There have been a spate of TikTok videos from Gen Zers bemoaning their fate as work-a-day plebes, now that they’ve graduated from college. This one from Brielle went viral a few months ago. “. . .this is my first 9-5 job after college and I am in person and I’m commuting into the city and it takes me fucking forever to get there. There is no way I’m gonna be able to afford living in the city now so that’s off the table. I get on the train at 7:30 and I don’t get home til 6:15 earliest, and I don’t have time to do anything! I want to shower, eat my dinner and go to sleep. I don’t have time or energy to cook my dinner, I don’t have time or energy to workout so that’s out the window. . .”
Wise advice, Jen. Sounds like what my wife said to our kids when they were in HS. "Get a job." Then when they were in college "Get an internship and build a network." Best, Frank
Seriously. People today have no idea that for most of human history, pretty much all your waking hours were spent working hard just to survive. It wasn’t that long ago that a standard work week was 14-16 hours a day, six days a week. Most of us have it easier than 99.9% of humans throughout history.
Ha! Kinda boomer sounding. Actual boomer here, so I can say that!
Anyway, I won't go into detail about my young work past except to say it mirrors your in terms of working and sleeping and that's all for years when I was young.
I have this thought which goes along with your thoughts on expanded leisure time being relatively new and now kind of baked into the young people's expectations.
Back when everyone was scratching the ground just to get enough to eat to stay alive and literally keep their family alive people didn't have time to wonder whether they were a man or a woman.
Leisure time is a relatively new phenomena. Looking around society today I would say that there is actually too much leisure these days. People do better with having work and accomplishment.
As a boomer I already am the "get off my lawn" old dude when it comes to complaining about how "hard" life is. To your list of how easy life is, add clean water, electricity, etc. I keep reflecting more and more about the quote: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” Wow are we heading into such hard times based upon the weakness of thought, perspective, spirit, ethics, etc. How is that for "Get off my lawn"? LOL!
Teachers are often vilified and defamed with the idea that we don't work long hours and have excess vacations. I WORKED LONGER HOURS THAN THIS YOUNG WOMAN WHEN I TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN. I apologize for the caps. I attended workshops and researched the best ways to teach math (American children are deficient in spacial thinking, most commonly) during my weeks off. I went in during the summer to help scrub my classroom and clean the closets. I stayed at the school often until almost 8 PM. I wrote lesson plans and prepared materials at home. I brought in personally owned science materials when the school would not spend on the materials for a special project. I made my own homework sheets because the ones available commercially and from the NYCDOE were lame. I called the Chancellor's office and suggested they take suggestions from actual teachers for better homework and worksheet materials. (this rang on deaf ears)
This young woman is spoiled, and I have grave concerns for the children coming up in the schools today.
Wise advice, Jen. Sounds like what my wife said to our kids when they were in HS. "Get a job." Then when they were in college "Get an internship and build a network." Best, Frank
Seriously. People today have no idea that for most of human history, pretty much all your waking hours were spent working hard just to survive. It wasn’t that long ago that a standard work week was 14-16 hours a day, six days a week. Most of us have it easier than 99.9% of humans throughout history.
Exactly.
Enuf said
Ha! Kinda boomer sounding. Actual boomer here, so I can say that!
Anyway, I won't go into detail about my young work past except to say it mirrors your in terms of working and sleeping and that's all for years when I was young.
I have this thought which goes along with your thoughts on expanded leisure time being relatively new and now kind of baked into the young people's expectations.
Back when everyone was scratching the ground just to get enough to eat to stay alive and literally keep their family alive people didn't have time to wonder whether they were a man or a woman.
Leisure time is a relatively new phenomena. Looking around society today I would say that there is actually too much leisure these days. People do better with having work and accomplishment.
Next I'll be shouting "Get off my lawn!". I don't mind sounding old. It is what it is!
As a boomer I already am the "get off my lawn" old dude when it comes to complaining about how "hard" life is. To your list of how easy life is, add clean water, electricity, etc. I keep reflecting more and more about the quote: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” Wow are we heading into such hard times based upon the weakness of thought, perspective, spirit, ethics, etc. How is that for "Get off my lawn"? LOL!
Great essay Jennifer, as usual. Thank you.
Ha! I thought the same thing!
Teachers are often vilified and defamed with the idea that we don't work long hours and have excess vacations. I WORKED LONGER HOURS THAN THIS YOUNG WOMAN WHEN I TAUGHT KINDERGARTEN. I apologize for the caps. I attended workshops and researched the best ways to teach math (American children are deficient in spacial thinking, most commonly) during my weeks off. I went in during the summer to help scrub my classroom and clean the closets. I stayed at the school often until almost 8 PM. I wrote lesson plans and prepared materials at home. I brought in personally owned science materials when the school would not spend on the materials for a special project. I made my own homework sheets because the ones available commercially and from the NYCDOE were lame. I called the Chancellor's office and suggested they take suggestions from actual teachers for better homework and worksheet materials. (this rang on deaf ears)
This young woman is spoiled, and I have grave concerns for the children coming up in the schools today.
The recent video I got shown was a girl who was proud to be working on a building yard.
The video then cut and she was in her car crying.
The guys had sent her out with a list 😂😂.
A long stand. Tartan paint. A glass hammer. The one that has me crying was the 10ft fallopian tube 😂.