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Subscribe to RSSIn an online survey of more than 2000 U.S. adults, it's the millennials (ages 19 to 33) who say they are the most stressed, with 39 percent saying their stress has increased over the past year. NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.
I’m stressed, you’re stressed, your partner is stressed, even our pets are stressed. But according a new survey from the American Psychological Association, the most stressed generation of adults in the nation is also the youngest.
So-called “Millennials,” defined here as American adults ages 18 to 34, reported higher stress levels than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations, and more Millennials said that their stress level had increased in the last year. And 52 percent of this age group even said stress had kept them up at night.
These new figures are from the APA’s annual report, Stress in America, which surveyed 2,020 American adults in a questionnaire conducted online by Harris Interactive in August 2012. The APA has commissioned the survey every year since 2007.
Generation Xers’ stress level was tied with Millennials, both reporting an average level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale, but slightly fewer Gen Xers, those aged 34 to 47, said their stress increased in the past year or was causing them to lose sleep.
It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what young people might be stressing over: For one, the U.S. unemployment rate continues to creep higher, last week edging up to 7.9 percent. Some recent figures from the non-partisan group Generation Opportunity suggest the unemployment rate is even higher among 18- to 29-year-olds, at 11.5 percent, and only half of this age group believe they’ll be getting Social Security.
“Most of these young people have come out of college or graduate school with horrendous student debt into a job market where there are not very many jobs,” Katherine Nordal , executive director for professional practice of the APA, told “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.” “This has put their life plans probably on hiatus; they may be postponing marriage, postponing having a family.”
The APA survey found that 76 percent of Millennials surveyed by the APA say that work is a somewhat or significant stressor, compared to 65 percent of Gen Xers and 62 percent of Boomers. That’s a number that has been ticking upwards -- in the APA’s 2009 survey, for example, less than half of Millennials reported work as a somewhat or significant stressor.
And, as it turns out, young adults are not great at handling all this self-reported stress they’re under: Forty-four percent of both Millenials and Gen Xers say they’d experienced irritability or anger due to stress, compared to 36 percent of Boomers and 15 percent of what the APA deemed “Matures,” or Americans older than 67.
“Stress is a huge factor when we look at medical problems such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease,” says NBC’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman. That’s more bad news for younger Americans, who say they more likely than older generations to try to manage their stress by eating junk, drinking alcohol and smoking.
It's tempting to raise an eyebrow at the findings because the stress is self-reported: How are we sure that young people are really under as much stress as they say? To a certain extent, that doesn't really matter. If you perceive yourself to be under an incredible amount of stress, then that stress is real to you, says Gail Saltz, an New York City psychiatrist and frequent TODAY contributor.
"I think that does have something to do about the acquisition of coping skills," Saltz says. "As you manage to get past things, your ability to look back as something else comes along and say, 'Well, I got through that' -- that goes a long way."
We do seem to get better at managing stress as we age, according to the APA’s self-reported figures. While 29 percent of Millennials, 35 percent of Gen Xers and 38 percent of Boomers (adults aged 48 to 66) said they are doing an excellent or very good job at managing stress, half of those older than 67 thought they were doing a bang-up job of keeping their stress manageable.
"There really is something to 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger,'" Saltz says.
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Pathetic. Perhaps because they have no clue of what real problems are??? Their idea of a tragedy is losing cell phone connection. Pffft!!!
Clearly you didn't bother to read the article. Cell phones weren't even mentioned.
The last five years have been a miserable time to try to get a foothold in a career, a family, a life. I am not surprised by these numbers. These people are not pathetic, it's the economy that's pathetic.
Are you kidding? This generation is facing, so far, a devastating future. I'm sure they are aware of this. The constant use of electronics is just a technique to sooth the growing anxiety and lack of control they feel over their future. I think people are too hard on the Millennials. They are working with the odds against them right out of the gate. I watch my sister-in-law and she is so discouraged.
Oh boo hoo. Name a generation that hasnt had to overcome challenges and work against the odds. My parents grew up making squat and continued to make squat while raising my sisters and me. My generation (gen x) had to deal with the onset of outsourcing, stagnant wages and 2 recessions (since Ive been the the work force).
Now, the generation that has everything handed to them from iPhones to 1st place trophies cant deal?
I watched my brat niece flip out because her iphone crashed and she couldnt text or facebook on it, Tears and all. You telling me that stress is legitimate?
Gosh...were'nt any of you critics ever young? Ya can't put an old head on young shoulders...and yes...these days are much more stressful....just try to be 20 - 26, a college grad, and get a decent paying job with some kind of benefits.
@!$%#, times have changed.
Millenials score very low on empathy skills. They tend to show eachother very little mercy, and they tend to quickly turn on their peers--loyalty is quite low in comparison to Gen-X, Boomers and older generations. Go to any worksite of millenials and watch this social dynamic happen. On top of that, jobs are scarce, and good jobs are even scarcer. Also, student debt has legally now become an unforgiveable debt, so that even bankruptcy can't get rid of it. Add all of that together, and anyone in their age group really should be stressed.
Let me give you all perspective:
I'm about 7 years into my career right now. If, God forbid, our investors don't come through and we have to shutter our work, my job options are scarce. I have a 4 year degree in science, a mortgage, and a baby. The only jobs available right now for someone of my skill set are low paid temp jobs with no benefits. I can't save any money because the cost of living is so high. And I live very modestly, scaling back my life if I do lose my job means moving to a smaller place (they don't get much smaller than what I have) leaving the lights off and turning the heat off.
JS69,
They actually have been dealt a very, very difficult hand. Wars, terrorism (including on U.S. soil), economic collapse, Jerry Sanduskys, mass killings in high schools, colleges, elementary schools, massive debt, no job prospects, Much worse than previous generations (of which I am a member). I am curious to know what makes you think you and your generation had it so much harder and why you are not only incapable of sympathy, but actually call them "pathetic". Really. What is your basis?
They cannot carry on a verbal conversation with anyone. They stand in the same room and text each other. Panic sets in when they cannot find their cellphone, iPad, Laptop, Flash Drive, or Smart Key for the car.
Way to make a blanket statement about every single person on Earth who was born during a 15 year time span.
I watched the Vietnam war every night. Every night on the national news. Every boy in high school knew they were going to be drafted and sent. The news showed dead every night. The planes off loading flag draped coffins. Go to college and get a deferment was your salvation. Hope the war ended before you graduated. Some left home for Canada. And the job market for HS and College grads was crappy too! Our counselors were our Dads - mostly WWII vets. You'd be surprised the number of WWII vets sons who were told to go to Canada, or go to college and get a deferment. The old boys knew that was a badly managed war even if they still were patriots to the core. They were conflicted too. Still I knew men who survived the Depression, were in the War when it started and the military told them they were in "for the duration". Do you know what that meant? It meant win the war or die trying cause you aren't coming home til it's over. And there is no substitute for winning a war. I have sympathy for the millennial to some degree. But I also know that there are plenty who reject advice from older people they could learn from. They also seem much more attracted to entertainment and comforts over doing things necessary to ensure a better future. AND they don't have to get drafted into war. Stop crying! They just need to get some skills which will give them confidence which will cause them to start winning.
@IReadYou
Oh really, there was no one in your generation who rejected advice from older people they could learn from? All the old fogies always complain about the younger generation, you know the old 'when I was your age, I had to walk bear foot to school in the snow, uphill both ways.' When you were in your 20s, I'm sure there was some old dude telling you how that when he was your age he had it so much harder and you young guys just didn't appreciate what you had. The reality is that there were plenty of deadbeat, worthless people in your generation as well. Making a statement about an whole group of people like that is just plain ignorant. Get off your high horse.
I am almost 43 years old. When I entered the workforce, I thought that I would never see a nickel from social security. The ones whining about it today have about 25 years of catching up on me. During my initial years in the workforce, the country was going through a recession and it was all I could do to make ends meet. Not only did I have no extra funds to save for retirement, but I would have been envious of the amount of money that today's teenagers spend on entertainment and recreation. Then, the dotcom bust shredded any of my savings that I managed to accumulate in the 90s. Now, in the prime of my money making years in my career, the economy has been stagnant for almost 5 years. I save money in my 401k but the totals accumulate lower than the amounts of my contributions for years. All that I can do is keep doing the right things even though people who do nothing continue to be fed, housed and get free health care. Now it is more cost efficient to go with inexperienced employees and I wonder how long I will make the amount of money that I make. These kids coming out of college haven't had the years to know what real stress is. I too have seen them freak out over a simple thing like the internet service going down. That is not stress, that is life. And if you can't get used to things like that and learn how to deal with it life is going to grind you up and spit you into a pile of helpless whiners like yourself. I didn't go into any job expecting to get top responsibility and top pay. Kids (not worth calling them young adults at this point, these people are still acting like kids) come out of college every day expecting the world to kiss their feet. I see it, and I know that others do too. Experience builds character. This generation will eventually rise to the challenge. The problem is, we are not developing any character in schools anymore. That is happening now once people get out into the real world. Luckily, the real world has no problem righting the scales in life and resetting expectations of people who continue to expect to have everything handed to them without working for it.
They shouldn't be called the Millennial generation. They should be called the Masochist generation. They are reaping what they sowed.
JS69, spoken like the spoilt brat you are. Well done!
This is what its like when you become irresponsible for your kids' future. And then if you are an awful parent, like JS69 and DickCranium, you blame it on the kids you raised.
I'm an X-er, and really, the parents were supposed to have f-cked up our generation and Millennials were supposed to be the rebound generation. Who thought the 'idealistic' Boomers would be making a world where their kids couldn't get jobs?
my advice...go north...to alaska...go north the rush is on ...way up north...
Terry51025
You're talking about your kids, right?
completely understand rising stress. Both my son and his live in girlfriend both had their hours cut significantly by their employer. It seems that with Obama care comes limits on how many hours you can work at a part time job without being covered by an at work health care policy. Now instead of getting 35-39 hours a week they get 20-25 hours so the employer doesn't have to offer heath care. They still don't qualify for any government aid because they apparently make to much on their minimum wage job to even qualify for food stamps even only working 25 hours. go figure. I know he is extremely greatful for the medical coverage that he still doesn't have and probably never will. Instead he'll have another payment to make for his fines for not having insurance that he can't possibly afford.
Is it any wonder people today, at any age, are stressed out. Parents today cannot, or will not, discipline children, so their kids are out of control. There are few good paying jobs. Most people today will not work at the same job for 50 years like older workers did. On top of all that, we are taking care of our parents. Its little wonder drug use is way up!
Man, after looking through all these comments, you'd think these people would be a little nicer to the Millennials. After all, we're going to pay off all the debt you guys accumulated, refund your Social Security money you already spent, fix the economy you broke, do what we can to help the environment you destroyed, and try to remove all the corruption you let take over.
I've seen so many posts about Millennials "whining to Mom and Dad to fix their problems", but now the @!$%#'s hit the fan and you don't know how to fix all those problems listed above. Tell me, which generation is running away from the biggest problems of all? (Hint: it's not the young people)
as a boomer we remember the good ole fashion ways of handling stress! all these new drugs are just nasty!
And we would've shown a similar trend back at their age. It's normal for that age group to feel more stress, because they're still too young to know what really matters, so they freak out over stuff that's ultimately unimportant. As they get to be our age, they'll finally start learning what's actually worth stressing over and what isn't, and their stress levels will decrease, just as ours did.
Perhaps they know at some point the Piper must be paid. Our politicians keep kicking the can down the road. We borrow to support our life style and leave our children to pay the loan off. People retiring today are part of the first generation of workers who have paid more into social security than they will receive in benefits. We pay more for health care than any other nation on the planet (per capita) and, if you look at the metrics, we under perform compared to other industrial nations. We spend more than any other nation on the planet for education (per capita) and many other industrialized nations outperform us. We are coming apart at the seams and the bulk of the weight falls on the millennials. You are welcome kids ! NOT.
So why did these mororns vote for Obama the second time? The party that wanted to grow the economy lost. The party that wants to reform and save social security for millenials and everybody else lost. The party that wants some adult conversation about spending levels lost.
