I was in a "generational diversity" course at work recently where we would break apart and talk about what behaviors are common among each generation and why, and how to be good leaders for each generation. We started with the "greatest" generation and the "silent" generation and worked our way down in age. Everything started so respectful and nice for the old folks, even excusing their shortcomings when one was actually brought up due to how they were raised and the tough circumstances they grew up under. By the time we got to millennial and gen z, things took a turn. Even the instructor was laying on the judgement pretty thick. "They have had everything handed to them growing up so they don't appreciate hard work", "[...] participation trophies [...]", etc
No, it was 3 percent with the greatest and silent generation combined, not just the greatest. No idea how many (if any at all) of the greatest generation there actually are. Maybe 1? Idk.
If you don't want kids to have participation trophies don't give them participation trophies. You didn't go out and buy yourself a trophy for everything, did you?
I pumped gas up hill, both ways, all summer when I was 16 and used the money to pay for college, buy a house, and invest in oil. You just need to try harder.
I guess I'm lucky to live & work somewhere where the system kinda works, but the boomers are a great well of institutional knowledge, and the kids are working hard and changing the game. The ball was kind of dropped in the late 90s & 00s, but now millennials have surpassed gen x in terms of responsibility & authority in my industry and the zoomers I've had the opportunity to train are legit. I'm not sure what happened to gen x, but they all seem kind of sad and/or lost.