Generation Y | There From Here

“I Hate My Teenage Daughter”: A New Normal?

January 11, 2012 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

“I Hate My Teenage Daughter”, a new Fox sitcom, tells the story of two popular teenage daughters being raised by two mothers who were unpopular in high school and their husbands.

Nikki Miller, one of the mothers, represses what are presumably her feelings of low self-worth – feelings that make her feel inferior to her daughter – by eating. She was supposedly, “cured” of these feelings, feelings for which she was teased mercilessly while growing up.

A sample of dialogue from the show:

“Honey, please don’t be mad at me. I hate it when you shut me out. Can’t we just go back to being best friends?”

“We were never best friends.”

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean that.”

It’s normal to hate our mothers, right?

In the pilot the two daughters are punished by their mothers for leaving a wheelchair-bound classmate in a locked closet. Meanwhile, their fathers, seeking peace with their daughters, pay them each $100 to stop being angry with them.

The show approaches its end with a tender moment from Annie Watson, the other mother, to her daughter, Sophie. Sophie’s apology leads the audience to believe the cause of their argument was a moment of failed communication where the mothers punished their children without listening to their daughters’ side of the story. Both mothers lift the punishment.

The audience, now ready for a touching moment showing the daughters’ complexity and exposing them as well intentioned, are instead shown that the girls are, in fact, liars. Years of family sitcoms with tender teaching moments offered at show’s end might have trained our minds to expect and accept these endings. The show, in fact, ends with a realization that the daughters lied to have their punishments waived. Not only did they lie, but they also blamed their plight on hurtful comments received from the supposedly racist wheelchair-ridden student. Nikki, a Caucasian woman, is raising a biracial daughter, MacKenzie, the product of an interracial marriage now dissolving in divorce.

Instead of portraying the daughters as having the ability or the desire to grow and become better, they are portrayed as manipulative bullies who repeat the negative behaviors learned in their homes with their peers at school. Upon realizing the truth, that the wheelchair bound classmate is African-American and did not make racist statements, Annie notes they might simply have horrible daughters.

Is It Normal to Hate Your Daughter?

As a GenY-er I wanted to be on the side of the daughters prior to watching this show based solely on its title. I cannot support their behavior. This show highlights one kind of young person, an individual that does not represent the broad and diverse spectrum of today’s youth. Daughters have long hated their mothers; it’s part of youthful rebellion. Is “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” creating a new normal in hating the daughter right back, publicly? Is there a possible lesson to be learned that will be revealed in time?

The title of this show leaves much to be desired. Given its popularity, though, the show might not be going anywhere for a while. In December it won its Wednesday 9:30-10pm time period among Teens and Men 18-34 and ranks #2 among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. The ratings show the unpopularity of this show among women, perhaps driven by its title. What is drawing teenagers and men to the show? Is this entertainment?

Filed Under: featured, Media Analysis Tagged With: generation Y, GenY, parents

Generation Y: Welcome Back Home?

August 22, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 3 Comments

The following is a guest post by Cristin McGrath.

I’ve always been proud of my independence and ambition. I never thought I’d consider moving back home. My senior year of high school was the last time I lived with my parents for more than a few days. As of August I’m back for a return engagement.

Society has attached a nasty stigma to the notion of adult children living with their parents. After college it seemed most of my friends flew right back to their comfy, cheap nests when the job market was still poor, when their dream firms didn’t extend offers, when their chosen fields and expected salaries didn’t materialize. I, on the other, less frugal hand, took an internship that didn’t pay me nearly enough to afford my studio apartment in West Philadelphia (or life alone, in general). While I was technically living under the poverty line, I saw stars – literally and figuratively – during my stint as an intern with the Philadelphia Eagles. The brand recognition I earned from working with a professional sports team was too impressive to pass up.