These folks know they will be paying for all the free stuff Obama is giving the boomers and the losers.
Gary 420, the Republicans were the ones who ran up the debt under Reagan and Bush 2 and whined when Bush 1 and Clinton raised taxes. They have no interest in growing the economy, it's all about tax cuts, wars, and more tax cuts.
Well, that's a mature posting.
The stress is real. Imagine the older generations - 40's and 50's - that have the stress of living right on the edge of losing everything.
Now think of the millennials - the stress of seeing a world where you won't even get a chance to get the things your parents are near losing.
All the while, in the US, productivity is up, wages for the middle class are actually DOWN over the last 30 years, pensions and benefits are vanishing, the only job growth is in $9 an hour service jobs and CEO's rack up record profits and salaries and bonuses.
You kids need to get together, get organized, get angry - really angry - and get involved!
Do something, or it's only going to get worse for your children.
Our human society is moving in the wrong direction - instead of becoming happier, we are becoming unhappier. The more we have, the less we enjoy it. This is not progress - this is madness.
gary 420, partisans like you broke evrything and have no clue how to repair it. the party that "wanted to grow the economy", the party to which my entire family, self included, belongs, is the party that was in power when the nuclear winter economy in which we are living and through which the Milleniums will have to suffer for a long, long time, was created. if you blame the current president for destroying all of our economic underpinnings through his political cronyism, you are simply clueless.
Let's be honest - the "American Dream" is a pipe dream for the majority of us. Point fingers wherever you like but the future seems pretty bleak right now. I'm 42 and growing up the idea was to get an education, work and save, and then do what my parents/grandparents did - retire with a house, retirement income, you know.. finally enjoy life.
After the dotcom bust, the 2008 implosion, the elimination of pensions, globalization where our fine companies continue to pursue the lowest cost labor in whatever emerging market is hot this year - where's the hope? Job security is a thing of the past. Saving and investing for the future is 2 steps forward, 1 step back. The rich get richer, the poor get taken care of, and us working schmucks tread water with no horizon in sight.
I miss the days when there was truly opportunity for those who wanted it. I miss the days where the expectation wasn't to be a Walmart greeter at the age of 75 in order to put food on the table. I miss the days where we weren't supposed to be connected with our job 24/7 and could actually take a vacation and enjoy it.
So yeah, I can understand their stress.
Lack of responsibility and compassion will engender entitlement, arrogance, ignorance, irrationality, corruption, and many other plagues in any society. Most people simply don't want to know the truth. It is more fulfilling and self-gratifying to continue to accept the deceit, which was born of lies, fostered as half truths, and eventually accepted as reality, and the stress of dealing with that reality has physically and psychologically challenged all members of that society, with some being more handicapped than others.
You have to remember that stress is an emotional state and related to how well one deals with certain life situations. I think that the younger generation has been subjected to very controlled environments and perhaps somewhat over protected. Most are provided with every comfort and opportunity. In turn they are expected to perform and compete in order to succeed. I think in so many ways we have failed to give kids the tools they need to deal with so many life situations, and therefore many feel that they are more stressed.
yes isto there were and still are plenty of deadbeats. True. I'm just trying to say those millenials who think "they are the only ones" need to know it's happened before and others had it worse. Do you feel your parents ripped you off somehow. Is that where your anger comes from ? IT's a mistake to project that on an entire generation, ethnic group, etc. I don't claim to have it worse. I noted the folks from the previous generation. Are you able to relate to others? Are you able to compare and honestly evaluate ? You seem petty to me from the snotty tone in your post.
I'd get in on this, but I'd throw the bias w/ my depression and anxiety.
Plus, I'd probly piss on a lot of old people's shoes and tell them to kiss my ass.
I refuse to engage in a competition of tears about who had it "worse." (Gen X myself, Boomer cusp, actually - brother was in 'Nam, father in WWII, parents went through Depression as kids.)
Instead, I chose to remember the words of the librarian at the Pritzker Military Library when he conducted a last minute tour for me: "The veterans of WWII have the best sense of humor and are cheeful and self-depreciating." Working part time at aviation museums myself, I know this to be true.
I remembered those words when I and my partner were being harassed by our uncouth neighbors, when we were fixing up that house to sell it, during our two moves in one year (one to a rental house, one to our new one), when my partner was laid off, and when I despaired of making ends meet, since I also have students loans (from pursuing my Master's). And yes, I also struggle with lifelong depression, Janstince.
Remembering those words lowers my stress. I'm not comparing my problems to theirs. I'm just saying that it lowers my stress.
We're seeing the fruits of raising a generation of entitles. You want to go to college sure, here's a loan. Doesn't matter that you're not college material like the other 50% of college students. You're entitled to go to college. Want a house? How much do you make? That's fine. No, don't need to see any supporting documents. Here's your home loan. Yeah it's a big loan but it's not about how much home you need but how much you can afford.
As they should be! I don't care, I'm 50 and I saved my money. I blame the generations under me for putting themselves and this country in this predicament. They allowed themselves to be culled by a party that has done nothing but destroy the future for the sake of spending today, and they voted this current President into office who has in 4 years rang up more deficit spending than any President in history, and guess what they want now, MORE spending! I say run up the debt and let these kids pay it off. You know what these 2 generations under me will now vote for? Let me predict, Student Loan forgiveness, and they'll get it by voting more Dems into office. I'll be long gone from this earth before all these bills devalue US currency and turn us into a 3rd world nation. Keep spending those student loans on computers, Ipads, ipods, Iphones, and 5 dollar per cup Coffee and I'll see ya'll later I'm bailing out of this country if things get much worse.
Oh boo hoo, every generation always has to hear from the previous generation how much worse they had it. But if you take away technological innovation and look at the relative standard of living at that time, the best time was arguably in the 40's - 50's and has been deteriorating ever since. It drives me insane when boomers complain. They whose parents had pensions, company-paid for health-care, union job security, adequate public schools and cheap college (if they decided to go). Then they graduate HS or college and could walk into a good job relative to level of education and work their way up and either be secure at their job or relatively easily move to a new one. They voted in Reagan and destroyed the unions. Gen X (including myself) was mostly able to get in before this really took hold, now the millenials have to pay for it...but since most of the Boomers like to think they did everything themselves...pulled themselves up by their bootstraps since they were 5...they just blame the millineals and call them lazy. What BS. Personally, the most stressful time in my life was in Jr High, roughly 7th to 9th grade, dealing with bullies and parents barely making ends meet and not really able to do anything about any of it. As an adult, yes paying bills sucks, and there is some stress, but not near the level I had back then. My dad was a big guy and thus BMOC in Jr High and HS, so he loved those times. As an adult he made lower wages as a truck driver and gambled, so money was always tight. He always said that being an adult was more stressful, but now I see that he brought most of that on himself. Stress level varies for each person. I agree the millineals have it horrible and the Baby Boomers who were used to the invisible silver spoon of government in the mouths are finally seeing what it really means to remove that silver spoon....and they can't stand it!
Troy... that is exactly why the American public should be outraged over employers skimping on their duties and cutting hours to try to get an out for health care. Instead the people are angry at the president. We should be angry with corporate America.
Yep, my opine, that's why corporations exist....to provide jobs for whiney losers. If you don't like it, go start your own business; then you can hire everybody in sight and give them oodles of benefits!
I am part of the Millennials and can tell you its not easy making a living. Just because your a x and dealt with the start of out-sourcing you can't say you are dealing with it on the same level as we are. Not as many hard labor jobs as you had. We can't be just stupid people willing to work hard. My grandma told stories of growing up in the great depression and she is worried about the next generation having to repeat it. To people who think that we are just spoiled, you are right in some cases. I know that i see it all the time. But to try an apply a sterotype you see on tv to all people in an age group is very ignorant. I now what real problems in life are. I watched my wife go through the death of her mother in law an a miscarrage. I have been through complete kidney failure. I know what real problems better than most twice my age. If i didnt have my dad who was a boomer i would never have made it. Supporting youself on minumum wage is not possible anymore. rent is through the roof along with utilities. For awhile we only had money to pay rent and utilties with both of yus working full time. We only ate three to four night a week. If you think i have never dealt with real problems simply because of my are you are an ignorant fool.
I am a millineal myself and I don't deny the findings of this study at all as i feel the most stressed I have ever felt in my life! The real problem lies in the complete lack of hope in the american dream and for things to get better unlike previous generations had before me. All I have seen growing up was two whiny baby boomer parents that blame EVERYTHING on the youth and nothing on themselves complaining everyday about the degeneration of our country all the while didn't their generation raise us? I have seen a completely broken political system and an even worse corporate american structure that continues to rob the working class any chance they get by outsourcing jobs and cutting wages so that they can still make massive profits at the expense of the worker. I have worked menial jobs making no money forcing me to go to college and aquire outrageous debts I am scared I won't be able to pay for. Someone above said that not all of us should go to college as not all are college matierial.... Gee you think? But we are foced to because pretty soon, as the saying goes, you will soon need a degree to clean toilets. Do I have hope? Not really. I don't even know if homeownership will be a reality for me despite my best efforts. It is sad when I see so many youths in such despair because their is no HOPE anymore. I just keep trucking on trying to make the best decisions i can financially.
THIS. My location and job demands I work close with police, all I hear is kids being bullied and picking fights. Then you can't get the truth out of them, they say someone else did it! Something must be in the atmosphere.
So goddamn annoying. I'm still in my twenties and I feel like an old fart...
Dandy416 and others who think our stress isnt real -
I work for about $20k less than what someone in my area would be making for the same job just a few years ago. I have a huge mortgage hanging over my head and I am still seeing people who I thought were perfectly competent at their job getting laid off. Could I be next? I have savings, but Im not that old, I dont have THAT much savings. Same goes with retirement, and yes, I believe I wont have Social Security to fall back on. Im expected to work 45+ hours a week to remain "valuable" to my company. My parents have no savings left, so I am trying to figure out how I will be able to afford to take care of them in the next 10 years or so and still save enough money so that I can retire some way. My in-laws? Ha, my mother-in-law is finally working again after being unemployed for two years and draining all of her savings, and since my wife is her only child, there is another person I will have to support. My father-in-law is currently unemployed, and barely has a cent to his name. He wont ask for help, but I will have to give it to him.
Then there is health concerns, rising cost of living without rising income, etc. It would take exactly one small crisis right now to destroy me financially, and probably two to completely bankrupt me. That will get better with time, but until then, it is walking on egg shells.
This isnt just my experience, it is the experience of just about everyone I know my age that actually lives in the real world (IE not still in school or living with their parents). The biggest difference is that I dont have student loans, most of them are dealing with that on top of everything else.
So yes, Im stressed. In fact, my health shows it. I barely sleep and I have been repeatedly told that I need to be on medicine for high blood pressure. These are problems that previous generations didnt have to worry about until they were much older. Im barely 21 and worrying about ALL of this.
Millenials score very low on empathy skills. They tend to show eachother very little mercy, and they tend to quickly turn on their peers--loyalty is quite low in comparison to Gen-X, Boomers and older generations. Go to any worksite of millenials and watch this social dynamic happen.
I bet! believe it or not Soooo many of my peers are republican or self-proclaimed! LOL. Isn't your post-adolescent ideal stage require you to have leftist leanings? Whats that old saying... If you are young and a republican you have no heart, if you are old and a democrat you have no money..
say 592: Great post I agree. I was actually also diagnosed with hypertertension when i was 18 years old and I am now 25. It is very scary and unexplained really. It has not gone away and the medicine they give me to regulate it causes me to be extremely tired at all times of the day non-stop. they just say I need to stop stressing about things so much and I do. How do you stop stressing and hurting your body when you just can't help much of the situation that we are in? Not to mention it is shown that hypetension is a precursor to worse problems like stroke, heart attack and heart disease.
I I I I Me Me Me Me
Go away
I guess that would be stressful, poor baby doesn't always get their way.
Cry me @!$%#ing ocean.
