Religion and Generation Me

I think the lack of religious discussion in “Generation Me” is because the author seems to believe that religion is not as important in our society as it was thirty or forty years ago. Throughout her book, Twenge drops hints of why fewer people seem to adhere to a certain faith. She states “We think that confession is good for the soul, and this no longer means whispering to a priest in a dark booth” (36). While it may be true that our generation divulges information more readily than the past generations, it does not mean that religion does not still influence our lives. Twenge seems to think that due to its highly individualized aspects, society gives us no real need for religion anymore. She quotes someone named Melissa who says “You have your own personal beliefs of how you feel about it and what’s acceptable for you and what’s right for you personally” (34). Twenge seems to imply that because not many people believe in all parts of a religion, that they are not religious. She also fails to explain why exactly the attendance in religious services has decreased—it might not be because of a lack of faith, but because, as the last quote explains, the person doesn’t agree with everything in a certain religion, and prefers to worship by themselves. But whatever the cause, religion is still prevalent in society and Twenge might have tried to downplay its effects in her book because it might have contradicted her thesis.
By going more in-depth with religion in her book, Twenge would not have had as strong of an argument for how materialistic and self-obsessed our generation has become. In general, religion and religious communities provide an opportunity for reflection and how to improve our lives and the lives of others. While the lack of religion in her book was not blatantly obvious, once pointed out, it seems to weaken her theory somewhat. I don’t think a section on religion could have been worded in any way to support the claim to the “me” aspect of our generation. If our generation is supposedly self-centered and materialistic, how could she explain the religious communities where people work to help and support each other? The only other reason I can think of for why she would have left religion out of her book would be in order to leave it open to interpretation and have people come up with their own ideas of how religion affects our generation.

Twenge was left with no choice

“Melissa, 20, who says, ‘I couldn’t care less how I am viewed by society. I live my life according to the morals, views, and standards that I create.”

I think that religion has most definitely effected my GenMe life and can't say I know someone who hasn't been in some way touched by religion. I think the true reason that Jean Twenge did not include religion in her book is because the lines of religion are no longer clearly drawn with GenMe. She couldn't give a survey to show the effects of religion because it is to all-encompassing to measure. Although some neighborhood We are no longer defined by which religion we are and how much we attend service. We are consistently being effected by a multitude of religions through all our interactions with those of a different religion than our own. Which has created a world of ProChoice-Catholic and bacon-eating-Jews. A survey could never fully measure the effects a multitude of religions has on a

This attitude is not uncommon among Gen Me. I also, believe I live my life according to the morals, views, and standards I create. Simultaneously, I am a practicing Roman Catholic.

Many older Catholics would see these two ideas as incompatible but I have been able to find common ground through the Roman Catholic's support of conscientious objections through informed dissent. Informed consent although completely supported by the church in writing is often brushed over by popular lectures and preaching and I acknowledge that if I had not gone to a Catholic high school I may be completely unaware of this teaching completely even though I attend a weekly service.

It doesn't take a genius to guess why the Catholic church doesn't advertise the “disagreement clause “within Catholicism. Although it does make the religion seem much more inviting. Even teachers at my Catholic school would admit to informed dissent on issues such as gay acceptance, gay marriage, cohabitation, and other issues. GenMe could clearly see the individual attitude in this kind of religious “adherence.” Some will judge and call this being a “Cafeteria Catholic” because you are only taking what you want from Church doctrine and leaving the teachings that might be more difficult- you know the love your enemies kind of things. GenMe has come into a world where your religion can be customized just like the playlists

Like myself, many "GenMe"ers have adopted this new definition of what religion is or can be, across all denominations. Possibly the best examples of religion with out rules is Non-denominational Christians. Non-denominational Christians emphasize scriptural and personal conscience. They rely little on tradition or others opinions in regards to their church or faith. All Non-denominational Christian communities are different because their practices are mostly determined by their members and their members personal interpretations of the bible. If GenMe was embodied in a religion Non-denominational Christian would have to be considered.

