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Abstract
This essay is aimed at discussing three articles written by Jeffery Zaslow (2013), Stephen Marche (2014), and Lee Rainie (2014) who examine the challenges that can be faced by young individuals. Some of these obstacles can be attributed to various generational differences. For instance, one can mention the attitudes towards such aspects as technology, rewards, and work discipline. However, more attention should be paid to the barriers that considerably impair the social mobility of many people.
This task can be essential for improving the lives of many people who tend to believe that society is not governed by the principles of equity and fairness. If these problems are not addressed efficiently, the tensions in society will only intensify. It is one of the dangers that should be recognized by various stakeholders.
Introduction
Various researchers and journalists pay attention to the difficulties that are often encountered by young people. In part, these challenges can be explained by the differences in values, worldviews, and lifestyles. Very often, they can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings. These issues can be discussed with the help of three articles written by Lee Rainie (2014), Jeffery Zaslow (2014), and Stephen Marche (2014).
These sources highlight the experiences of those people who were born in the nineties. The writers show that in many cases, young individuals cannot integrate into the modern workplace governed by the rules adopted by previous generations. Nevertheless, the fundamental problem is that these people are frequently deprived of the opportunity to climb the social ladder due to various mechanisms that enforce or even widen the inequalities existing in the community.
The barriers that young people have to overcome
There are common themes explored by each of these writers. In particular, one should mention the factors that prevent young people from adjusting to the norms of the organizations that are run by older individuals. It should be mentioned that Lee Raine (2014) and Jeffery Zaslow (2014) examine a common theme. They focus on the misunderstanding between young workers and employers. It should be kept in mind that their education was based on different principles. For example, people, who were born in the late nineties, are more accustomed to praise. As a result, these individuals tend to be more narcissistic and self-centered (Zaslow, 2014, p. 221).
It is one of the reasons why some companies prefer to develop the so-called “praise programs” that can motivate such employees (Zaslow, 2014, p. 224). More importantly, they feel very insecure if they are not complimented regularly (Zaslow, 2014, p. 221). Furthermore, many of them cannot adequately respond to criticisms. Such experiences are not familiar to Baby Boomers or Generation X. Furthermore, they regard information technologies as inseparable parts of their lives. The use of these tools facilitates almost every activity in which they are engaged. However, they tend to overlook some of the norms developed and accepted by older people.
For instance, they can forget about the requirements for the use of confidential data (Rainie, 2014, p. 231). Furthermore, it is very hard for them to concentrate on a certain task for a long time (Rainie, 2014, p. 231). As a result, younger workers cannot complete their tasks on time. These details should not be overlooked by HR professionals who need to design better environmental programs for new hires.
In his article, Stephen Marche also discusses the problems encountered by younger people. In particular, he explores the economic hardships that they face. One should keep in mind that they have already incurred considerable debts because they had to borrow money to pay their tuition fees (Marche, 2014, p. 257). In particular, they can owe about $ 27. 000. It is one of the difficulties that should not be disregarded.
Furthermore, they often have to accept jobs that are not related to their educational backgrounds (Marche, 2014, p. 25). As a rule, these jobs are very low-paid. So, these people have fewer opportunities for raising their social status. They can also believe that many of their efforts have been useless. Therefore, it is possible to argue that unlike Lee Rainie and Jeffery Zaslow, Stephen Marche explores a more complex problem.
The first two authors examine these issues from the perspective of HR management. In turn, Stephen Marche analyzes various socio-economic factors that impact a great number of people. This discussion is more interesting because readers can get a better idea about the major trends affecting the entire community. These problems cannot be reduced only to the conflicts occurring in the workplace. Much attention should also be paid to the work of state institutions as well as various businesses. It is one of the details that should be identified.
Additionally, the writers adopt different attitudes towards the problems faced by younger people. For instance, Lee Rainie (2014) recognizes the importance of generational conflicts. In particular, he admits that different attitudes towards the use of technologies can create significant challenges for workers and employers. Nevertheless, this author also stresses the idea that these differences can be reconciled. Moreover, this diversity can eventually improve the efficiency of modern businesses. So, this journalist does not see any insurmountable obstacles that can deprive young people of career opportunities.
In contrast, Stephen Marche (2014) believes that the problems cannot be addressed efficiently without profound changes in the community. He is convinced that modern America is dominated by the so-called aristocracy or a group of individuals who can easily secure their high social status even though they do not have any qualities that can distinguish them. For instance, one cannot say that they are always more productive, talented, or creative (Marche, 2014).
Thus, his article is a call for urgent changes that should be implemented by different policy-makers and legislators. They should transform the work of the existing institutions. So, this writer feels more concerned about the challenges that young individuals can face. It is one of the main differences that should be taken into account by the readers.
Discussion
One should bear in mind that such difficulties are familiar to many newcomers who have to adjust to the norms of the community. In part, this argument is relevant to young adults. They inevitably have to modify some aspects of their behavior to become accepted. The key issue is that such barriers become more difficult to overcome. In many cases, the success of individuals cannot be explained by their motivation, productivity, or talent (Marche, 2014).
More attention should be paid to the social class to which their parents belong. Thus, policy-makers must create mechanisms that can help young adults integrate into society. Admittedly, young people also need to re-evaluate some aspects of their behavior. In particular, they should bear in mind that there are certain norms that every worker is expected to follow. For instance, one can mention the necessity to follow the confidentiality rules developed by businesses (Rainie, 2014).
Moreover, they should remember that praise is not perceived in the same way by the representatives of different generations. These details are necessary for explaining many of the problems that are closely familiar to these people. Each of these three articles is informative because they help readers understand the complexity of modern inequalities. These problems are more likely to influence the lives of younger people who may believe that they are disadvantaged by current economic policies and social norms.
Conclusion
Overall, this discussion indicates that generational differences can lead to misunderstanding and even conflicts in various settings (Rainie, 2014). Nevertheless, the main issue is that people, who graduate from colleges and universities, are more likely to struggle with the barriers that limit their upward social mobility (Marche, 2014). Admittedly, in many cases, these obstacles can be explained by the differences in lifestyles, behavioral norms, and attitudes.
Nevertheless, these difficulties can be overcome. More attention should be paid to the work of businesses or educational organizations because their inefficiencies prevent many individuals from overcoming their economic hardships. One should concentrate on the creation of meritocratic mechanisms that can enable people to become more affluent and self-sufficient. They should see that motivation, hard work, and talent are sufficient for success. It is the primary objective that should be attained by modern legislators.
Reference List
Marche, S. (2014). We Are Not All Created Equal: The truth about the American class system. In J. Scenters-Zapico (Ed.), Identity: A Reader for Writers (pp. 255-257). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Rainie, L. (2014). Digital Natives Invade the Workplace. In J. Scenters-Zapico (Ed.), Identity: A Reader for Writers (pp. 226-234). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Zaslow, J. (2014). The Most Praised Generation Goes to Work. In J. Scenters-Zapico (Ed.), Identity: A Reader for Writers (pp. 220-225). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
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