Roosterboy wrote in part; Millenials score very low on empathy skills. They tend to show each other very little mercy, and they tend to quickly turn on their peers--loyalty is quite low in comparison to Gen-X, Boomers and older generations. Go to any worksite of millenials and watch this social dynamic happen. On top of that, jobs are scarce, and good jobs are even scarcer. post 1.6"
Millennial's would have grown up seeing a lack of empathy on the part of many business'. Corporate Raiders buying and breaking up viable companies only makes things worse. Factor in scarce jobs and scarcer good jobs and there's no choice other than to be cutthroat. The latter factor increases based on prior factors, observed trends as well as where they live.
I am a millenial. I have a college degree in business administration, have been working steadily full-time since I was 17, paid my own way through college without loans, have no debt other than a loan for a modest car that my husband and I share... His situation is similar, except he has some student loan debt. Much less than the average graduate. We both are educated and obtained what we thought were desirable degrees and have a positive, steady work history. My husband is a veteran.
We do not have cell phones, ipads, or cable television, only a Vonage phone that hooks through our internet connection, the only luxury we splurge on. Our apartment is never kept warmer than 65 degrees. I make every meal from scratch, and only use ingredients that are in season or on sale. There is not a single piece of new furniture in our home. Last year, we spent $1500 to have a very small wedding. This year, we barely get by.
My husband is working a job that he is overqualified for, and is making about $20000/year, even after overtime. My department downsized, and I lost a job I'd had for 2 years. I was 5 months pregnant (unplanned); probably the reason that my position was eliminated. Because I am showing, I am turned down for every job I interview for. My unemployment will run out when my child is 8 weeks old. My husband is working 50+ hours a week trying to make ends meet, and though he is looking for a second job or a higher paying job, he is not able to find one, and often unable to attend hiring events ("we're holding interviews at 10:00 tomorrow morning, can you come?") because of the hours he's currently working.
We are able to save about $150 a month, which always ends up getting spent on emergencies like car repairs and home repairs (we are responsible for the maintenance of our apartment building, which is the reason our rent is so low), and OBGYN visits, which our $300/month health insurance plan covers at 20%, after deductible (expecting to spend about $8000 on this pregnancy, not including premiums... if there are no complications). Yes, we pay our bills and pay down debts no problem, and our child will not be in lack, but it's scary to think that we have nothing left over for retirement, savings for our child, a house (that is my dream, to do all this maintenance to something I own!), a second vehicle, maybe a vacation once in our lifetime since we've never been... No budget for any of those things. And my husband is nearing 30.
And we are 100 times better off than ANY of our friends that are our age. We are doing very well for our generation. I can definitely see why so many of our peers are so stressed out. We will have to work until we're dead, if we can even afford to die in a hospital!
I'm from Gen-Y. Stable job, married with a stable home (more than I can say for my parents), good social skills and well learned.
It's laughable how much people want to blame my generation and Gen-Z for problems we're just now encountering, the seed of which were sown long before we were even conceived. Well guess what? We're going to clean up this "great society" mess you people left for us and make sure history remembers exactly who was at fault.
@say592
Hang in there, brother. Get involved in a community: church, synagogue, mosque, local club - whatever appeals to your beliefs. That way they'll be there to help you and you them and that knowledge will help some with the stress.
My wife and I are both only children and my dad (parents are divorced) is the only one who's been responsible. So we're going to have to take care of the rest, and likely soon. I don't know what I'd do without our church.
I'm an early boomer and can't retire just yet (medical issues) - but I CAN (and do) collect that social security I PAID INTO for 50 years.
I took care of mom until she died last year.
I am an older guy (69) maried to a PhD rsearcher in aging so I see both the boomer and elder care issues and the millennials issues as students. My observations are:
1) The Millennials are far less interested in education that their predecessors. Partying -- yes, football - yes, but Studying --- no. Classes have been seriously dumbed down to accomodate the Millennials.
2) The Millenials are coming to universities more poorly prepared than in the past. Most of freshmen years are spent in remedial classes. These are kids with a 4.8 GPA (on a 4-poiunt scale) who have taken all the Advanded Placement coursess and believe that have already completed their freshman year. Is is obviously a stressor when instead of three years to get that degree, it will take them 5 or 6 years.
3) The Millennials seem to have no sense of ethics or morals. Cheating and plagarism, long problems, have become such a problem that professors have just given up trying to stop it. When all the students in an upper level class are using their iPhones for study notes and asking the answers of others outside the classroom, you do not get a very good test. When students palgarize other people's work, it is obvious that they cannot learn or express it on their own. Girlfriends and boyfriends have given way to "groupthink" and "f**k buddies."
4) Universities have responded by building massive multi-million-dollar frat and sorority houses and football stadiums. Nick Saban took home over $10.5 million as a football coach. Tne University of Alabama spent $15-16 on Title IX and non-self-supporting athetic programs (such as golf for both genders) so that the football program could have the maximum number of scholarships under Title IX. Then they claim that the football program is self-supporting instead of the massive expense that it really is. Saban makes the most money of anyone on campus (and is the most powerful person). The next two earners are "Liquidated Damages" --- fired coaches from the past who are still drawing monthly paychecks per their contracts. The next eight earners are assistant football coaches and the basketball coach. Then there are several more Liquidated Damages. Then the president of the university who takes home around $500k. This is a great indication of how football is valued verses how education is valued. Roll Tide!
5) Professors are very limited in their grading. It is true that all the students are above average, at least from the university's perspective. You can flunk out by not attending tests, but that is about it. If you do the work, however poorly, and attend all the classes and take all the tests, you will not get lower than a "C". Grad students will not get less than a "B".
6) Universities emphasize overseas students because they pay more, then out-of-state students because they pay more, then in-state students. This is a state university supported by tuition but also, in the main, state taxpayers. Why is state tax money being used to support students from China and Iran and from out-of-state? But this also brings serious competition into the job market as the students graduate.
7) Students have trouble finding jobs when they graduate. Some cope by going to grad school and hoping that things will pick up in a couple of years while others take temp jobs or minimum wage jobs or anything they can find. This is a double problem. The graduates do not have the skills to do the jobs in industry and commerce while the businesses are unwilling to do any training to get candidates where they want them to be. This gives us a situation where there are jobs that no one can fill being sought by graduyates who cannot fill them. Then along comes an Iranian or a Chinese or a Korean who can fill the job. That's a stressor.
The next generation will be even worse. High Schools continue to dumb down classes and teach to tests so that the graduates look much smarter and better-prepared than they really are. Colleges and universities are under such financial pressure that they will do anything to keep these ill-prepared students in classes and paying tuition. This is simply not the way to excellence!
Spoken like the entitled crybabies I spoke of in the first place. Well done, yourself!
Well a**hat, here's some facts. I've served over 20 years in the Army. I am currently a professional firefighter in my community. I have NEVER claimed any disability from anything. I have an autistic son that was turned down by Social Security because he is not disabled enough, I guess. Rather than bitch and whine like people such as yourself, he has gone to cooking school through a state vocational program to learn some basic skills and be employable at some chain restaurant. So, as far as you comments go, pull your pants down when you talk out your a** like that, because you come out all muffled and stupid....so I put you in the pathetic pile I first spoke of.
About the only thing I can agree with is the fact that the baby-boomers absolutely ruined this country for future generations. They sat on their a**es in the sixties and dropped acid, living off their parents' work. Then, they wiped us out fiscally with their greedy, unethical business dealings on Wall Street. Now, they are intent on eliminating Social Security and Medicare upon retirement. They ran the car dry, never changed the oil or tires, and are fine to tell future generations to walk. But I digress. You STILL go in the whiner pile.
Clearly you did NOT Research the Topic (Millennials). Must you be spoonfed everything, as part of the current problem also.
Gen. Y changing the face of modern business
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387817n
Some of us "critics" were 18 going on 30 during the Vietnam War. We tended to listen to the "Old People" that survived, while many that did not listen ended up coming home in boxes.
Making from Firsthand Experience (Definition of Fact, Dictionary.com: 3. a truth known by actual experience or observation), with most Millennials with NO Experience therefore on Academic Idealistic non Factual "opinons".
It is these NOT of the Real World Life or Death School of Hard Knocks that have gotten the Millennials into their own problems; obeservable: Appearance NOT Performance. Opinons NOT Facts. Emotion NOT Logic. Excuses NOT Results.
100% Correct.
Nobody "dealth" them anything they brought all that on themselves and continue to do so.
Perhaps in interviews, if the "Millennials" did not say those things about themselves, then there would not be that opinion about the Millennials.
Example of the Academic Idealistic Nonsense as Observable: Appearance NOT Performance. Opinons NOT Facts. Emotion NOT Logic. Excuses NOT Results.
And why, madd-dawg17, because Gary 420 post #1.24 is 100% Correct:
Like you madd-dawg17, President Obama has no clue of how to fix anything (because you are too busy with Excuses NOT Results, Opinions NOT Facts, Popularity (Appearance) NOT Performance, etc.).
Example#2:
Easily disproved, you, madd-dawg17, don't know, and neither does President Obama, so you cannot fix anything.
Iraq: President Clinton's US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein in accordance with President Clinton's US Law, H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" that became 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom, justification Section 2 Weapons of Mass Destruction. Prior to 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom, President Clinton's Failed attempt as 1998 Operation Desert Fox that resulted in the over 1.5 Billion of the Islamic World condemning the US as the Great Satan; Osama Bin Laden in retaliation starts planning the 9/11 2001 Attacks of the same targets of his 1993 First World Trade Center Bombings, after President Clinton let Osama Bin Laden go by refusing the offered Extradiction from a US Ally, refusted to provide evidence of Osama Bin Laden's involvement with the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombing and repeatedly used the US No Assassination Policy to refuse Presidential Authorization to Terminate Obama Bin Laden so that the Teams that "Had OBL in their Sights" could go home to their Families.
US Economy: You name the US Laws that President Clinton removed that previously made ILLEGAL the Causes of previous Depressions; resulting in the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion Global Economic Crisis consisting of the Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street Crisis, Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Credit Crisis, etc.. What things did Candidate/President Obama state that crippled the US Economy.
China: Outsourcing of US Jobs to China, President Clinton to receive "Donations" from China gave China Most Favored Trade Nation Status, known as "Chinagate".
US Foreign Policies: President Obama's Failed Foreign Policies with the Results of: The US and US Allies Loss of Strategic Resources Worldwide; the US And US Allies Losses of Strategic Locations Worldwide; US And US Allies Losses of Key and Strategic US Allies Worldwide. You name those Strategic Resources and what they are for; you name those Strategic Locations; you name those Key and Strategic US Allies, their names, titles, alive or dead); before you even attempt the name calling, blame game (blame the wrong people, as also the deflection of blame), etc..
Tax Cuts: President Obama's Bluff to force US Congress to find the money to pay for his previously demanded spending of $2.1 Trillion. President Obama's demand for Across the Board Budget Cuts (Automatic Sequestration) to all previously Budgeted for Programs (like Medicare, Social Security, etc. that the "Old People" paid into, etc.), Projects (like the US Army Corps of Engineers Infrastructure Projects within the US like Levees, Dams, Bridges, Water Reserviors, Dredging Streams and Rivers, etc. as those things people say they want; etc.), Agencies (like FEMA, Department of Education, Veteran's Affairs, etc.) including chopping the Benefits and Entitlements of the "47%" (2012 actual 49%, 2013 update 51%), to pay for the President Obama demanded spending of $2.1 Trillion.
Translation for the simple minded: The Waitress arrived with the bill of $2.1 Trillion for the meal that President Obama ate, and now he is looking for everyone else to pay.
Do you even know what the $2.1 Trillion that was demanded by President Obama was spent on.
Stup!d is NOT defined by a lack of a Formal Education.
Also part of Maturing is going and observing for yourself.
Like Dayve-3554142 posted you did this to yourselves, you too, ashp, and you don't even know why:
Easily disproven by as the Millennials would say, "Just Google it". Go research who the Rich are like Wallstreeter Bankster Bloomberg, Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats, and how they made their Millions, Billions.