Overall I think Jean Twenge didn't choose to not include religion. She never had the option to begin with. There is no way she could truly determine religions effects on anyone. Would Jean Twenge's survey have asked it's participants “Have any of your opinions changed about any modern issue because of a friend or acquaintance of a differing religion than your own?” The question is so broad that all people, if not an outrageous majority, would need to answer yes after thoughtful consideration of the question. Therefore religion surely effects GenMe more than can be measured, but it does not define us because most definitive lines in religion are no longer drawing boundaries that were former held so dear.

Generation Me

Generation Me

Why did Jean Twenge leave religion out of her book, Generation Me? In my opinion I think it’s because the main focus was age. Generation Me was described throughout the book mainly from information based on age. Although age is the main factor, Jean Twenge does touch on other ideas as well. For example, one chapter talks about and is titled “The Equality Revolution: Minorities, Women, and Gays and Lesbians”. Twenge discusses age, race, gender, and sexual orientation. It does seem strange that she talks about all these topics and she somehow leaves religion out. However, I don’t think its absence really affected the book. Today’s generation is not like generations in the past. Our education is no longer associated with the church (in some cases it is, like certain private schools… but still, that’s no longer the norm). School is now, for the most part, separated from church, and most GenMe’s don’t attend church or any other kind of religious services. Because of this, I think it’s ok that Twenge left religion out of the book, because it doesn’t really effect Generation Me. However, it could have been interesting to know how GenMe’s parents’ religions could have an effect on them and how they were brought up.

Generation Me

In my opinion Religion is a big topic. You can go on about how big an effect it has on some people and how for others it is completely ignored or pushed away in every encounter. If Jean Twenge was to go into depth about religion in her book…it would be a very long chapter. There are so many different religions, beliefs, and the lack there of that for her to add a section on religion, it would take many more years of research and if she did a valid job, it would most likely double the size of the book, which is more or less the reason why she chose not to include a section on religion. The affect of the lack of religion in this book, stops many readers from seeing the whole picture of our generation. We seem to be broadening our horizons where as the generations before us stuck to the basics: Catholic, Jewish, and so on. By leaving out religion, I believe, that Jean Twenge left out a very big section on what our generation is like, because no matter what one believes in, that has a huge affect on what one person actually is. -Erica Childs

Gen Me & No Religion

The book “Generation Me” by Jean Twenge did not include religion, which I think is the downfall of this book. There were many true views that Jean stated in her book, but I believe religion plays a large role in our generation and in past generations. To me this book was all about comparison. In some parts Jean makes it seem like our generation is not what it should be. For example she says “ ‘[S]tudents learn that they do not need to respect their teachers or even earn their grades, so they begin to believe that they are entitled to grades, respect, or anything else … just for asking.’ I do not think it is just our generation who acts this way. Most people want respect and some think they deserve it, but I don’t think we assume we have respect. Our generation is more accepting; we try our best to gain respect. Working to gain a persons respect takes time and is totally different than asking for respect. Jean Twenge says,” Some teens find their experiences at odds with their religious upbringing. For many, this means that they see gays as sinners, and/or believe that gays can change to be straight. Others find themselves questioning their beliefs.” 9p. 209). This relates to religion because in some religions they think gay people are bad. Our generation should not feel ashamed or uncomfortable for what we believe or what we do.

Jean Twenge points out that our generation doesn’t care how others perceive us. We do care, we just have been taught to be individuals. Religion plays into this topic because as individuals we believe what we want not what we are told. If our parents are Catholic, that doesn’t necessarily mean we need to follow their religious views. If Jean included religion there would be more substance to her views. The lack of religion does alter my opinion of the book. Even though our generation may decide not to stick with our family’s religion it is still a large part of who we are and how we act. Today many parents take a back seat on MAKING their children believe in a certain religion. Adding this to the book can show the different communication and values our generation has. I would want to add religion to the entire book, but one specific place would be chapter 6. In this chapter they talk about our generations views on premarital sex. Some religions view premarital sex as a sin and that couples should wait till they are in a married committed relationship. It may be controversial to add religious views on sex to the book, but I feel as though Jean just leaves out a big chunk of what really matters. Jean Twenge may have left out religion so she didn’t have to deal with the good and bad comments people have about her book, but like i stated earlier it made the book boring. Despite the lack of religion I think half of the stuff Jean talked about it just bashing our generation and doesn’t say much about previous generations.

