Generation Y (am i?) :)

By E Jay Monday, October 17, 2011

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POP vs DUNIA

Not until quite recently I knew the term "Generation Y". And to my surprise, some of us are considered Generation Y, well, if u were born after 1976 that is...   *wink*    ... And so they said..

So, what is Generation Y? Who are they? How are their attitude and behavior? Is it difficult to deal with them?

Variety of issues and comments were made for Generation Y, whom some have grown up and entered the working world. Some raised issue on their responsibility to educate the next generation (generation Z) to be more persistent in nature. How are generation Y doing; spiritually, politically and economically?

Study has shown that Generation Y is a generation that lives in cyberspace, virtual, IT, YM, IM, Facebook, blogs, internet, broadband, mobile phones, or better known as the gateway to the generation of the Millennium / millennial .. Needless to say, they were born during the dawn of Digital Revolution era.

Some say Generation Y is an individual born from the year 1979 to 1994. There is other debatable opinion stated that they were born between the year 1976 to 2001. However, the researchers have agreed Generation Y born from the year 1980 (beginning of the digital revolution) until 1988.

Generation Y is said to be familiar with IT facilities and lack of challenges in life especially employment, but are exposed to emotional challenges, lack of reasoning, sexual crisis and deficient in spiritual belief.

Majority of Gen Y prefer working easily without having to perform analytical  or complex thinking, nonetheless, education or life experience  will make them wise provided there is a mentor who can guide them away from sinking deeper in the IT and cyber world.

The challenges arisen mostly on lacking of social boundaries and partly due to our Islamic education system (in Malaysia) focused more on the examination rather than appreciation through practice in life. It is said most of the teachers at school did not succeed in bringing their religious practices within the meaning of life because teachers also have their own obstacles and challenges in four-dimensional appreciation of human maturity; individual, social, moral and religious.  J-Qaf thus introduced. Better late than never isn’t it? Or is it too late?

What are the consequences? New phenomena takes place; babies out of wedlock, babies’ abandonment, hell riders (rempit), bohjan, bohsia and much more new kinds of challenges face by the youth nowadays in the new millennium.

Generation Y is said, too dependent on IT and technology. For example:-
1. If the washing machine is damaged means, clothes cannot be washed, resulting in less effort to wash manually.

2. To gain success in the exam, one must attend tuition classes as long as one has own effort and will to be successful.  (Congrtaz!! Madiha was able to gain 20A even when she came from a poor family).

Gen Y is known amongst the lecturers for those whom like to "copy and paste" every assignment given without any attempt to seek information, analyze data, and hypothesize.

Gen Y is also known among employers as individuals who want to relax at work, to work only within the job description and without a little more effort for experience and knowledge. “I want an easy work but getting higher paycheck.”

They are much less interested in the work that pays a little cheaper but a lot of experience and skills has to offer especially to heighten one’s personal entrepreneurship.  For example, not many choose to work in nurseries or kindergarten that offer low salary but full of experience which could enhance the personal skills and potential for setting up a new business. Among the best system of nursery practice starting from the bottom up is a new nursery in the city alhumairaa Bangi. Unfortunately, generation Y does not see it that way.

 

“Gen Y, are we like what they say we are?”

Gen Y must be prepared to change all the assumptions, perceptions and public perceptions about them.

 

 “We are different alright, but that doesn’t mean we are not up to the challenge. To cope, some old schools of thoughts need to be changed as well in tandem with the modern and evolving society nowadays”     *wink*