Our higher education system is largely to blame for this. We tell young people to go to college, we tell them that a college education is worth the burden of student loans, and then we watch them march into the work force with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. It's a recipe for stress.
Grad school makes the problem worse. Consider the misery expressed in the comments on the "100 reasons NOT to go to grad school" blog:
Our collective obsession with credentials is taking its toll.
So higher education is the problem yet the entire USA is begging for chemists, engineers and doctors. Maybe they should have gone for an engineering degree instead of that liberal arts degree?
Science and engineering don't guarantee good jobs. My field (microbiology) is currently experiencing a situation where jobs are paying about 30% less than they did 4 years ago and they've gone from permanent full time positions to 3 month contracts with no benefits. Even the PhDs are complaining that a sizable number of the jobs available are low-paid contract positions with no benefits.
I tend to agree with you, but I will note that this lack of ease finding a job is spreading to at least chemists. Most of the people I know who graduated undergrad since 2010 have struggled to find permanent jobs (sure 6 month temp contract jobs, but not the permanent job they want). Many ended up going to grad school (which is a paid position in chemistry), but even some of my friends who have finished grad school recently are struggling to find a job. I remember in 2007 when all my chem classmates left college with jobs. Just sharing in case anyone pursuing chemistry is reading.
Pragmatic is correct. The same job that used to pay at least $50k is now paying $35k and requiring a masters instead of bachelors.
The law of supply and demand still works. It's like gravity. Never stops. So every kid in the US MUST go to college. We are flooded with college grads. That is a huge supply. The demand isn't there for every kid with a college degree to get placed in a job. That is the Demand. So what happens. Wages get depressed. Employers get to pick the cream of the crop. They do not have to hire from the bottom of the class. And in some college degree specialties, they don't need but a small percentage of the grads - most won't get hired. This is news that no college officer, or Dean, no HS counselor tells the kids. Many of their parents don't tell the kids. But gravity still works. Law of supply and demand still works. Make it work for you or it will work against you.
Speaking from my position, getting a master's degree can be a bit of a liability. You're overqualified for associate type positions that do boring stuff, but under qualified to manage a project in staff scientist type positions. Finding a niche can be more challenging than if you'd stuck with a bachelor's degree or proceeded all the way to a PhD.
Most of the article and posts are about finding a job. As if that's going to solve their problems.
I have a psuedo-stepdaughter in this age bracket. She was raised in an upper-middle class home by two decent parents who loved her deeply and did all they could to raise her right.
Nevertheless, she had and still has completely naive beliefs about the real world. By real world, I mean cause-and-effect. I believe she was both indulged and protected too much. And I see parents continuing, even escalating, that mistake.
Being older is great and definitely less stressful. When you are young almost everything is new to you, so you don't have practice at coping or a repertoire of past skills to rely on. Also when you are just starting out there is so much pressure to perform. Lord just think of all you have to do from your late teens to your 40's. Find a partner, establish a career, finish school, start a family, save for the future, buy a house, maintain family ties and friendships...on and on. It's exhausting.
Once you hit your 40's for a lot of people it just gets easier. You've been through things so you know what to expect. You also tend to know yourself better and have come to accept things as they are in a way. You know what you are and what you are and are not good at. And ususally by the time you are 40 you've established yourself in a career and thus everything isn't new to you.
Try and have a little empathy for people. It is hard to be young, and if you want them to grow up to be respectful citizens it helps to model that behavior for them. Many of you on here posting cruel and judgemental things are setting a bad example. You don't know all millenials, and thus avoid the mass condemnation if you don't want them to point the judgment finger at you.
Part of the problem with colleges and universities is that they are trying to milk the students for all they can get because they know the government will pay. They don't care that they are leaving the students with huge debt. I am currently back in school trying to get my veterinarian degree and I have had to take classes like Wyoming history, sociology, and PE just to meet the school's requirements for core classes. I'm pretty sure that none of those will help me when I am trying to turn around a breech calf during a birthing. All those classes do is make money for the school, but if I want a degree, I have to take them. I am not at a private liberal arts school either. This is the University of Wyoming, the only 4 year school in the state, so there are no other choices. It is a very useful and in demand degree, but requires a lot of useless classes.
Guess what? Going to college does work. Your first couple of jobs aren't going to pay you millions as wonderful as you may feel or have been led to believe you are, but with experience and if you're good in your field you'll progressively earn more. The amount you pay in student loans is more than made up for in future earnings.
As for the "millennials", a generation of people who have largely been coddled, pushed with both hands by helicopter parents, and given awards and prizes for just showing up are now faced with the real world. Life isn't easy, no generation had it easy, get over it and move on. Or you can whine and see how far that gets you.
Young people tend to be liberals. Now that they see all the debt that has piled up their 1st reaction is "how could their parents and grandparents do this to their generation". If your under 40 listen up:
1) Both Republicans and Democrats have caused this.
2) Both parties are owned by the same entity.
3) They play us like a ping pong ball back and forth.
4) Because "they" own the media, they have gotten away with it.
5) The only thing that will save this country is if liberals join with conservatives to stop the hemorrhaging.
6) You will have to regain the morals and principals of your forefathers in order to get this done.
7) You will have to dig your heels in and fight. Never give in, never give up.
8) Trust me, its the only way.
The problem is that you need a degree because we shipped most of the jobs that don't require one to China and left us with just low paying jobs that nobody can really afford to do. The minimum wage around here is the highest in the nation at $9.04 an hour which translates to about $1400 a month for a full time job. And that's without accounting for any of the taxes you pay.
Rent can easily cost you $700 locally, if you're extremely lucky, that might be as low as $500 a month. Then there's transportation which even if you're taking the bus, that's another $100 there. You really have to max out the IRA contributions, there goes another $460 or so a month, that is if you want to have any hope of retiring. Then you've got food.
By the end of the expenses, you've got very little to save for things other than retirement.
Jobs that require degrees will pay better, but thanks to the glut in the market the wages for those have been depressed as well. And outfits like MS imports from other countries so that they don't have to pay the cost that they would have to otherwise pay.
I'm not really a millennial, I can't really related to them, but I am on the cusp between X and millennial and I know exactly why they're so stressed, the Boomers seem to be unsatisfied until they've taken whatever they can. Perhaps not individually, but that's how it looks collectively.
I have seen this in my 23 year old...since he was young. What I have noticed about him is the inability to differentiate between things that are "in his backyard" and things that aren't. The Millennials are the first generation to have been born into the 24 hour news cycle and the barrage of information that slams them in the head every day. Every other generation out there knows how to turn this off...to disconnect. They don't. And I think it has affected them tremendously. Just my opinion.
Allie, it used to be less connected than it is today. But, after 30 years of free treaties, and visas being used to fill jobs that used to go to Americans, it's harder and harder to say that there isn't a connection.
Plus, it's more and more likely that when something happens in a far off part of the world for us to know somebody there. A point that was made quite clear when that Israeli bulldozer driver murdered one of my classmates. There has yet to be any justice over that murder.
In the long term this is a good thing as it makes it harder to start stupid wars, but it takes awhile for these types of social changes to get figured out.
Having a masters is the only reason I got my job, but then they treat a masters and PhD the same (because they just want the extra specialized knowledge). I found that many of the positions now that used to be open to bachelor's are listing for masters because they can. They haven't increased the pay - just the degree requirement. As someone else said it's supply and demand. I fully expect to see an over abundance of PhD's within 10 years because of the number of people pursuing grad degrees because they couldn't get jobs out of undergrad.
#1 was collapsed so I'll put this here...
I'm an early boomer and can't retire just yet (medical issues) - but I CAN (and do) collect that social security I PAID INTO for 50 years.
I took care of mom until she died last year.
LiberalsRCommies, Why did you adopt such a distracting and divisive name when your message is so clear, unifying, compelling and correct (albeit compleely ignored by all the wingnuts who post here) -- in complete contrast with your name?
And why did all of that happen. The US does NOT need more Idealistic Academics, the US needs Problem Solvers that come up with Solutions and Results and not (Lame) Excuses.
Only looks that way to those that are uneducated or too lazy to research the facts and believe in emotive non factual opinions. Fact:
You do know is all you have to do is look at your paystub to know about all the payroll deductions.
Based on the Democratic National Committee (Target Demographics: Target those with no experience, no education;those that decide based on popularity, emotions, opinions (not facts), appearance, charisma, etc.).
Those of us that protested for 18 year old Suffrage during the Vietnam War screwed up; Voting must go back to age 21, just like alcohol and soon cigarettees.
And the actual way to fix the US Political System is to have our "Representatives" selected a Random like Jury Duty with Vetting. Elimination of the Electoral College. Make Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups Illegal as a Felony Crime with 100% Enforcement.
Michelle7795,
What you stated is just a part of the Bigger problem of the broken US Education System. This is why those that have never been to other Nation's Education Systems have no idea, when they compare ANYTHING (regardless of subject, topic) from those Successful Nations to the US. It is like I stated before Idealistic Academics screaming about the successes of other Nations as solutions; but, since they have never lived at those successful Nations they have NO real Solution(s), same with most US Politicians.
LiberalsRCommies, while not being "Politically Correct" (another term for Censorship), is Historically Accurate.
During the 1950s McCarthyism, the US Democratic Party welcomed the Card Carrying Registered Members of the US Communist Party, US Socialist Party, in their attempts to win against the War Heroes and Popular like PresidentEisenhower. Instead of kicking the Communists and Socialists out of the Democratic Party later, many principles of Communism, Socialism (of Chancellor Hitler), Fascism (of Mussolini and Labor Unions (Blackshirts, Hitler's Brownshirts and later Labor Union of National Socialist German Workers Party aka NAZI)) became the core of the Democratic Party Platform; that replaced the previous Democratic Party conservative values like when they opposed the 13thAmendment (Abolish Slavery), created the KKK, sided with the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, many of the "Old" Democratic Party Members were against Civil Rights.
During the 1960s-1980s there was a reason why the "Hippies" (liberals) named their communities "Communes" (Communist Manifesto as Charters and Rules for their Communities).
Definition (Bing.com)
Definition from Dictionary.com:
"President Obama, this is your Army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of b!tches out and give America back to an America where we belong," US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior during President Obama's Reelection Campaign.
President Obama addressed the crowd shortly after US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior. US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior not arrested for "Terroristic Threatening of US Citizens", "Conspiracy To Commit the Murder of US Citizens", "Homegrown Domestic Terrorism Against US Citizens", etc..
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/05/jimmy_hoffa_at_obama_event_on_gop_lets_take_these_son_of_bitches_out.html
"Chancellor Hitler, we are your Army. We are ready to march. All Loyal German's Must take back Germany from the Jews". Chancellor Hitler's Brown Shirts, Sturmabteilung, Armed Paramilitary; and his Political Labor Union, National Socialist German Workers' Party, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei aka NAZI.
Chancellor Hitler Ordering the elimination of other Political Parties (and did by Armed Force of his armed private Army, 1933), US Democrats demanding the elimination of the Republican Party.
President Obama's attempt to use the United Nations to Force US Gun Control (take away 2nd Amendment Rights):
Democrats Oppose Obama-U.N. Gun Control Treaty
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/07/26/democrats-oppose-obama-un-gun-control-treaty
david, if this were a contest to determine the most pointless ramble, you would win -- hands down. well done!
One of the biggest problems I see with people looking for jobs is their unwillingness to move. If you are willing to move; there are opportunities. You may not get your dream job or the money you want right away - but all you really need is your foot in the door; and once it's there you can start working laterally toward the position you want.
For example, liberal arts degrees - yes, finding a position as a Museum Curator isn't going to happen: But if you are willing to pick up that teaching certificate - and willing to move... there are tons of inner city schools looking to pick you up. I had my first degree in history, graduated 2009.... did a little bit more effort for teaching qualification and I was inundated with offers from all over the country. Albeit, I found a better non-teaching position not even related to my degree thanks to my military veteran status/experience.... but if I had to I could always teach, I just have to be willing to move.
Just wait until they discover that they're the ones expected to foot the bill for all the previous generations and pay off our $14 trillion + debt...