Generation Me and Religion

In the book Generation Me, Jean Twenge starts off talking about how our society is driven by our individual goals and needs, and how our society is more excepting and laid back then others. She says “There is no single right way to live” (pg. 19) and our generation does whatever feels necessary to make themselves happy as an individual. We strive to be the best in our individuality and do not care what others think about us.
I think the reason she didn’t include religion in the book is because throughout the book she is talking about individuality. Since religion is a very controversial topic and there are so many different religions in our society it would be hard to include each of the religious views. I think Jean Twenge’s true purpose of writing her book was to show how our generation is about individuality and to help today’s society discover who they really are. The lack of religion in the book didn’t change my opinion because she did make a point to mention religion in our society and how it is less likely for us to go to church and pray. She says “GenMe is also less willing to follow rules of organized religion” (pg34). “Our generation would rather do what they wanted than to join a group or go to church” (pg35). Religion, in general, tends to have a way of making people conform to the ways of the church which takes way from Dr. Jean Twenge purpose of Generation Me.
If I had included a section of religion I would include the topic of sub staining abstinence until the point of marriage. As Dr. Jean Twenge mentioned in her book, our ideals of what is right and wrong morally have substantially changed throughout the years. “In the late 1950’s, only 30 percent of young people approved of sex before marriage, now 75 percent approve” (pg163). With the addition of this section in Dr. Jean Twenge’s book, we could have compared how much of an influence religion has on this topic. With young people’s religious views loosing importance, we see many more of what used to be seen as “sinful” actions becoming more of a part of everyday life.
As we have seen from Dr. Jean Twenge’s book, she states that the actions of our young society are declining as a whole. The lack of religion and the lessoning of morals lead us inevitably to the point where we no longer know the difference between what is right and wrong.

Gen Me blog

Twenge’s Generation Me, a highly controversial book in my opinion, can have many readers guessing her intentions for writing this book. Is she trying to help her targeted generation by pointing out their deep flaws, or is she aggravating many people. From what I have grown up around, some of what Twenge points out may be true but it does not truthfully represent my generation. Twenge continuously repeats herself when she should have taken to the time to acknowledge the other half of the generation she left out. By dismissing the other half and brushing over religion, Twenge seems ignorant and self centered around her own theme.

On pages 34-36 Twenge lightly touches on Religion, in my opinion only to say that she did to complete her book, but barely going into depth. She leaves out factors such as the many religions that exist that people can conform to and/or the many reason’s why Gen Me’s attendance to religious services has dropped. For many Gen Me’s that are discovering new faiths to believe in, they may be un known to do research on or may not require physical attending to a sacred church, mosque, etc like other religions do. Or perhaps their attendance is low because their parents work on Sunday’s and they don’t have a ride, or their busy doing community service projects, sports, and other activities. Times are changing and Sunday’s are no longer everyone’s day off. Businesses are open, people are putting in the extra hours and Sunday is just another day of the week to advance.

Including religion could have either supported or contrasted with Twenge’s theme. If research was done and she found that Gen Me’s belief in religion had decreased, that would have supported her idea in a sense that Gen Me was much more focused on their own independent power that they didn’t need any spiritual connection. On the other hand, if research was done and studies had proven otherwise, Twenge’s theme would have been disrupted. With so many religions and other faiths in the United States alone, time to do research may have taken a while and Twenge was probably too lazy and scared of finding out a truth that may have conflicted with her book.

Dismissing the subject of religion didn’t hurt the point she was trying to make but it left big gap. This gap includes the many Gen Me’s whom she decided to leave out of the book, the readers that are the total opposite of her stereotypical Gen Me. In my own opinion, Twenge decided to write a book criticizing Gen Me for their self centered personals and carelessness but left out why Gen Me’s are the way they are. Advances in technology, the spiraling economy, and competitiveness in today’s society are all factors that can be the cause of Gen Me’s personality. This book may be helpful and eye opening to the Gen Me’s she’s referring to, but to the Gen Me’s she left out, it’s offensive, unfair, and ignorant.

