on "The Millennial Muddle"

Eric Hoover's article "The Millennial Muddle," left me feeling rather skeptical about the whole idea of the Millennials. I agree that this grouping of adolescents ('84-'04 ish) can be studied for patterns in attitudes, personalities, goals, etc, and compared to other generations to see how growing up has evolved from the previous grouping, the Generation X. I bet big events like 9/11 and Vietnam would cause a certain shift in the world view a kid grows up with - mine did.

However, Mr. Howe's expertise seemed like a lot of fluff to me. We're a hero generation, really. We ascribe the competitive college admission process to the baby boom and the spreading obsession of name-brands. The idea that all Millennials want a power car seems like complete rubbish. I especially loved hating the line, "For emphasis, he pauses, then says of Millennials, 'They are so special.' “This sounds like a bragging mother at a crafts fair, or a school counselor trying to show why her faculty position is necessary -- who's paying him to say these things? Actually, lots of people. Ford, Al Gore... Mr. Howe a genius for finding and monopolizing such a bizarre field of specialization. When Hoover sights the educational proof working against Howe, it makes me want to say "duh." There are far too many adolescents in the US to be able to make such sweeping generalizations.

Ms. Twenge on the other hand seems too determined to prove the Millennials are more narcissistic than ever before. I was about to say that’s untrue, but is my pride for this generation a sign of my own narcissism? Defense pessimism explains her theory is in case, but I see it as a cowardly way of not supporting her own research.

Only a few weeks ago I was discussing with a friend how an older friend of mine met her husband. I thought it was so striking when she had said, “I always felt like I was born to love someone, but I kept getting stuck with bad men.” I’d never heard someone admit that they wouldn’t be complete without another person. It opposes our generations’ mottos “"Be yourself,” and “You can be anything you want to be."

(Okay, all that said, I love how much of a kick-ass hero Veronica Mars is. I want to be her. Maybe I really am a millennial after all).