According to new research, there are five times as many kids in this generation who are "stressed out" than the generation of kids who lived during the Great Depression.
Wait a second. Those kids stood in bread lines and then fought Hitler. What's so tough about being a kid today?
The Greatest Generation vs. The Gravest Generation
Journalist Tom Brokaw immortalized the WWII generation by calling them "The Greatest Generation." They faced unparalleled economic upheaval during the Great Depression and then victoriously participated in a global war that ended unprecedented mass murder.
Ummm...that sounds a bit stressful to me.
A Hard Knock Life?
Today's kids not only face acne, drama with their BFF, and increased academic pressure, they also have to stare down a horribly weak economy, global warming, terrorism, and war. However, in light of these problems, most experts believe these realities are only peripheral.
Psychologists speculate that culture's focus on the external - from wealth to looks to status - is largely responsible for the increases in kids' stress levels. In one survey, 81% of Gen Y claimed that getting rich was the most important goal for their lives. Another study, an inter-generational one in which members of Gen Y participated in, found that Gen-Y was the most "self-indulgent" generation.
Well...at least they're aware of their sense of entitlement.
Evidently, greed and stress go hand-in-hand. Jean Twenge, in her study cited above, went on the record and said, "It is very common for materialistic people to report more anxiety or depression." But this narcissistic generation's stress doesn't just come from hyper materialism; there are other factors that contribute to the stress levels Gen Y experiences.
************************************************
To read the complete article, CLICK HERE.