Religion and Generation Me

Personally, Jean Twenge did not include religion into her book because she is just too lazy. Religion is a HUGE part in today's society, especially with today's youth. Why she did not add religion into her book just amazes me! Past generations emphasized religion to their children. Now days, I feel that parents and grandparents are a little more slack when it comes to religion. I feel the lack of religion makes the book WORTHLESS!

If I had to include a section on religion, it would be on how parents are slack on religion, Gen. Me is more about believing in what they want to believe in, and how religion in the U.S. is changing.

Jean Twenge did a horrific job on writing this book and I really don't feel like such a horrible book should be required for incoming freshman to read.

I believe Jean Twenge didn't include religion in her book because she simply doesn't know the social standards of every religion. And if you don't know what people really think then you certainly can't classify a generation of people all under one category. You can't base a theory or research off what you think you are knowledgeable about a certain group of people and expect that to be a widespread effect on every young American. I think religion did need to be considered in her research because every religion is different and every person within a religion is different themselves.
This book was her thoughts. No one can possibly know what everybody else thinks. If I were to include a section on religion in "Generation Me," I would have stated that the beliefs of different types of religion and what beliefs are within that religion will affect the way that a person thinks and views the world around them. Her thoughts are her thoughts and these are mine. Everyone thinks differently to a certain extent, making them a complete individual.

I believe that Jean Twenge made some valid and some invalid points in her book, Generation Me. One of her valid points was when she noted that today's youth is more accepting towards people of different races, cultures, and sexual orientation, but this positive aspect only took up a small portion of the book. In my opinion, she focused most of her writing on a cliché look at our generation. With all of this said, I think she could have focused less on repeating herself and more on other topics, such as religion.
Twenge believes this generation is more accepting of differences, which seems to be one of the few positive things going for it. She discusses how today’s youth doesn’t judge homosexuals nearly as much as adolescents have in the past. Homosexuality is not looked too highly upon by some religions, such as Catholicism. Personally, I think it would have been interesting to see her elaborate on her view of gay marriage and what today’s generation is doing in order to legalize it or keep it illegalized.
There are a few instances in the book in which Twenge mentions aspects of religion. For instance, she writes, “In case you haven’t heard, ‘hooking up’ has replaced dating among many young people…” “…hookups can range from ‘making out to full-on sex’ but are most distinguished by being ‘between two people who don’t necessarily have any foreseeable future or even a hint of commitment”(p.159) It seems in this quotation that she believes sex should only be for married couples, which is a religious belief. She then uses a quote on premarital sex from a nineteen-year-old girl Felicita: “I strongly disagree with people who say it is not morally correct to have sex before marriage. Marriage is a promise, but all promises can be broken. Marriage should not be the reason why someone chooses to have sex—love should be” (p. 164). In this way she discreetly mentions religion because marriage is a religious sacrament and premarital sex is considered a sin.
Another point that Twenge makes that could have been related to religion is when she talks about how this generation is a great deal more self-reliant than previous generations and how parents don’t have as much control over today’s youth. With this point noted, it is easier for kids to proclaim their religion, whether it is the same religion as their parents or not.
Lastly, I would have liked to see Twenge relate depression to spirituality. She often notes that today’s youth is more depressed than previous generations. Prayer, going to church, meditation, or any other spiritual practice might not cure depression, but it could be a good reflection time for a depressed adolescent. This reflection time could be crucial in helping a person discovering himself or herself, which could pull that person gradually out of the depressive state.
If I were to discuss religion in this book, I would have related some of the core subjects with religion.

