"My" Generation and The American Dream

There's a stereotype that accompanies "my" generation. It's that of a selfie-snapping, lazy chump who can't survive without their smart phone and is simply trying to "find themselves" amidst the flannel suit wearing yuppies. I can't argue with all of this. We are selfish in that put ourselves first. We're self-involved and self-aware and perhaps narcissistic. Some might say our world is getting smaller as our Facebook/Twitter feed, Netflix instant queue, and YouTube watch list keep growing, but with this constant connectedness, our exposure to others' thoughts, news stories, eye-opening documentaries, and so much more is unimaginable. It is true that our values and concerns have changed very much from the kids of even 10 years ago, but is that necessarily a bad thing? I think that we're not only more self-aware, but we're also more cognizant of this giant world with billions of people and religions and political injustice and boundless information. Our world is so much bigger than our parents' dinner table conversations and soccer practice, which is a definite benefit of the current technological state.

So, yes. We are self-involved. We have dreams and our parents said to us, "you can be anything you want to be, Charlie." (If your name happens to not be Charlie, just plug yours in. And I apologize for making you feel less special. You're still a unique snowflake, Ashley.) We were the kids who received participation awards. The days of "them's the breaks, kid" died before us and have been replaced with lawsuits over equal playing time. We rarely heard the blasphemous "no" word from others, but that doesn't hinder our ability to bestow it upon whomever deserves it in our eyes.

The final question must be asked: where is "my" generation, really? Well, we sure know what we want. Kind of. We know that we want happiness and fulfillment, though we know that these things aren't destinations. And the narcissist in us thinks we really can make a difference. We are aware of the bleakness, but still, we continue the trek. We fight for equality, we see the good in people, and we know that a 9-5 isn't the realization of our childhood dreams. We're willing to try new things and put ourselves out there, because hey, we're special. Our parents said so. And what's wrong with a generation of confident, connected, well-informed Americans on the brink of adulthood? It's simple. Revolution and "my generation" is separated by last part of the former phrase: well-informed. We're growing up in a country that our parents still refer to as "The Greatest Country in the World," even though we all saw what Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) did to this lofty claim in the first episode of The Newsroom. The "American Dream" is a thing of the past and my generation is willing to risk everything to change the status quo.

So, once my self-absorbed generation lifts the veil to reveal the truth underneath, all the passion and confidence we have in expressing ourselves will be redirected into changing this country and this world. The truth is out there and I know that once my generation finds it and grows impassioned by the promise of change, our minds will envelope the task and pour our narcissism into something worthwhile--our freedom.