After the internship’s honeymoon phase wore off, I realized student loans didn’t care about brand recognition and whether or not I saw literal or figurative stars. My loan obligations were steadily piling up while I earned less as a literal and figurative star-seeing intern than a Burger King cashier. Something didn’t add up. I decided enough was enough and began the stressful and disheartening task of finding a new job. The figurative stars later aligned perfectly as a contact I met via Twitter told me of an opening with an agency. I’d finally found a new job and a spot above the poverty line.

Three unpaid college internships and countless student loans did their damage, however. My new salary and benefits still don’t allow me to save money and continue with my lifestyle, already something less than extravagant. Asking my parents for help was the last thing I wanted to do, as my independence has always been important to me. Fortunately, they both recognized my struggle with poverty-ridden pride and offered the move home as a temporary solution (the “temporary” is my addition).

I have established a January 1, 2012 deadline to move out (again), to reestablish my independence. By then I will have a nest egg and be ready to kick myself out of my parents’ nest. A timeline for my departure is the only way I can mentally prepare myself for my return to the nest. I wanted to do it all on my own, and will, but us GenY’ers must know when our time in the wild has proven too dangerous to continue alone. The global economy is in distress. Debt – the country’s, our parents’, ours – is threatening our ability to take flight. So don’t be discouraged if the nest beckons. It’s warm and welcoming there.

The preceding was a guest post by Cristin McGrath.

Cristin McGrath is a creative and passionate communications specialist with experience across both traditional and emerging media. Her young but vibrant career has focused on building brand images for impressive organizations across the music, entertainment, technology, and sports industries — her expertise in the fields of social media and events management has enabled her to successfully aid in the operation of press departments with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sony Music Entertainment, MTV Networks and Dell. Most recently, she has transitioned into the world of agency PR with Vault Communications.

Cristin graduated in 2010 from Temple University with a BA in Strategic and Organizational Communication. She will be living (temporarily, of course) in the Poconos with her parents until January 2012.

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Stories Tagged With: generation Y, GenY, linkedin, living at home

What’s the ROI on that Degree Now?

July 25, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider 2 Comments

The following is a guest post by Liz Funk (bio below)

We’ve all felt buyer’s remorse. That lime green sundress that looked great in the fitting room looks putrid in the natural light. You decide to splurge on a dinner out, ordering an $18 entrée. When you finally eat it, it’s good, but not $18-good. You buy a bag of clearance clothes from the Gap, get home and deeply resent spending $60 on non-refundable clothes. It happens to everyone, every now and then, and you move on, because hopefully your buyer’s remorse isn’t on items worth more than a few hours’ pay.

But, what if you have buyer’s remorse for a major investment you made that will take years of income to pay off? And, without the resources to pay off such an investment, it seems like it was a terrible idea?

The “crap economy” and the devastating impact that the 2008 economic crash has had on young people has caused widespread unemployment among 20somethings. Because young people don’t have jobs, a) many young people don’t have the money to repay their student loans, and b) many young people are wondering why they went to college in the first place, if they’re unemployed!

While some “quarterlifers” miss college and want to go back to a simpler time, others are thoroughly resenting their college experience. Here’s how to reconcile this:

How to find value in your degree

1) First and foremost, be nice to yourself. Before 2006, there were relatively few people who had an idea that the economy was going to go so far downhill, and odds are good that you weren’t one of them. There’s nothing you can do to change the fact that you did go to college (i.e. a time machine), so be compassionate and nice to yourself and don’t beat yourself up.

2) Write down everything positive that you got out of college, whether it was a few really good friends who you still keep in touch with, some awesome memories (write each of them down!), or classes where you read some life-changing books.

3) Be critical of the system. There is definitely something messed up in that our society encourages entering college seniors to take out loans to go to the best college they were accepted to, but many take out a Range Rover’s worth of student loans, picking majors that will not help them pay off these loans. This isn’t to say that you should major in engineering if you aren’t interested in it. Rather, we should encourage students to consider alternate paths. Rather than rushing from high school straight into college, students should consider taking a gap year or two to work, travel, or intern so they have a stronger sense of what they might want to do professionally. Then, if they do take out student loans, they’ll be investing in an education that will help them pursue their passions, rather than going to college because that’s what you’re supposed to do, without much of an endpoint short of graduating. On that note, give yourself a break from job hunting, worrying, and stressing. This will ensure that you have some mental and emotional energy to brainstorm both where you want to go from here and how you can tap into what you learned in college to help you carve out a career!