Generation Me & Religion

Jean Twenge’s book “Generation Me” did not include religion. From my interpretation of the book, she did this for a good reason. If she had included religion in the book, it would have been completely opposed the point she was making the entire time. The whole time in the book she was making the point about how our generation has too high of goals than we can reach and in reality, almost none of us will reach any of our goals.
There are so many types of religions in the world, with so many different beliefs, but they all have one thing in common: Faith. You have to have faith in yourself and the God (or gods) you believe in. If you want to be an astronaut, you have to have faith you can make it through all the schooling, training, and other specialized things astronauts have to do to become one of the elite few. But if you have faith in yourself you can do anything. If you are religious and have faith in Your Almighty, you would have faith that what you want to be and to happen with your life will happen.
According to Dr. Twenge, our generation is too self centered and too individualistic to accomplish any of our goals. Is that correct? Personally I don’t think so. I believe things are meant to happen because that’s the way God wants them to. Some people think everything is a coincidence, which is totally fine, everyone is entitled to their belief, there just isn’t a lot of faith in a higher power. So if Dr. Twenge really had added religion to her book, she would have had to contradict herself. She couldn’t have said it’s every man for himself in this generation and none of their dreams will come true, because if you have faith, then you don’t think about the things that might not happen, you think of the things that hopefully will. Dr. Twenge has no faith in our generation. Honestly, it sounded to me she thought our generation is a bunch of screw ups that she’ll have to deal with. But hey, I guess that’s her problem.
Taking religion out of the picture was a way to say this generation has to think for themselves and decide for themselves, which is exactly the point she makes throughout the book. So not adding religion into her book really emphasized her point and made it seem legitimate.

GenMe FIG Blog

With this week's blog entry, the assignment has been to answer questions dealing with GenMe and the topic of religion. When looking to the original question of how the book is affected by religion's lack of appearance in the writing and why she omitted discussion about it, it has to be mentioned that the author does in fact point out religion, and her explanation of the topic is sufficient to explain her view. On page 34, she states: "...attendance across all faiths has declined 30% since the 1950's, and about half of that decline occurred since the 1980's" (Twenge 34). Though not lengthy, the author does set down the roots of her overall thesis with this statement. Oftentimes she alludes to the differences between GenMe and the Baby Boomers, and with religion we find her making the same divisions. During the Baby Boomer era, it was common practice for individuals to join organized groups in the communities they were a part of. As time moved forward, our culture has become more individualized. So, by looking at her numbers, we find that she is addressing religion by acknowledging that like most organized groups, GenMe has decreased its attendance. In this manner, she isn't ignoring the topic completely, but there are a few points that it would have behooved her to mention.

To explain these points, the other two questions must be addressed. The prompt asks me to answer how I would have explained the topic of religion in regards to GenMe and what I would have discussed. The response is simple: I would have addressed the topic in a less condescending light and would have discussed not only the fact that attendance in religious services is dropping, but also why. The why in this situation is the key. A drop in attendance does not mean that GenMe is less religious as the author seems to imply, but it might instead mean that people in this generation are taking up religion on their own. It would seem an obvious connection noting that Twenge's original thesis of GenMe's individuality, but instead she moves through the topic of religion quickly, without ever noting that religious practice may not be on the downturn, only organized services are. Perhaps my viewpoint on the topic is decidedly swayed being that I hail from a strong hold in Bible Belt country, but it seems to me that religion is alive and well today, regardless of dropping numbers in attendance. Once more, it seems that the author has missed the point on an extremely important topic in modern culture.

Questioning What Our Parents Believe

Throughout Dr. Twenge's book Generation Me, she seldomly mentions religion. She does not supply a specific section to discuss religion. She speaks of Generation Me as being very narcissitic which would explain why she didn't include a section on religion in her book. According to her, Generation Me is able to make what we want to happen into reality, with no help from a superior being. In her opinion, we don't need to have faith in something we cannot see because we hold our on destiny. I understand that many Generation Me'ers don't practice a religion, but I don't believe that Generation Me thinks that it is incapable of hoping and keeping faith in something. I think this Generation Me is more focused on trying to find the truth, and with there being so many world religions, it is almost impossible to believe in a religion based on the truth. Generation Me is not incapable of putting their trust in someone else's hands, but they are more skeptical about it than past generations have been. They are more likely to embrace a religion that is completely opposite of what their parents were taught. I think Dr. Twenge should have included a section on religion in her book because even though less of Generation Me is practicing a religion, they are still deeply affected by it. Every day we are bombarded with commercials saying "... and I'm a Mormon" or news about the Ground Zero mosque. Generation Me cannot be told what to believe ,when it comes to religion, but that does not mean we are incapable of believing in something. Dr. Twenge should have given Generation Me some credit and included a section entitled "Questioning What Our Parents Believe." Because of all the world religions, Generation Me has more options than ever when deciding on a religion.