Those are my sentiments, exactly....posted below.
In the next century, we will likely pay the price for circumventing Darwin's laws unless we reduce our numbers or think of something extremely clever.
They will offer "Charge It to My American Express Card".
Will the Kardashians and shiny new cell phones be enough to placate them?
When You participate in Re-Electing the Biggest Spender in Presidential History, You may have invested in Your Own Demise. An Ignorant Feel Good Electorate looking for Freebies will reap the consequences of the actions of those they have elected, But their Self Esteem is Good until they find out the rewards of their mediocre performance was handed out to everyone, devaluing each other. My perceptions tell me it isn't going to get better for a while, cinch it up folks as these might be the Good Ole Days.
You mean just wait til they realize they have to pay off the bills THEY rang up by voting for Democrats don't you?
Wait until they get old and their children & grandchildren blame them for all their problems and hear younger people say they should just hurry and die because they left the world in such a mess. It will happen & they will say,"Huh??"
By The Border, GWB wasn't very popular with young folks, he was mostly popular with older voters and religious conservatives. He pretty much spent the country into oblivion.
President Obama was and is popular because he's been fixing things that we care about. I've had to worry about health insurance for years because I was considered to be high risk. It wasn't the result of anything I did wrong, it was because I dared to talk with a doctor when I was sick. So, now I have a fair number of minor conditions that I get dinged for now, rather than aging into medicare and expecting the government to pay the much higher bill.
what president has spent the LEAST in the past 4? OBAMA.
Easy Myth to disprove: Interest On the National Debt; President Clinton $18.9 Billion, President Bush $16.6 Billion. That is just like the Myth "Budget Surplus", as your mommy or daddy gave you $10 to buy somethng that costs $4 (including taxes, transportation, etc.), so now you have a "Budget Surplus".
Really, "It's the Economy Stup!d". Just like I stated before you and President Obama have no clue as the Cause, so it is always the Blame Game of "Inherited" or Lame Excuses. The only thing that President Obama will do is "Fix" (Neuter) you by removing your "gun" (penis) and high capacity magazines (testicles):
This Is My Rifle This Is My Gun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kU0XCVey_U
Proof:
The typical uneducated emotive response. President Obama, Face The Nation, September 2009, stated the problem with the US Health Care IS the Insurance Corporations as, the Insurance Companies that manage Medicare are overcharging the US Citizens 14% to make Profits of $17 Billion to $18 Billion per year.
And what did President Obama's ACA do (not your non factual opinion), rewarded the Insurance Corporations with $67 Billion US Citizen's Money for potential Future profit losses due to his ACA, this is BY LAW of President Obama's ACA.
History: During the Great Depression, President FDR implemented his Universal Health Care For All US Citizens by getting the Insurance Corporations OUT of the Medical Profession.
It was President FDR's Univeral Health Care For All US Citizens that Senator Kennedy the long time proponent for US Health Care Reform wanted, during that time the cost for Unlimited Medical Treatments would have been $42; Today's cost would be $51, by eliminating the US Insurance Corporations OUT of the Medical Profession.
Go research the REASONS (Motives) of President Obama's ACA.
Start with watching the PBS Documentary "Obama's Deal".
Read:
Unlikely ally of health care reform: business
Insurers, drug companies came on board early and may profit from it
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35989945/ns/business-us_business/
Research:
Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton files against Candidate Obama for Violating US Law, McCain Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
President Obama needed Billions USDs to keep his 2008 Presidential Campaign Offices open until 2012 Reelection. These Billions USDs still needed to keep his Presidential Campaign Offices open as renamed "Political Action Commissions" to push his "Agenda" (Agenda, never stated during his Reelection Campaign, only critized Presidential Candidate Romulan's Solutions, youtube.com).
Republicans in the open state they support Corporations, the Rich, Businesses, etc..
Democrats hide in closets, behind closed doors taking money from the Corporations, the Rich, Businesses, etc.; making the Democrats more susepticable to coersions, Political blackmail, etc. as outed to their constituents. Making Democrats more corrupt, hypocritical, etc., example: President Obama's Buddy, "Mr. Corporate America", and the actions behind the scenes of "Mr. Corporate America" on behalf of President Obama.
Nope. Demanded in a President's Proposal the Spending of $2.1 Trillion that was not previously budgeted for, resulting in the "Fiscal Cliff", the other President's Proposal (Demand) to US Congress for Across the Board Budget Cuts to all previously Budgeted for Programs, Projects, Agencies, Benefits, and Entitlements to pay for his previously not Budgeted for spending of $2.1 Trillion as the "Automatic Sequestration". The US Citizen's Money used to fund the Bombs, Fuel, etc. used for his Illegal (no US Law) Unfunded (No US Congressional Appropriations) Overthrow of a US Ally, Libya; resulting in the destabilization of the entire Continent of Africa. President Obama's Secret Wars (also no US Laws, with no US Congressional Appropriations).
What other Myths as "poplular non factual emotive opinions" do you want me to Bust.
Reagan? Because as a percentage of the GDP and adjusted for inflation (you know, a little thing called context that ya'll clowns keep conveniently overlooking), only FDR beats him when it comes to increased spending.

Self-inflicted wounds.
That a lot of older workers inflicted. We are paying for the mistakes of voters generations ago. Thanks!
We are all paying for the dirt bags in Congress screwing up our country. A vote for or against a person doesn't count. We do NOT live in a democracy.
ABSOLUTELY self inflicted wounds and the prescription of their leaders is to raise tax rates on people that will then move all their money to other countries, so we can buy more 5 dollar cups of coffee with student loan money.
The reality that we will never see retirement is a big one for me. Every day I work and pay large amounts into S/S is all for naught. We can see the ball of crap rolling downhill and turning into a crap-alanche. I say goodbye to roughly $200/wk that I will never see again. The current system favors having a large, younger work force. Systematically, it provides a financial incentive for people to breed, which only compounds all the others issues in the long run...
But, I think I'd prefer my child to not have to worry about resources (food, fresh water, jobs, power) than to see a retirement--should I ever decide that conditions will be favorable to have a child. People that scoff at that idea don't have much foresight. Some of those things are already becoming an issue in the southwest. I'm in the top-end of the "millennial" range. I was raised in the country and taught self-reliance. People my age and younger that go insane after a power loss or have never even contemplated life without electricity make me laugh sometimes.
You mean there are still people in this country that plan before they conceive a child? Really?
I'm sorry, if your salary is big enough that you are paying $200/week into social security, what are you complaining about???
joe, it depends on the cost of living. $1200 a month can get you a 3000 sq ft ranch in the country, or a 600 sq ft hole in the bad part of NYC. My friends enjoy 10 minute commutes into the city and pay an extra $700 a month in rent. I have an hour commute and $700 a month extra in my pocket.
Good Try! The Social Security System was setup to support the Trust Fund, right up until the moment the US Congress signed the first IOU for money borrowed from the fund to support a war. After that, the Congress continued to borrow from the SS Trust and never paid the Trust a penny. As for your complaint of paying over $200 a week for SSI, you should count yourself lucky, and hope that your boss is not monitoring your Internet use.
When did it become a crime to be successful and want to keep whatever you work hard for? The welfare state that this country has become cannot sustain itself much longer. And no, that does not mean the "evil" people who get social security checks. They paid into it and should get it. On the other hand, people who work the system for food stamps, section 8 housing and free health care are draining this country dry. My bet is that the ones trying to shame people for being successful on here are either unsuccessful themselves in life and/or live off of government checks. Let the flaming begin!
You are not paying 200 a week for social security...nobody is.
That maximum you can pay at least for now is 6.2% of 113,700. About 135/week. Now they may take out $200 a week in the beginning of the year but at some point you will hit the limit and they will take nothing for the rest of the year
yeah bill - the ONLY way he could be paying 200/week is to be self employed where the total is 12.5% (84,000 after deductions) so that's LESS COSTS. 200 every TWO weeks, I'd believe (~83,000)
the saddest thought I have ever had-its okay if I don't have any grandchildren.
because I hardly see hope for my children who are 19 and 21 now.
I love them so much I want them to be able to eat and if that means not creating someone who doesn't exist yet, then maybe they shouldn't .
It almost makes me hate myself,as I have had the joy but I also know how to pick battles and prevent undue hardship and suffering.
Is this what the greatest nation has come to?
For all those older than 34 who are scoffing at the younger generation, I'm part of that younger generation here to tell you that really, it's NOT little things like power outages or losing the cell phone charger that get to us. It's real life, things like student loans, managing three jobs while going to university, caring for children while going to university, caring for our PARENTS while going to university, and dealing with the likelihood that we will never be able to retire because our planet is falling apart that's causing the stress. Add to that the normal, natural concerns of our age group like dating/getting engaged/getting married/starting families and it can be a pretty big mix of stress. I think the fast-paced society with the technology we have actually makes things worse. I personally do not have a smart phone, and one or two times, I have had people complain that I didn't answer their email fast enough. Well, sorry for not answering it the second it came through...I was in class, and I was taking notes with pen and paper! This situation has happened to more than one of my friends/acquaintances as well.
My parents taught me self-reliance as well. Yes, they saved for an RESP for me, for which I am FOREVER grateful as I have not had to contend with student loans. I learned how to cook as a small child, did my family's laundry at age 10, I know how to keep my finances straight, and I was a caregiver for my mom as she lay dying of cancer when I was 19 and 20. And personally, I will not marry someone if they cannot cook, clean, and manage finances on their own as well!
I am fully prepared that I will likely be a caregiver for my father before very long as well, as he has hit 65 and is not in the most amazing of health due to the typical western constellation of metabolic disorders that began affecting him back in 1994, when I was all of 3 or 4 years of age. He's doing the best he can, but at his age, it is harder, no question about it...and it certainly took a toll on him to lose my mom from a very rare, unlikely-to-be-prevented, non-respondent-to-treatment cancer.
BUT...I must say that although MOST of my friends are very self-sufficient, SOME are not...and I do feel worried for them!
I was dumb enough to pursue the field of science I *enjoyed* rather than the one that would have guaranteed employment. Now, as my contract nears its end, I worry about the future, because budget cuts are simply wrecking the national laboratory infrastructure that normally would support people in my field.
Welcome to the real world? What you described is not unique to millenials. Get over it. Sorry that your paradise of your teen years was so good that now the real world is crushing down on you but thats the way it works.
I work at a school district and chuckle to mysef when I see a lot of the teenagers in high school. So clueless. Being little @!$%# heads and dis-respective hellspawn wont last in the real world.
Well said MusicGirl.
It's tough out there. Yes, there are plenty of overindulged young adults but at the same time there are those who want a career, who are responsible and trying to pay back college loans.
You think you're the only one who's had to deal with that? Sorry, I have a hard time taking someone who says "dating is stressful" seriously. Wait till you get married--that makes dating look like a picnic.
Welcome to grown up world, MusicGirl. And it doesn't get any better.
Dating was terrible. I married somebody I liked and haven't had any complaints over the past decade.
Good for you. (No, really, I mean that.)
Very well put!
MusicGirl
Why are you still going to university at age 34? And why did you have a child while you're still in school? And how old were your parents when you were born if you have to take care of them at the age of 34?
I'm calling b.s. on you. It's time to leave school and get a job.
Patter: Ever hear of accidents? I had a baby when i was on birth control pills! I guess you think i should have gotten an abortion? No thanks I love my baby girl.. Or just not have sex.. Ya that's going to happen. I had a job when i concieved and it paid well. Up until the greedy owners shut down the buisness just because she didn't want to run it anymore despite there being managers and other owners etc. this was a multi-million dollar buisness. They told none of the workers, no notice and the movers moved everything out as we showed up to work. Needless to say, i took that time and went back to school because todays economy is terrible and unpredictable.
For anyone's information, I am 22, I am single, and I work two jobs while finishing my degree on the dean's list. I commented on some of my friends.
Oh, and not that it's really anyone's business, but I DO NOT have children. A few of my friends do.
My basic opinion on this actually is that each generation is stressed at this age, but that it likely calms down a bit...I still would never go back to being 16, it was way more stressful!
