of (90s) teenagers, however, graduate from highschool, do not use hard drugs, are not criminals, and do not father or have babies while still in their teens. Many of them are willing to work hard to get good grades and assume this will make them eligible for scholarships at the college they plan to attend. Most young people are worried about their futures and believe attaining a college degree is critical for finding a first real job. The bachelor's degree is seen as the necessary first step in moving up the economic and social ladder. Many consider graduate and professional degrees essential." "Although very ambitious, many adolescents find it very difficult to fulfill their dreams. They are unaware of steps they can take that may help them achieve their ambitions. Often their ambitions are dreamlike and not realistically connected to specific educational and career paths. Regardless of how hard they try, they may find themselves "running in place and unsure where to go."" The authors described 90s teens as "Drifting Dreamers." More importantly, they found that "large numbers of them expect to become physicians, lawyers, and business managers (white collar workers); few want to work as machinists, secretaries, or plumbers. Such high ambitions are held by teenagers from all families—rich, poor, Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. More adolescents than ever expect to graduate from college, earn graduate degrees, and work in the whitecollar world of professionals. They are America's most ambitious teenage generation ever." Hence, they coined the name "Ambitious generation." Another important finding was the comparison of social structure between 1950s teens and 1990s teens. Teenage social groups of the 90s were in contrast to 1950s "very fluid in their membership (not permanent or definable) and, as a result, (were) often un-stable." This fluidity, in turn, "weakened their ability to sustain strong norms that can influence and direct the behavior of (teens)." In addition, he stressed that even though parents and the school helped students get good grades and stay in college, they were unsure on how to give advice in realistically planning ones career, leaving many teens to guess on what to do or to be lost in their dreams of achieving success. All of these compounded and contributed more to the XYer "Drifting Dreamer" problem. {Link without Title} IMPACT OF THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ATTACKS Shortly after the in 1941 and with the Protests Against The Vietnam War of 1966. Their findings led them to name young adults of the time "Generation 9/11" due to their civic involvement and political awareness, leading many to believe that this group of people were less like the Vietnam protesters and more like the pro-war patriotic GI Generation [http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/news/opeds/2003/king_boomer_wsj_033103.htm . This reasoning, however, found many critics. Thomas Reissmann stated that "the tone of the times" was such that "any criticism of the government was outright unpatriotic." Fear from hate groups or punishment directly from the government was so real that those people opposed to war silenced themselves, and any survey done during this time would have been biased towards pro-war feelings. As a result, the anti-war sentiment was still very much alive, but they went about expressing it differently than the Vietnam protesters of 1966. Instead of applying themselves towards the war, anti-war advocates chose careers or activities which "improve(d) the lives of others." [http://www.generation9-11.co.uk/2.html] This does not negate the fact that other people were supportive of the war, but only proves that anti-war sentiment was also existent at the time, though not as vocal. Outside America, however, the opposition was much more visible and stronger. Thomas Reissmann also criticized the Newsweek's use of term "Generation 9/11" because it was suspected that the term was used to support an "us" (a Pro-war Generation) versus "them" (a common enemy) mentality. Any young adult who did not believe in or forever commit to the traits of Generation 9/11 would be made to feel guilty and counterproductive towards or undermining society. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} A study was done throughout several colleges in the Midwestern United States by Patricia Somers and her research colleagues on people born from 1978 to 1987 also shortly after the attacks. The survey was conducted in order to research views of "Generation 9/11" towards the "us" versus "them" mentality, also known as Terror Management Theory . The results were somewhat mixed, but showed that the mentality had not fully taken hold. Those surveyed chose to mute their expression of patriotism because they viewed the act with skepticism (as they thought it would lead to blind hate and racial discrimination). They placed importance on global awareness, community discussions of diversity, and peace marches. "Students were also more likely to be critical of government action. Perhaps some of the criticism hid fear of how young men and women might be drafted to serve in a messy and prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Yet and still, the students questioned military and political reactions following 9/11." {Link without Title} However, despite all the research, Somers still believes that the term Generation 9/11 is still a prediction at best and that only time will tell whether 9/11 has had any lasting affect on this group of people. It may not be for decades to determine whether or not they are a "civic" or "lost" group. However, Somers does predict stronger political divisions in the future based on differing opinions about the meaning of "patriotism." [http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/generation/ Others believe that the affects of 9/11 would only be temporary as many were already young adults then, and that they would eventually return to their regular ways of life they were accustomed to. [http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=17249 Another major factor could be the lack of employment opportunities and housing for returning soldiers and young adults in general making it necessary to focus on one's own survival, in contrast to the GI Generation who experienced federally subsidized housing and abundant jobs after WWII . [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FXS/is_3_81/ai_84148622 SEE ALSO
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