But, overall, be nice to yourself because you can only move forward to a place that’s more positive if you’re really rooting and advocating for yourself!

Your turn! How do you come into your own when the first years of your adult life are marked by joblessness, instability, angst, and incessant money problems?

Coming of Age in a Crap Economy is the brainchild of Liz Funk, a New York-based freelance writer, author, and college lecturer. Liz has written for USA Today, Newsday, the Washington Post, New York magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, CosmoGIRL!, Girls’ Life, the Baltimore Sun, the New Jersey Record, the Albany Times Union, Lemondrop.com (AOL), and the New Humanist (UK). She is the author of Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls, a non-fiction look at how today’s young women feel that they must be constantly improving themselves if they want to be loved. She regularly speaks at colleges about how young women can overcome perfectionism and about breaking into journalism/publishing, and she has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University, Cornell University, Duke University, New York University, Boston University, Emerson College, Rice University, Whitman College, the University of Iowa, the University of Missouri, Mississippi State University, the University of South Florida, and Penn State University, among many other colleges.

She graduated from college in 2009 with high honors in English literature and has yet to be extended a single full-time job offer. She lives in upstate New York with her collie, Buddy (who she’s pretty sure has figured out the meaning of life), and her parents, of course.

Filed Under: Gen-Y Goal Stars, Guest Posts Tagged With: career, generation Y, get there from here, linkedin, living at home

Generation Y Change-Maker: Zim Ugochukwu

January 16, 2011 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

How Did We Meet?

Zim Ugochukwu first moved onto my radar in the summer of 2009 when I mentioned that I would be attending the Campus Progress National Student Conference (CPNC) on Twitter. Almost immediately I received a tweet from @IgniteGSO saying they would be there, too, and that I should check out their project. Usually I don’t click on anyone’s link just because they send it to me, but I made an exception. As someone who worked on her college campus to battle against apathy and increase student involvement, I was impressed by the mission and, later, inspired by Zim when she received an award for her work on stage at the CPNC.

I’m grateful that Zim was paying attention to updates about the conference because I have been able to see her consistent growth for close to two years. If anyone deserves to be on a “Ones to Watch” list, it’s her. In a world full of people seeking change and innovation for selfish reasons it is refreshing to see someone so committed to selfless progress.

What follows is an interview I conducted of her, gaining insight into her multiple projects and how she is getting there from here.

What is helloChange?
helloChange is the largest youth run National Anti-tobacco activism program. It was called the Electrified Youth Project at first. Our mission is to fight back against Big Tobacco. We recently won a $250,000 PepsiRefresh grant and we’ll be going on a 20-30 city tour this summer in addition to hosting a conference in Louisiana.

What is your role in helloChange?
I am Vice President of Activism.

How did you find out about helloChange?
Chad Bullock, the founder, and I went to middle school together. We lost touch but met again when I was interning in Washington, DC. He has always been involved in teaching young people. He approached me about this project, and that’s how I became involved. Chad used to be on the youth advisory board of Truth and is the first non-celebrity to win a Teen Choice Award. He just turned 22. He uses his age to his advantage and the oldest person involved in helloChange is 25.

What is Ignite Greensboro?
The first mission of Ignite Greensboro was to raise awareness for the Civil Rights Museum. When I didn’t receive the support I was looking for, I decided to move on with the project on my own and within the same year was getting recognized by the same people who said it wouldn’t work.

Ignite Greensboro is a project based on mobilizing the students from the colleges and universities in Greensboro to engage in the community through ongoing social action and comprehensive programs. Our mission is to provide a medium for college students to become effective catalysts for change and competent representatives of progress in our society.

