iY Generation - Part1

I hope you had many opportunities this past week to build people up. There has been so much hurt and sadness that even a smile may make a difference in someone’s life.

Are you a parent, a coach, a teacher, a grandparent, a pastor, an employer, an employee? Are you involved with a religious organization, some type of organization such as Rotary, a book club, or a group that meets around a hobby such as scrap booking?  My guess is you could answer yes to several of these descriptions.

I am not usually adamant about reading a particular book that is until now. Jon will be the first to tell you, I am telling everyone I meet about this one. It’s called The iY Generation Our Last Chance to Save Their Future by Tim Elmore. It’s a MUST read and a MUST read NOW!

I hope to spend a few weeks on this topic of the iY generation so order the book and start reading NOW. In the forward, Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A, refers to this book as a “wake up call as there is a serious challenge facing this generation.  “This emerging generation literally is the future of America. Yet they are uneasy about the future. They are juggling too many balls and are being ambushed by adulthood. The pressure is intense, and the stakes are high.” 

The author, Tim Elmore, states, “I have worked with young people for more than 30 years as an educator, a parent, a mentor and an employer. Until recently, I have remained quite optimistic about their future. But these days I’m feeling something different. I am frightened about what the world may look like in years to come and angry at how we have failed the generation who will be running the world. They are your kids. They are your neighbor’s kids. They are your students. They are your athletes. They are your young employees. They are your future. Our future. They are Generation iY. And I believe they’re in trouble.”

So we have an understanding of this group of young people, Generation Y, or the Millennials, is generally defined as those born from 1980 – 2002. I have designated those born in the 1980’s as a separate group than those born in the 1990’s. It’s the 1990’s group that I designate as the iY generation. There are many similarities between these two groups, however, “in volumes of other ways they stand in stark contrast to them. Why this title? It’s because of the tangible impact of the “I” world (the Internet) on their lives. This population has literally grown up online. Theirs is the world of the iPod, iBook, iChat, iMovie, iPad, and iTunes.

Jason and his wife Michelle who both are head coaches, college football and high school basketball respectively, were the ones to introduce me to this book. It was their frustration with athletes today that motivated them to hear a speaker at a conference discussing the characteristics of this age group and how coaching must change. The book will not only give an explanation of why this age group is the way they are but then solutions. This is NOT just a book for coaches although I would argue that we are all coaches. It’s for all of us as this generation will impact our lives as leaders.

This week’s blog will be a brief outline or “portrait” of this generation. Each week will follow more information and then solutions of what we can all do to contribute to this generation’s success. In no way will my blogs take the place of you reading the entire book for yourself, however.

According to Tim Elmore, his research reveals four words that describe the reality of Generation iY:

First, they are An Overwhelmed Generation.  Their stress comes from both internal and external sources, and stress can also stem from a lack of healthy pressure growing up. “Children who lived with undue comfort through high school may face a shock when they enter college and face demands that are a little closer to adult life.” Another source of stress can also come from within. “They want to be the best. And from the time they’re small, they’ve been told they are the best – they are special, they have unlimited potential.” Trying to live up to these expectations definitely adds to their stress.

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Second, they are An Overconnected Generation. They can get lost in a virtual world of online fantasy video games or a social world of texting, Facebook, and Twitter. “It’s a coping mechanism. They survive by escaping reality and becoming someone else.” Instead of spending time as they are growing up to develop of sense of who they are as an individual and developing their values to live by, they are constantly on Twitter with their friends. They are continuously plugged in so the question begs when will they unplug and discover their own identity? These young people have “miserable relationship skills and low emotional intelligence. Because so much of their life is connected by technology, young people can fail to develop face-to-face people skills. They are short on patience, listening skills, and conflict resolution.”

Third, they are An Overprotected Generation. This generation has grown up with safety seats, safety belts, helmets when biking, skiing etc. They’ve been discouraged from going places on their own, they’ve been shielded from financial realities, and they’ve spent a great deal of time inside, in front of a screen. America has become obsessed with protecting children at all costs, and this generation has suffered from that obsession.” I don’t think that Tim is saying these safety features are all bad; however, it’s in conjunction with all of these other areas that adds to the difficulties for these young people. Tim asks the question, “Will our overemphasis on safety and security produce a generation of kids who simply don’t know how to find their way in the world?”

Fourth, they are An Overserved Generation. “We live in the age of the ‘wanted child.’ That’s not a bad thing in itself. The problem comes when we give our young people an overinflated idea of their own importance. According to a nationwide high school survey, more than eight out of ten believe they are very important people. They feel entitled to special treatment as they enter the adult world.” If you remember back to the 80’s, parents, teachers, and society in general wanted to increase children’s self-esteem. In and of itself, that’s not a bad thing. However, we took it to an extreme and decided that children should always feel good about themselves. Participation medals/ribbons for everyone. (More on that in a later blog.) In addition, as parents we are guilty of serving our children rather than teaching and challenging them. This involves all areas of life from simple things such as doing one’s own laundry to how to handle money.

The upside of this generation is that they really do want to change the world; they “just don’t have what it takes to accomplish their lofty dreams. When the work becomes difficult, they change their minds and move on to something else. There’s a contrast of being a slacker and an activist. Because of this, for most of them, their involvement in a cause is to buy a wrist band.”

If you have found yourself thinking that these descriptions are sounding familiar as you parent, coach, or employ young people then you are not the only one shaking your head and having difficulty understanding them. You are also probably having a difficult time figuring out what will work to motivate them and how to challenge them to commit to anything long term. The good news is there is a reason and there are solutions.

I wish you a week of reflection as you watch and observe the young people in your life. I also urge you to buy this book, begin reading, and then send me your thoughts and comments.