Generation Me Post

In writing Generation Me, Jean Twenge’s description of the generation’s viewpoint on religion seems to make sense as to why she leaves no room for discussion on the subject- though the distaste for a subject that could possibly unravel her entire thesis aids her choice in the matter. Within the two-page description on religious paradigms found within the book, slowly trailing off into a ramble about semi-related subjects, Twenge asserts that “GenMe is not very religious” and that very few are “conservative believers” (34). This allows her to further her claim of the individualism and acceptance of others’ views as confirmed by her statistics noting that “GenMe is twice as likely to agree with the statement ‘There is no single right way to live’” (19). As she understands it, this conclusively proves that she has no need to discuss religion any further because; first, there is no one way to discuss the concept and generalize as she is prone to do and, second, it is not a central tenet of our lives. A key flaw emerges when she admits that there are increasing members of “fundamentalist Christian denominations that do require more strict adherence” (35). While she tries to exempt this by asserting that they are more individualistic than ever, she forgets to address the fact that fundamentalists are overwhelmingly under the impression that there IS one single right way to live and that they are, by definition, “conservative believers” (which she claims to be few in number). She leaves off a large room for error by not even addressing a point that completely contradicts everything she had said about Generation Me up to that point. Fundamentalism and religious tension have remained fairly consistent in recent years and they show no signs of decreasing by dramatic numbers. Religion leaves a hole in Twenge’s theory- a hole that she attempted to cover by lack of discussion on the subject. From her perspective, she made the right decision. I cannot fathom to explain how I would have addressed religion within her book because there seems to be no right direction to take religion considering that generalizations on such a subject would be unwise and foolish.

GenMe Helpful Quotes

This is a bit of a cheat-sheet for all of you, showing you specific quotes from Generation Me that should get you thinking about how the book is written and what Generation Me thinks about different issues. If you didn't read the book, consider this me being nice and giving you an out.

Good luck!

Generation Me Quotes

Chapter 1: You Don’t Need Their Approval: The Decline of Social Rules

·       “Melissa, 20, who says, ‘I couldn’t care less how I am viewed by society.  I live my life according to the morals, views, and standards that I create.”

·       “Kids are being encouraged by pop culture to be disrespectful and self-destructive, and their parents are frightened and looking for help” p.26

·       “[I]n 1989, …97% of high school students said they had let someone else copy their work.” P.27

·       “Classrooms are increasingly structured for teachers to be ‘facilitators’ rather than authority figures.  Lecturing is frowned upon; ‘collaborative learning’ is in.” p.29

·       “Generation Me believes … the individual comes first.” P.43

Chapter 2: An Army of One: Me

·       “Generation Me is the first generation raised to believe that everyone should have high self-esteem.” p.53

·       “[W]e handle children much more delicately … They feel good about themselves for no reason.” P.57

·       “[M]any educational psychologists believe that schools should be ‘places in which children are insulated from the outside world and emotionally – not intellectually- nourished.  … My colleagues always referred to the importance of making kids feel good about themselves but rarely, if ever, spoke of achievement, ideals, goals, character, or decency.” P.64

·       “Far from being altruistic and focused on others, the Millennials are the most narcissistic generation in history.”p.70

·       “ ‘[S]tudents learn that they do not need to respect their teachers or even earn their grades, so they begin to believe that they are entitled to grades, respect, or anything else … just for asking.’ “ p.71

Chapter 3:  You Can Be Anything You Want to Be

·       Scot: “ I feel like it is very important to be your own hero” p. 72

·       “Most American parents begin asking their children their preferences before they can answer” p. 75

·       “”Jobs are no longer jobs, they are lifestyle options.” P. 80

·       “If a young person ‘never gives up, then he or she will never have to admit to failure” p. 82

·       “We are a generation with a few shrinking violets.” P.89

·       “They’re not just looking for a job. They want something that’s more like a calling, that’s going to be an expression of their identity.” P.98

Chapter 4: The Age of Anxiety (and Depression, and Loneliness): Generation Stressed