As a note, my mom died from a very rare cancer when I was 20, she was 54. My dad was over 40 when I was born. So my parents were on the older side, yes, that is true.
So...Patter...please read completely before making statements.
Good for you music girl. You go girl. You sound like a fantastic person. You certainly are literate and a very good writer. I am very sorry life has dealt you such a bad hand but you certainly seem to be making the best of it and playing it to your advantage. I did not detect any self-pity either, which is great. Self-pity is a destructive and unproductive emotion. Also, it is good that you learned the lesson from your father's metabolic syndrome (overweight, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar) which eats many American's up alive. My father had a super quadruple heart bypass when I was in my mid-twenties and almost died. Like you I picked up the take home lesson and changed my eating habits and life style.
You are a brave young woman and I am sorry you will be orphaned at such a young age. You have been burdened with so much at such an early age I truly hope things will lighten up and give you a chance to smell the flowers and the coffee. All the best to you. The best is yet to come.
I really tend to look at things as "challenges", not a bad hand. I do agree with the last line of the article, that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. One of my closest friends went through a stem cell transplant and is one of my inspirations. Even in my most challenging moments, there were still times to 'smell the flowers' as you say.
And really...I was blessed to be able to care for my mom. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad that I wasn't somewhere far away at the time!
Maybe that's what makes things different. Instead of saying things are 'hard', look at them as challenges. It's how I talk to my students :)
Uh, huh, and you don't even know why do you. What next you going to tell everyone that Businesses are in Business NOT to make profits; but to provide Jobs. At one point in time people will just stop fighting the Government (Taxes, etc., definition of Fascism), and those people that do not know, and just quit "Who Is John Galt".
Based on your previous posts, that is what you Voted for. And if you learn to do a Causative Timeline and project that out based on the Causative Timeline as a Predictive Model Timeline, you have not seen the worst of the "terrible and unpredictable", depending on the limited numbers of available choices that President Obama has, since he painted the US into a corner, based on Decision Matrices of his previous decisions, President Obama MUST make the Wrong Decisions.
The Next Bubble Is student loans, do the Math most jobs starting off after college pay anywhere from 25-35k range right now. You think anyone trying to make it on their own can actually do that... Plus next year we all have to get health insurance on our own, or pay a hefty fine. If you smoke cigarettes your targeted in this bill, With those kinds of jobs were doomed... If we would stop tweaking the unemployment formula, and included statistics that matter it would be much, much, worse. Imagine being strapped by student loans equaling anywhere from $200-400 monthly payments, groceries anywhere from 200-400 dollars monthly, gas at least $200.00 for that, electric bill 60-120 monthly, gas bill same as electric, water and refuse 30-90 a month, rent/mortgage 500-800 maybe more depending, car insurance depends where you live so add what you pay, possibly a car payment, an association fee possibly couple that with emergency expenses that just pop up like ER Visits, your car breaks down, you cause an accident, lawyer fees if applicable, all trying to find jobs in today's economy. Try adding a wedding ring, marriage, divorce, or death into the picture and none of us millennial's can carry our own financial burdens. Add a cell phone or home phone, because you need a phone to take calls for interviews and you need internet to find a job if you don't have a solid network what do you pay for these. Rich to Poor Ratio in America 1/200+ Japan is somewhere around 1/10. Greed is our problem businesses are recording record profits yet jobs are stagnant until the ultra rich realize (the 1.M plus per year bracket) that in order to create demand the general population has got to have disposable income to spend or save and millennial's have none of that. Younger folk work hard to see all their money go to bills, they can't take vacations, go out to dinner, see a movie, go to a professional sports event. And if your credits bad like many peoples are, good luck finding a job. Things are bad for the millennials, whats worse is that most of them are too young and not mature enough or just ignorant to actually see how bad it really is... Thoughts?
JD - no wonder you're stressed. Really is your life so out of control that all of those things are happening to you or are you just worrying about stuff that's not worth worrying about? How many times a month do you go to the ER? How many accidents do you cause a month?
Uh, JDubz54 that's not a millenial stress. That's everyone I know only they've been getting less than straight out of college pay rates for 20 years, college or not and a broad spectrum of age ranges. Most of the people I know, owning a home is a fantasy dream that will never happen because they've just gotten too expensive just for a starter home.
Really it's a matter of whom they choose to survey.
Look, student loans and college costs are out of control. But they were out of control when you chose to apply. Why not find a vocation where you can get a community college associate's degree then attend vocational school for a fraction of the cost? Many jobs on that path pay better and have many times the security of an expensive college education.
Learn to make good choices and plan your life. No one holds a gun to your head forcing you to attend college. A close friend who is quite successful is a high-school dropout and works-gasp!-in the financial industry! LOL. Think outside the box.
Agree the Gov has already federalized most of these loans so yes the next step is that bearers of student loan debt, which is most of those under 38 yrs old right now, will vote their interest group in which will be Democrats who think that its selfish of those of us who paid off all our debt to be debt free so they will propose that all of us that were responsible help pay the debt of those who weren't and the debt will be forgiven. THIS is the crumbling of the empire, the outright theft of generations from generations to fund their greedy lifestyle of new iphones every year, 5 dollar Starbucks cups of coffee, nights of boozing, all on federal student loans...
There is talk here in San Antonio of making Community Service (500 hours!) part of your tuition for the Community college system here -which IS very good. But they can't even get our PRISONERS to pick up trash.
NO WAY these kids are going to be doing this-it will only de-rail them more from an affordable higher education. Please do NOT listen to anything our mayor Hooligan Castro has to say.His dreamactor gaze is only to divert you from the other 99% of the issues here-mostly dreamactor criminals.
Individual choices based on lack of information, no experience, etc. usual do not result in good results.
We are also raising generations that require spoon feeding (and changing full diapers), regurgitation of opinions (propaganda as their believed "facts" (no experience so no observed real Facts)), lack of cognitive research skills, lack of cognitive skills, historically illiterate (repeat the same mistakes and expect different results), etc..
You want experience (definition of Fact) that proves this, go to any College Campus, and ask the basic questions of the US Citizenship Test. Do not laugh at them, when they come up with uneducated answers like Twilight, Kim Kardashian, Snookie, etc..
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.d72b75bdf98917853423754f526e0aa0/?vgnextoid=afd6618bfe12f210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=afd6618bfe12f210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD
What you call "Greed" has always existed as the goal to be successful, ask yourself: What changed to make matters worse (US Jobs, US Economy, etc.).
IF you do a Causative Timeline, BLAME YOURSELF, if you voted for President Obama. Don't even attempt not to do a Causative Timeline then start arguing using uninformed emotive opinions, blame game, deflection of blame, name calling, failed attempts to discredit the facts with personal attacks nor lame excuses, I already did a Causative Timeline going back to prior to President Clinton; and a Predictive Timeline Model (conditional, if Hillary Clinton becomes the President).
From my Causative Timeline:
As part of the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion Global Economic Crisis consisting of the Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street Crisis, Financial Crisis, Banking Crisis, Credit Crisis, etc..
That "Credit Crisis" does include the Student Loan situation (problem).
Presidential Candidate Romulan stated as an Example of not too smart practices of the President Obama Administration: "Cannot keep borrowing money from China, to fund PBS; I mean I like Sesame Street; but..............". Then the nonsense emotive opinion in response from President Obama, "Kill Big Bird". When the educated response must have been, "Can we (US) afford to keep paying 7% Interest on the Loans (from China, etc.), while the Federal Reserve is giving Loans to Financial Institutions and Banks at 0% Interest".
Do I have to translate just how ignorant that is as borrow money at 7% interest and then loan that money at 0% interest means how much money did you lose. And this is NOT the only not too smart thing that the President Obama Administration has DONE already previously; and most of you Voted for more of the same and gave President Obama a Mandate that what he did previously was what you wanted, including his January 21, 2009 Patriot Acts as: Expanded Presidential Powers. US Military Use of Deadly Force Against US Citizens. Monitoring and Censorship of All US Communications. Preemptive Detentions of US Citizens. US Military Tribunals renamed US Military Commissions. Inclusion of the previously defeated as Unconstitutional S.1959 and H.R.1955.
And because the uneducated masses let President Obama get away with his January 21, 2009 Patriot Acts (plural US Laws, not Bush singular Law), President Obama tried even more with his NDAA, Indefinite Detentions of US Citizens.
So by Reelecting President Obama you gave him a Mandate of YOUR Approval of ALL his previous Actions, even the Unconstitutional Actions.
"Stup!d is as Stup!d Does" - Forrest Gump.
Most of you are NOT ignorant (did not know, as a lame excuse), as many of us attempted to Warn you; but hypnotized and brainwashed, you started your adolescent name calling eventhough we asked you to do the research yourselves. So you cannot used the excuse of ignorant, so that leaves the literal definition of STUP!D. Knowing something is wrong; but, still doing that anyway.
Sure everyone is stressed these days. But the 'Millennials' have their whole life in front of them.
How about us 'baby boomers', who lost their jobs, their homes and pretty much everything we worked a lifetime for? There aren't enough years left for us to ever 'recover'.
Unless you win f'n lotto.
1) Well, at least you have social security to look forward. Millennials won't--and they know they won't all the while paying into it. It's money down the drain. We will see some benefits of it when we cash our parents' checks while they are laying in our make-shift 'sickbay'. Probably a room in the home we always dreamed would be a nursery. That's IF you can afford a mortgage and insurance.
2) While I agree your situation is bad and there isn't really time to 'recover', your story doesn't represent the majority of Baby-Boomers. Most of them were able to keep their jobs overall. Hell, I was turned down from a job so they could hire someone with more 'experience'. I learned a few weeks later they had rehired a retiree after his 'one year waiting period' was up. Sure, the guy had more experience and knew the job better than me. I can't compete with 25 yrs experience. Who can? I doubt the guy came in at an entry-level wage and he gets to draw two checks from the place. Too bad Mr. Ethics had retired from that place.
Honestly, it's pretty hard to feel sorry for the "baby boomers" when the large reason many of you lost everything is b/c you lived beyond your means and fed the credit beast, bought multiple vacation homes or timeshares and then cried when the economy went bad. I was halfway through college when this happened, and already started with student loans with what all the boomers/Gen X crammed down our throats was the indoctrination of going and getting that degree. Graduating at 22-24 and being in debt from school is different than earning money and then getting greedy at 40 and buying nicer things you don't need...I know that isn't true for everyone but many ppl who thrived during the 90s did NOT know how to scale back when it was necessary, while people graduating now already have that reality without asking for it.
So in your opinion the baby boomers lost everything because of over indulgence? LOL Did you miss 2008 where retirement plans were reduced to zero and people were losing their homes left and right? You are clueless.
EXTEE - Remember than many of the boomers "lived beyone their means" so their whiny, overindulged children could have every little convenience they desired.
What do you think caused the 2008 bubble? Boomers with loose morals fudging numbers to get people loans so they could personally benefit. Boomers have always had a "f&*# the MAN" attitude. They gave us "too big to fail."
joemike404,
Then they were morons. Wanting to give your children a nice life is a good thing, but going into massive debt for it is not. Children can't really be blamed for the excess of their parents - it is, after all, the job of the parents to make sure that the children aren't whiny and overindulged. It sounds like the problems you think the young have are caused by the older generations.
It's the boomers who have made sure that Gen X, Gen Y and the Millenials won't have SS. They got theirs, but they don't want anyone else to have what they do. They are probably the most spoiled and selfish generation we've ever had.
The Boomers voted themselves the treasury.
You younger people are going to have quite a fight on your hands.
That means you're going to have to organize, unite, and vote.
Please do so.
Dear Kristin-First, Life isn't Fair, learn that lesson early as it is painful the older you get. It isn't a selfishness that the Boomers are displaying, it is an I've Paid My Dues and Earned What I Have Coming. I have paid in a considerable amount over the 40+ years I have worked and don't feel the least bit bad about asking that I receive mine. As far as your accusation that we got ours and screw everyone else, you may want to talk/lobby to your elected officials about your future and what it has to offer and how they are going to shape it. Talk to them about the way the benefits have been expanded to encompass areas it was never intended to cover, get the Freeloaders out of the loop, get the Parasites out of the system.
