the conversation is starting

People complain about Gen Y for being lazy...and other things I don't feel like looking up. Ha, see what I did there? (Really, it's just because that isn't the point of this post.) But what is Gen Y really?

According to Forbes, we are the most diverse, self-expressive, and educated generation yet.

What does this mean for you? Well, right now, it means that you see a lot of Facebook posts and Tweets (and unknown bloggers blogging about bloggy things) about controversial topics. With the inception of social media right as we reached peak age to get involved with it, it means we have an outlet to express our sometimes controversial views. And we have a lot of them. It means that those of us that don't have our degrees yet are working towards them and that we are preparing to be you in ten years. Except we won't be.

Our parents were raised in a time where their controversies led to the way that they raised us, as all parents do. Those mindsets, to raise us better than they are (as almost all parents seem to want out of their children), has led to us being a highly tolerant- no, I'm not even going to use that word- inclusive generation. We don't tolerate people, they're like us. They are included. For the most part, our generation doesn't care if you're white, black, tan, or purple polka-dotted. We don't care if you're gay, straight, pan, bi, or transgender. We don't care if you're a male or female. We don't care if you're Christian, Muslim, Mormon, Hindu, or any other religion. We grew up with you. We love you for who you are. And we want to know all of you, even the parts that spark controversy in the nightly news. To us, the groups you associate yourself with are no different than which clubs you join or what gym you work out at. They're a part of you, but it's not going to make or break our friendship. 

Does my generation have biases? Of course. But somewhere around 76% of Gen Y believes that are biases are lower than those of our parents and grandparents. (That's from one of my college textbooks from this semester. I'll find it if someone's really dying to know the source. Otherwise, just take my word for it, okay?)

What does this mean?

1. It means we aren't afraid to start the conversation.

Because we are such a diverse and self-expressive generation, it means we'll talk about it. It means that for the next few years at the least, you will see at least one or two things on your newsfeeds every day about feminism, racism, religion, or LGBTQA (and more- drug legalization, pornography, animal rights, etc.). These are no longer hushed conversations that you talk about for a moment at the dinner table before your parents say it's not politically correct to talk about it, and not to do so again. They are things that we talk about every day. Not a day goes by that I don't have one of these conversations with someone. Whether it's a Tweet, a Facebook post, an e-mail, a text, a phone conversation, or a chat with someone as we walk to get coffee, we're talking about it. We talk about how our parents and grandparents viewed these topics, how we see them, and our observations at how the younger generation sees them. We talk about our hopes for what the conversation will be once we are in the workforce, and how it can be as the younger kids grow up. We share our experiences and retell anecdotes that our parents and grandparents, and sometimes even great-grandparents, told us about their childhood. We're willing to start the conversation, and the conversation isn't ending anytime soon.

2. It means we're ready to ask the tough questions.

Our generation is going to ask the tough questions that our parents and grandparents didn't necessarily ask. We will ask the not so tough ones, but sort-of-awkward-and-I'm-sorry-I'm-so-culturally-inept questions: "What does wearing a hijab mean to you?" to "Does your religion really promote people doing that to one another?" We will ask the tougher ones: "Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or gender?" "Is being gay a choice? If it was, what would you choose?" We grew up discussing these topics, and we were told our whole lives that no question is stupid. So why shouldn't we ask? Is it politically correct? Not usually. Is it awkward? Most definitely.  But how will we know if we don't ask? We will never come to an understanding and start to see ourselves not by our classifications but as people until we understand one another.

3. It means we will answer the tough questions.

 

My generation was raised to respect and appreciate our differences. Almost all of us made a snowflake in kindergarten and our teacher told as that we are as unique as the snowflakes we created and that every snowflake in history is completely original. If someone asks, we will describe our experiences on whatever the topic may be. We will share our view and compare it to someone else's viewpoint. Furthermore, we will listen to each other. A recent point that has been circling the social media is the difference between hearing and listening. When we hear someone, we process their words but we think of how we will respond. When we listen, we consider their view and ask questions to better understand. On occasion, it might even alter our point of view.

4. It means that the future is bright.

Because we grew up with a different idea of biases based on whatever classification, we are getting ready to tackle their consequences. Soon, we will be in the jobs you hold. We will also be creating new ones that directly address these social issues.



The conversation is starting. Are you ready for change?