·       “Our growing tendency to put  the self first leads to unparallel freedom, but it also creates an enormous amount of pressure on us to stand alone.’ P. 109

·       “Our roots are not deep enough, our support systems too shallow.” P 115

·       “For the first six months after (business)  school, I couldn’t even get an administrative position.” p. 118

·       “Most families have been able to stay afloat mostly because both adults are in the workforce” p. 125

·       “So in this world where essentials like housing are so astronomically expensive, what messages has GenMe been fed?... we have been taught to expect more” p. 129

·       “We focus so much on our individual wants, feeling empty inside, that depression is often the result.” P.134

Chapter 5: Yeah, Right: The Belief That There’s No Point in Trying

·       “There’s an election coming up, and her parents plan on voting in it.  “Why are you going to vote?” Caitlin asks. ‘You’re more likely to get into an accident on the way to the polling place than to have your vote affect the election.’ ” (p. 137)

·       “Older people complain that the idea of personal responsibility has faded, that young people blame others for their problems, and that apathy is rampant.  We’re not just Generation Me; we’re Generation Whatever.  The young are the new cynics” (p.137)

·       “Kids as young as 9 have caught the rising wave of apathy and cynicism.” (p.140)

·       “One professor at a “socially progressive” college said that the students on his campus ‘whine about the lack of action in the classroom or on campus, then back down when challenged or encouraged to use the resources at their disposal.’ “ (p. 141)

·       “For GenMe, there is no such thing as ‘selling out,’ since we never aspired to change the structure of society in the first place.” (p. 143)

·       “We also lack faith in government and politicians.  The days where people believed we could eliminate poverty and war are long gone, and every year of GenMe’s life seems to bring a new political scandal.” (p.145)

·       “Educational psychologist Maureen Stout argues that the self-esteem movement disconnects reward from achievement, producing cynical kids.  She points out that 5- and 6-year olds start school eager to learn, but that ‘when they encounter teachers who give them an A just for turning up in class….they have no choice but to become cynical about the education process.’ ”(p. 148)

·       “Our parents and teachers told us how special we were, but they skimped on the lesson that life isn’t fair.” (p. 149)

·        “Sacks reports with irony that he had to throw out his ‘traditional approach to higher education whereby teachers assume students take responsibility for their decisions.’ ” (p.154)

·       “Youthful excuse making was probably common in other generations as well, but back then, parents took the teacher’s side.  Now, Perlstein reports, parents don’t back up the teachers more than half the time.” “I’m tired of the kids talking back, the parents talking back, the lack of interest in learning.” (p. 154)

Chapter 6: “Sex: Generation Prude Meets Generation Crude”

·       “In case you haven’t heard, ‘hooking up’ has replaced dating among many young people…” “…hookups can range from ‘making out to full-on sex’ but are most distinguished by being ‘between two people who don’t necessarily have any foreseeable future or even a hint of commitment.’ ”(p.159)

·       “In the late 1960s, the average young woman lost her virginity at age 18; by the late 1990s, the average was 15.” (p. 162)

·       “It is hard to live in a generation where sexuality is acceptable, and have parents from a generation where it’s not.  All you can do is live life according to your generation, because it is all you know.” Andy, 20, says. (p.162)

·       “Just as earlier generations found it somewhat shocking to hear about premarital sex, GenMe is shocked by the lack of it.” (p. 163)

·       “You wouldn’t buy a car you haven’t test driven, would you?” asks Emily, 25. Angela, 23, uses a similar analogy: “Not having sex with your future husband is like not trying on clothes before you buy them.” (p. 163)

·       “Felicita, 19, says, “I strongly disagree with people who say it is not morally correct to have sex before marriage.  Marriage is a promise, but all promises can be broken.  Marriage should not be the reason why someone chooses to have sex—love should be.” (p. 164)

·       “Many Boomers are struck by how today’s young people are so comfortable talking about sex.” (p.165)

·       “The most striking shift in teenage and twentysomething sexual behavior in the last decade is the disconnect between sex and emotional involvement.” (p.167)