As far as Boomers not wanting anyone to receive what we will, You are very wrong. I hope the surety of the system can be carried forward to help provide for generations yet unborn. Another little piece of Advice, it has taken a lot of hard work over a very long time to get in the position to be able to retire. I'm not there yet but can see the start of it soon, the Good Lord willing I will be able to enjoy that a while. The Reality is, 10-12 years after a person retires they usually pass away and leave the remainder of what they had paid in the system to benefit those who follow. Like I said, Life isn't Fair, Learn it Early.
Got your Lesson Loud and Clear By the Border Boy. Life is not fair. I too am preparing to retire. The fact of the matter is that you all have the attitude that I paid so I should get it and screw the rest of you. Well I have paid 20 years myself and will never get it. It was your generation that created entitlements such as public housing, welfare etc. Now it is time to pay the piper for that and there just is no money there. With your generation on top we are looking at an upside down pyramid with nobody on the bottom to pay. It is a helpless situation. You can't just say go out and vote.
ihadenuff - 'How about us 'baby boomers', who lost their jobs, their homes and pretty much everything we worked a lifetime for? There aren't enough years left for us to ever 'recover'.' - So, you got to work a solid job for 20+ years, and it is everyone else's fault that you didn't save any of that money for a rainy day, but decided to stick it all in a 401K (mostly stocks) and hope for the best? You probably also have a damn pension to boot. Too F'in Bad you were so irresponsible with your money, it isn't our fault! Millenials are lucky to get any job, with no pension, barely any health benefits and no job security. They will be lucky to retire at 70...and you are bitchin' because you *might* have to work until you're 66 due to your own carelessness? Too freaking bad....and I am a Gen Xer.
By the Border. B***s***, it's not about paying your dues, it's about that generation taking what they could and refusing to contribute to the pool the way that previous generations did. By voting for tax cuts that required schools to be underfunded and voting for politicians that sent jobs to foreign lands so their investments would do well. And stripping workers of the rights they previously had.
I have an incredibly hard time feeling sorry for those that have had their pensions sold off to the government as you guys were the same generation that voted for the conservatives who made that possible.
This sort of attitude is why so many young people don't respect the elderly. We got ours and you can't have yours, in fact we're going to stack the deck against you so that you can't show us up either. The whole arrogant self entitlement is absolutely disgusting.
to you who think that those "elder" among us who PAID the SS tax aren't going to collect it - I PAID for 50 years. I still pay (I can't retire yet) BUT I am over the required age for full benefits, so whatever I CAN COLLECT, I DO COLLECT. I just have to put it somewhere I can save it and earn a bit on it. Certainly no place in the USA qualifies...
And you honestly believed that feel good propaganda. You voted based on that Feel Good Propaganda, so now you flushed your own Future and the Future of the next Generation down the toilet, with President Obama's demanded spending of $2.1 Trillion.
What are you going to do, storm the Obama Castle. Not going to happen, US Military Use of Deadly Force Against US Citizens.
They did as paid for with Billions USDs of Corporate Campaign Contributions to the President Obama Campaign Offices Nationwide, still as the President Obama Political Action Committees; so now they must live with their screwed up decisions and choices including creating a big Debt for the next generation of $2.1 Trillion of President Obama.
NOTHING TO DO WITH ETHICS. Your mentality is exactly what is wrong with the US. You believe that someone owes you a job or you are entitled to a job, because YOU are indebt. Businesses exist to make profits, not just for you to have a job; that profitability includes hiring the most QUALIFIED in order to make profits (in the case you mentioned immediately instead of your being inexperienced learning the job).
You are starting to sound just like the Millennials saying that they will NOT take any jobs, less than Manager, eventhough they never had any job before.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387817n
How about this instead of my being yanked from Retirement repeatedly in the Special Category, you being inexperienced come here and do my job(s).
What generation condoned, and even praised "Getting over on the System". Who (what Generation) was cheering for the Illegal Aliens the Defeat of California Proposition 187 in the Federal 9th Circuit Court.
The millennials are the generation that was taught that everyone is a winner and everyone gets a prize; while 'mommy & daddy' take care of everything. The real world is a rude awakening!
That's true for some. Though I think the adage our parents/society fed us was: "everyone is 'special' " instead of 'winner'.
Since we're generalizing, I could say that Boomers are a "throw-away" society that think it's kosher to leave your problems and unfinished work for the next shift..."Hey kids, foot our bills, clean up our waste, and try to make this a place suitable for your own children."
Some do let mommy and daddy take care of things, but in the long run, they are also taking care of mommy and daddy. Only difference is no one sees the money....it's a large sum next to an acronym on your pay stubs, like FICA, FICA-MED, OISDA, MWT just to name a few. Sure, you took care of your parents this way, too. The difference there is you paid in with the guarantee you would one day get that benefit in return. Who is giving us our guarantee?
I'm sure the older folks commenting on here, their parents probably said the following about them: "the nerve of these spoiled brats, they have plentiful safe food, shoes that fit, and indoor plumbing! And all they give back is attitude and lip!"
"In my day we didn't have running water and health insurance and... give me my social security!"
did they PAY IN? IF SO, then why the complains?
Wrong Generalization (Propaganda), actual "Work Ethic", etc.. My parents (Survived the Great Depression) believed that if I wanted something, "Work to EARN Money to buy that yourself". Age 18, after getting my Selective Service Notification Card, "Well at least we won't have to kick you out of the nest"; "They (US Military) will teach you personal Responsibility".
Yes, I said the "E" Word and "R" Word, as EARN and RESPONSIBILITY.
put a fork in it - did they PAY IN? IF SO, then why the complains?
Because they believed the US Politicians Propaganda, that Social Security is an "Entitlement" and not a Paid Into Trust. The US Politicians brainwashed them into believing that Social Security is an "Entitlement" so that the US Politicians do not have to repay all the IOUs after they took all the US Citizens money, and also so that the US Politicians like President Obama can chop the "Entitlements" per his demanded Automatic Sequestration.
They:
http://money.msn.com/investing/11-things-wrong-with-congress
Quit complaining. Finally figured out that the real world doesn't care about you and you are not so unique. Welcome to adulthood.
Sometimes being an adult is hard, isn't it?
That's because the future looks bleaker and bleaker. Like doom slowly rolling in. You can feel it, like a cockroach crawling up your leg. It creeps the bejesus out of you. We all know its coming. Its just a matter of when. I think the sooner we all resign ourselves to it, the better off we will be.
No matter what you do, Lady Gaga will be heard on the Radio again... Its inevitable..
(actually, kids have a lot to be stressed about. Climate change and the environment is the single biggest issue among youth. Second is their economic futures and standard of living)
F$%K you. Law school and no jobs. The only people making money hand over fist are the people we have to see. Doctors and friggin politicians. I don't know if the rest of you have picked up on this yet, but back when businesses paid for most stuff, things got done. We ARE more educated, but those who came before are bolgarting the pie. You people give us crappy jobs with no long term incentives. You fire us at the drop of a hat, or treat us like crap till we leave of our own accord. You take our livelihood piece by piece and then complain about taxes while your neighbors look for work. You bitch about propping up dying autoindustries and black presidents and big scary muslim hoards and spend our birthright on tanks and protection for oil shipments while the newly crapped out highschool grads claw over each other for spots at nice universities and work 70 hour weeks in 8 dollar jobs. And then there's those of you who barely made it to retirement and still work because the dollar is so devalued your nest egg means almost nothing. That job was supposed to go to a highschooler, and instead, college grads drool over barista jobs and go to bed tired and stressed night after night. Then you @!$%# on us for being overweight. Your crappy corn driven food system is adding crap to everything, and as a result, we all have to eat rabbit food to counteract the effects of so called normal food, while drinking obviously polluted water (which the government is just starting to own up to, see Wakeforest NC and the entire city of Richmond, which smells 4 days out of 7.) You people were such idiots when you were young that the police force has swollen to amazing proportions, most fire fighting postions have become volunteer, libraries are struggling to stay open, the roads are falling apart and our national infrastructure is nothing like as good as the obviously better off middleclass's in Germany and friggin POLAND. Your generation was in charge while the country chose to start a war with 2 countries to hunt down 1 man in a cave. Your country is now looking for a place to put the vets coming back, who are committing suicide at a rate of 20 per day. You've shut down the space program that inspired you. You continue to ignore obvious conflicts where the world needs our help while prolonging the ones that mean nothing. Green energy is being ignored because your boss or your brother works for some nasty corporation who pays a @!$%#TON. You're overmedicated and we can't even find good drugs without some serious detective work and incredible risk. The drugs we have available legally are only 1billion dollars a piece and all the while, we sit and talk about abortion. We talk about taxes being too high and how we can't seem to find anyone to blame for wrecking the financial sector. We talk about how liberals and progressives want to tax you. Well good for them. But let's be honest, it used to be that business chalked up taxes to the price of doing business. Now companies go where they can extort tax relief for products that bring in record profits and head overseas with no fear of tax retaliation. We do business with companies that put nets outside their tallest buildings and house people a few hundred feet from where they work 27 hour shifts. Why? Why the f!@k would you do business with someone like that unless you had long ago left your soul in a wastebasket? We'd have plenty of jobs here if we took China to task over their human rights practices. You people have the gall to get over on the whole world, boss the whole world around, take what you want, as a generation from all over, and then @!$%# on the next generation of poor, debt ridden bastards YOU made? And we're supposed to feel fine. No savings at 30. Fine. No property. No time. No respect. No hope. F@#k you. I'd go to bed if I could sleep.
What a whiner. Everything is everyone elses fault. boo hoo
I'm sorry, the Boomers set us up to be a culture where greed is the national religion. And it's not only counter to capitalism, it's counter to a productive society. Then the boomers whine that their retirement evaporated. BOO HOO! Don't ask me for any money! I got my own problems!
if you had time to post something that long, you obviously had time to do something about your situation. Stop being a little girl and do something about it if you're so upset.
You sound like a @!$%#ing whiner. Yes young people have a hard time, but so did every other generation execpt maybe the boomers. This is the way things are heading, and you might as well get used to it or do something to change it. Corporations are the real govt. now and they have eroded workers' rights so much that they can basically fire you at the drop of a hat. There is no loyalty to a company anymore. They don't want your loyalty. They want you to work for cheap. As soon as you've been there a few years and start to make some real money they get rid of you to hire someone cheaper and younger just like they did when you first started. But I hear many good old Americans telling me how it's ok for the corporations to keep doing this because it's their company and they should be able to do what they want with it. Well that kind of coolaid thinking is what is allowing this @!$%# to go on. Corporations should have a responsibility to their people and the larger community. And it is not ok to treat people like disposable trash, but that's what we have allowed.
You know what you have? Information overload. That's one of the core issues of your generation, and all of us really, and to handle it, you need a filter. We all need a self-imposed filter. You have to realize that we are the most interconnected global society the world has yet seen. The blown up Baby in Syria is now in your lap 5 minutes later. Most of this information is depressing and worse yet, there isn't anything you're going to do about it. You're worrying about China and Taxes and Syria and 2 countries and one man and over-medication and space programs and libraries and crappy corn and.. and... and..
Relax! It's not your fault. You're on the hook for nothing. Life has a strange way of working itself out over time. This is what you DON'T know because you don't have the experience. Focus on what you can do. Focus on the problems at hand and you can change. You're on page 362 and you belong on page 2.
While you were in the ether, we had a couple of world wars, global famines, inquisitions, mass extinctions, brutality you cannot imagine, not even from LiveLeak and yet, here we are. Moving forward. Resolving to do better.
I have much hope for this generation and always have. Rag on them all you want, I promise you, they'll astound us all and pity, you're not going to be around to witness it.