·       “Older adults may be surprised by the idea of sex as “recreation,” as if it were tennis or jogging. But many young people see relationships as too emotionally fraught, a dangerous world of feelings and closeness.” (p. 168)

·       “As The Hookup Handbook puts it, “if we didn’t have these instant forms of communication (like text messaging and IM), hooking up would be dating because you’d actually have to put more that just minimal effort into making something happen.” (p. 169)

·       “Not long ago, a high school girl with a ‘reputation’ was a bad thing – now it is a good thing.” (p.170)

·       “Being single is not what it used to be.  Someone who is technically ‘single’ (as in not married) may have been in a relationship for ten years. Many people, especially in the younger half of GenMe, have begun to use ‘single’ to mean ‘not dating anyone.’ ” (p. 176-177)

Chapter 7: “The Equality Revolution: Minorities, Women, and Gays and Lesbians”

·       “This tolerance goes hand in hand with the decline of social rules…We are less likely to believe in moral absolutes, so we are tolerant and accept diversity in all its forms.” (p. 181)

·       “Monique, 21 and African-American, notes that her grandmother went to segregated schools and wasn’t even allowed to play with white children. Although Monique says she has seen racism in her life, her grandmother’s experiences ‘seem like another world. I cannot even imagine having to deal with the issues she dealt with.’” (p. 182)

·       “In a 2000 poll, 70% of high school seniors said that race relations at their school were good, and 72% said they have a close friend of another race.” (p. 184)

·       “Laura, 22, grew up in a poor Hispanic family in Miami and got a scholarship to a prestigious private college in the Northeast. Though fitting in at the college was difficult, she was empowered by the experience. ‘Being from a different generation has given me the opportunity to be educated, to take opportunities and make great things out of them,’ she says. ‘I have come to see myself as a role model for future generations.’” (p. 187)

·       “When my mother graduated valedictorian from her high school class in 1962, she was told the women could be nurses, teachers, or secretaries- that was it. Like most women of my generation, I was told that I could be whatever I wanted to be.” (p. 190)

·       “Studies have found that girls with working mothers are more likely to embrace traditionally masculine traits like ambition and independence.”(p. 194)

·       “While only 30% of the overall American population supports gay marriage, 59%-nearly twice as many- of 18-year-olds do.” (p. 207)

·       “Some teens find their experiences at odds with their religious upbringing. For many, this means that they see gays as sinners, and/or believe that gays can change to be straight. Others find themselves questioning their beliefs.” 9p. 209)

Chapter 8:  “Applying Our Knowledge: The Future of Business and the Future of the Young”

·       “So here’s how it looks: Generation Me has the highest self-esteem of any generation, but also the most depression. We are more free and equal, but also more cynical. We expect to follow our dreams, but are anxious about making it happen. In a recent poll, 53% of high school seniors said that growing up is harder now than it was for their parents.” (p. 212)

·       “A recent Associate Press article labeled the current generation of young people ‘The Entitlement Generation’ and described how young workers want everything ‘right now.’ (p. 214)

·       “They will work hard, but even harder if they are praised and appreciated. This is true of any generation, of course, but it is especially true of GenMe’ers, who were raised on extensive praise and almost expect it.” (p. 217)

·       Where do we go from here?

o   Parents: “junk the self-esteem emphasis and teach self-control and good behavior… do not automatically side with your child... limit exposure to violence…don’t use words like spoiled.” (p. 235-237).

o   Young People: “limit your exposure to certain kinds of TV…avoid overthinking…value social relationships…combat depression naturally…cultivate realistic expectations…get involved in your neighborhood and community” (p. 238-240)

Generation Me Response

Your first blogpost is in response to "Generation Me" and should be thoughtful and well-organized. Posts should be between 400-500 words long and will count for 15 points of your overall grade (equivalent of 6% of your grade). You are also responsible for commenting on a classmate's post. This response needs to be thoughtful and should not be simply "good ideas." It should be between 75-100 words in length and is worth 5 points.

The question is below:

Why, in your opinion, did Jean Twenge not include religion in her topics? How did the lack of religion affect the book? If you had included a section on religion, how would you have addressed the topic in terms of Generation Me? What might you have talked about?