AvailbetweenNC- Talk to the X-er's and Y-ers and maybe some of the Millenials, Boomers are pretty much leaving and/or left for pasture. Any of the cutthroat crap you're whining about came with their entry into management, watch Survivor, it isn't the Boomers who win, it's the coniving X-ers and Y-ers that mercilessly backstab the competitors. Pretty much the same thing in real life.
Join the French Foreign Legion. Just walk away and do it!
I'm a 59 year old baby boomer,, in the 70's a single white boy couldn't buy a job, unless your uncle owned the store,, so I had to a$$hole my way through every decade after that,, fortunately my kids and grand kids have zero stress today,, because I couldn't afford to have any,,,,
That's comforting.
You're the greatest, Sammy -- "a$$hole my way through".. ain't that the way? And what you said reminds me of a story I heard on NPR about life in the Sudan and to make a long and brutal story short -- grieving the loss of a pet is a luxury there; that's the basic gist. We all have the luxury of complaining because there aren't fields to sow or cows to milk and roofs to constantly fix. We're really the victims of our own innovation and the human mind is now on a pioneering journey of dealing with being "idle". No predatory threat. No worries of where the next meal is coming from. Leaves a lot of time to sit there and complain about how your iPhone battery dies too quickly and if it says, "Low Battery" on more time, I'm going to kill someone.. ..can you imagine.
The answer, who knows -- I don't. I just observe and find it all very remarkable. We're all worried about conquering cancer and other infectious disease and we may ultimately be our own undoing; idle, Edgar Allen Poe; creaking floors, empty rooms, dimly lit type undoing. The maddening of ones own mind through.. ...well, better, death by a thousand pin pricks.
Depressing, but true for the most part......Healthcare and student loans are in private hands, look how well that's working out. And there is always tax dollars to be found for some ill-defined, unpopular conflicts around the world. Let's not forget the squandering of our tax dollars in "humanitarian" aid to useless countries like egypt and pakistan. Makes you want to be sick.
"Millennials are the most stressed-out generation, new survey finds"
Because of the Internet, they are the most informed ever they also see a future being taken over by Corporate Interests, No Pensions, No Medical and Dental, No Work life Balance, a plummeting American Standard of living and no future, just Slaves to a handful of powerful individuals and they hear it from their parents everyday.
Hey, welcome to the world millennials. Get used to it, it's only gonna get worse!
True...we are heading for a massive crash. It isn't going to be pretty. I hear they are working on a type of genetic experiment where they can harvest cells and extract DNA. It looks like in the future we are going to be able to reincarnate people from just a few cells. Didn't Nostradamus say there would be a return of a leader in the future...He thought the name sounded like Hister or something....The conditions are ripe for another demagogue like this to play on people's emotions and get them to hate and blame certain groups to a devastating end. Who knows, maybe this time he'll win.
No seriously....Giggle I'm just playing with you here. I can't help letting out the crazy once in awhile just to mess with people. Snark...Snort...Giggle....Hitler returns.....OMG who would even believe that crap....LOL
Hey Nixon99,
I know you're just kidding around, but check this out!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/rrjU-HBkmLE?feature=player_detailpage
America's most spoiled and self-important generation is the most stressed! LOL!
Poor things - told that they are the brightest and best throughout their schooling. Pampered and coddled with the finest things their parents could mortgage. Conned by the government schools into thinking one way and then to realize that the world owes them jack.
Well, I'm happy for these brats. Let them take their college debt and live with it. They were fooled and allowed themselves to be conned thinking that their worthless college education would get them somewhere. Instead of majoring in useful pursuits, they got sociology and basket weaving backgrounds that aren't going to pay squat. And thinking that they had a right to a college education at someone else's expense, these fools partied like it was 1999 and didn't work to pay for their education.
This generation got the dose of reality they deserve. Now let them live with their self esteem issues.
God, generalize much?
You think you've got it all figured out, except you don't have a clue.
And for those of us who are productive members of society, we're not going to give you a dime when you blow all your retirement money. We're going to put you in the crooked home featured on 60 Minutes.
Stop being an @!$%#.
These kids "deserve" the financial burden from the Boomers voting themselves the treasury?
boy, that's about the most ignorant and pathetic thing I've read on here in days.
like the Menendez brothers?
FYI leftist pigs - one of the reasons that these kids have issues is because your leftist organizations - colleges and government - have been working hand in hand to inflate education prices through the roof. If any of you idiots had half a brain, you'd see that once you make it so that everyone can get a student loan, the cost of education necessarily will go up as more people chase limited slots. And the colleges jacked up tuition because they could - most major leftist institutions have HUGE endowments that they are sitting on and are not using to defray the educational costs of their students. Instead these colleges are inflating professor salaries and building grander buildings without thinking of the significant systemic fixed costs they are building into their budgets.
Wow, it's pretty clear that the real problem is that you're mad about not getting to go to college.
Anyways the reason why there are limited slots is because private schools are exclusive and public schools get less and less funding every year. As for those endowment dollars you're talking about. An endowment is forever. They don't get to spend all of it, they get to draw on a small portion of it.
Also, perhaps if you corporatist hadn't shipped all the high paying jobs to Asia there wouldn't be as much competition for those slots. Importing H-1B visa holders to fill jobs that are written to be impossible to fill isn't helping things either.
People 18 to 34 are no more stressed today than ever before. They are whinier. They don't give any thought trying to plan and carry out their future. They go from infancy to adulthood with some kind of communication device attached to them. They spent time that should have been used considering their future, texting about their soap opera lives & sending each other pictures of themselves. Almost all the people who grew up in the past generations helped around the house, had chores, got a part time job by the time they were teens. In short they learned to be adults as they aged. Frequently people went from high school to the military rather than collage. They had to carry their own weight & a paycheck was required. The generation coming of age today have been babied from birth. They think collage is free and when many find out it has a bill attached they are shocked & offended. It is almost impossible to find a teen who will work for pay. The 20ish age group think they can show up for work if & when they feel like, are offended if told to put down their phone, & if they have sore muscles at the end of the day, they feel abused rather than proud of having done a days work. Luckily the generation has a small share of individuals who learned that they will be adults, and prepared for it. Good luck to those.
Well, to be fair, my 16 year old has a part-time job. I refused to pay the cell phone bill anymore...although it was pretty funny watching her have a panic attack when I didn't pay the bill and it got shut off.
As originally defined, Gen Xers were born between 1960 and 1966. The term was coined by Douglas Coupland, a Canadian born in 1962.
So a generation who was taught that everything they do is ok, that everybody deserves to win, that they are the most important creatures on the planet and have whatever they want handed to them by their parents, are told that if their parents even try to discipline them to call social services, and have never learned consequences of their actions, are not handling the stress of the real world very well. Well Duh!!! If you are never taught to face a problem, find a solution, or work it out yourself, then you are going to be stressed.
I totally agree with you jennilee1959. This is the liberal democrat's design. Look what it has resulted in. Then they elect Obama. A narcissistic, megalomaniac with a socialist dictator mentality. What fools to think he will make it all better. This generation is clueless and ignorant. Just the way the Obama Administration wants them to be. Easier to control and manipulate. Those of us with brains already know what a devious and cunning manipulative prick Obama is. To him, it's all about political gain for his leftist agenda. He does not care for the Millenials or Gen X or any American. He is a traitor who should be impeached.
I'm not sure about the "Everyone Has to Win" statement applying to all of us...I think it started after I finished elementary school, and I'm only 22, so let's say 11 years ago. However, I do see it happening today. There are times when the 'everyone is a winner' idea is okay, such as in appreciating everyone's efforts in say, writing their own stories in grade two. Appreciating meaning a "I appreciated your hard work in being creative/being extra neat/etc"...not giving them a trophy for doing something that they needed to. In general, I really don't like the organized sports things that go on for various reasons, but that's a post for another commentary.
I fully understand. As a parent of three "millennials", the way they were raised and what they have seen over the last few years to not mesh: the fiscal cliff, the moral cliff, the heated racism (only whites are racist; all others can do as they want PLUS black-on-black violence), the hatred of Christians, the dumbing-down of schools, and the extreme partisanship beyond logic and true compassion all make it difficult to envision a future and how to prepare for themselves and their future families.
I feel sorry for anyone who has suffered through these terrible times but things will eventually get better. I think companies have fed into the fallacy that we all need a college education. There are many jobs that don't need one. Our junior college is training young people to be linemen and each one who graduates is already guaranteed a job. When you think back though many generations had it tough. Many of our parents took menial jobs through the depression and then went off to fight in WWII. When many young men myself included graduated school we had a draft and Vietnam to look forward to. We all made it. Just be patient and positive and things will eventually get better for you too.
Eventually get better, is not good enough. It's all your fault.
You are so right Blackbelt Marine. We can thank the Democrats and Obama for continuing to push for higher education and feeding the beast of this corrupt education system, which has more money than they no what to do with. Thanks to these corrupt unions.
If Obama truely cared about the American people, instead of his special interests which helped to get him elected and re-elected, he would support your talking points. Unfortunately, he is in debt to so many corrupt organizations and he only cares about his political gain and legacy. His legacy is WORST PRESIDENT EVER.
If people would only open their eyes and stop allowing themselves to be brainwashed by the pro-Obama media who demonizes anyone who does not agree with the leftist agenda. It's time for Republicans to speak out against this agenda and put a stop to this indoctrination of our youth. It's not the Republicans who are Nazis, it's the leftist Obama Administration. Talk about anti-American and failure to protect and preserve our U.S. Constitution. Obama swore to uphold the constitution when he took his oath as President of the United States. He only seeks to destroy it! And the ignorant Americans stand by and let this idiot do whatever he wants. Just like the Germans did as Hitler rose to power.
When the hell will humans learn from history and stop shrugging it off???? This is another tactic of the liberals. Sanitize the history books and don't allow teachers to teach history in our schools. The dictator wants to keep his people ignorant and dependent on his government. And the people fall for this. How pathetic! WAKE UP!!! Republicans, where the hell are you??????
republikants are just still saying NO! like they have done for the last 4 years. no NEWS there (and that ka should be KU - because that's what they ARE)
unemployment is high. They grew up in the worst recession economic climate imagined. They went through two wars. Also they keep hearing that social security will be gone so they need to save more now to prevent being elderly homeless later. No generation since the Greatest Generation (Great Depression, WWII) has had to deal with so many things at one time. I don't blame them for being stressed.
Social Security will not be gone. That's just a brainwashing technique to garner votes for the Democratics. The sky is not falling!
It all started with the liberal movement when JFK was elected. Blossomed dramatically under the idiot LBJ, who started "the great society." In a country that had everything going for it, he burdened us with Medicare (which later gave birth to Medicaid).....programs that were designed to be inexpensive. This of course, meant that the nation's private healthcare was to partner with government......a terrible mix.
Then his welfare programs.....which cost the taxpayer about $5 for every dollar that actually reaches those who need it......a program filled with corruption, mismanagement and waste......which spawned numerous other expensive sub programs......until today where we have 47 million people on food stamps.....8 million claiming "disabilities.".....parents getting their kids on SSI, so as to bring in another monthly check.
All of this on the taxpayers.....an ever shrinking number of people working in the "dreaded private sector," all the while putting more tax burden on them to help pay for the increasing numbers working for government, who are grossly overpaid.
Kids graduating from college with degrees in idiot majors, who add to the massive (14+%) unemployment rolls.
And all ruled by a regime in the WH, that has a President with a monumental inferiority complex (among a laundry list of other mental problems)......that is determined to end capitalism (the engine that made America the most prosperous nation on earth) for express purpose of "getting even." And in doing so, He has managed to charm a sufficient number of morons to reelect Him to office.......we are broke......past broke....in the hole for an estimated 100 trillion dollars.
Of course the "millennials" are head cases.......the economy is going to collapse. Thank you, democrats.
What a strange little world the Foxies live in.
Doug - We know how difficult it is for you to accept reality. It's much easier to let the leftist media brainwash and control you. That way, you don't have to strain your brain too hard to think for yourself.
well, gee Deb - typically the repukes look at everything with rose colored glasses. Of course, IF they would just pass some "worthwhile" legislation instead of all of their quasi religious clap trap things might actually IMPROVE