The purpose of There From Here is to inspire people with stories and advice from those who are achieving their goals by showing how they are getting where they’re meant to be. Do you have any advice to share for people who may be struggling with following through on their ideas or staying motivated?
Not every idea is going to work. Some ideas may be so ambitious. We have the ability to make our own decisions. If someone’s telling me no, then we’ll find another way around it.

Never ask permission to start a revolution. Our ancestors had the same fear during the Civil Rights Movement. We have to learn to move past the fear. My conscience never says you can’t do this. What do you have to lose? What are you waiting for? [People who are afraid] wait like they’re waiting for something to happen. You just have to do it.

Growing up I always knew I would be a doctor. My whole family was ok with that decision. My mom was not comfortable when I started to go on a different track. She would say, “Get a job because it pays good.” Now, her mentality has shifted and she sees what I’m doing. She did always tell me that if I don’t like something, I need to fix it, so my tenacity comes from that.

I’m thankful for grants and scholarships that paid for school. I doubt I would have been able to do any of this had I had to work 40 hours a week. I don’t get paid for my work with Ignite Greensboro. When I graduate, I might be working overseas.

Where do you begin searching for grants?
No website in particular but type in what you’re looking for into Google or even the local library section on non-profits. The grant we’re applying for now I found by just Googling. There are so many grants a lot of people aren’t applying to.

Where does your courage come from and how did you find good people to help?
If you’re willing to take the setbacks that come to you, stay involved. The only thing you’re losing is the status quo. Somebody across the world is going to come up with the same idea. You have to decide if you’re going to be the person to provide what the world needs. There is beauty in collaboration. Find someone who specializes in what you’re not specialized in. Work with committed peers who are not just excited. Excitement fades. They have to be passionate. Your conscience is there for a reason. It may be a fault of mine, but I always listen to my conscience and my conscience never says don’t do it.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?
This is a tough question because sometimes I don’t even know. I’m trying to get better at balance. I find motivation in the smallest things. I’m more motivated by the final picture. I think that I’m more of a facilitator. I know that my motivation comes from that. Sometimes the work becomes stressful. Living by myself helps because I don’t have to deal with people in my space. I don’t think that I’m 100 precent balanced, but I have a lot of energy.

Where can we find more information about your projects?
Go to ignitegreensboro.org and hellochange.org or follow us on Twitter at @IgniteGSO and @hellochange.

Filed Under: Advice, Gen-Y Goal Stars Tagged With: generation Y, genychat

Adult Internships

October 26, 2010 By Chanelle Schneider 5 Comments

Why are adult internships so much more difficult to find?

I thought someone would have bought the domain for adultinternships.com by now. Especially in this economy, it just seems like a good idea. The phrase “adult internships”, however, gets 210 global monthly searches according to Google AdWords. This is a topic that is clearly not on the minds of many across the world. The phrase “paid summer internships for college students” gets 380 more searches per month. If an internship is considered the springboard to a successful career, why are so many leaving it only to college students? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: black, career, generation Y, get a job, get there from here, internship, linkedin, my passion, success

5 Realistic Reasons to Find Summer Internships Now

October 25, 2010 By Chanelle Schneider 7 Comments

In my youth, I was an intern. But as I often do, I went about the whole thing backwards. I originally received a degree in graphic design and immediately started with a firm in my home town. After just a few months, I realized that sitting behind the computer ever day rearranging page numbers for a parts catalog was boring. I left that job and went back to school to find myself. So, although, technically, my public relations internship did not lead to my first job (Nordstrom & Hot Dog on a Stick do not count) when I finally got around to interning, it launched what has been a fascinating and rewarding career. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advice, Guest Posts Tagged With: advice for starting my internship, generation Y, internship, linkedin, success

Switching Careers before 30 – Am I Crazy??

September 30, 2010 By Chanelle Schneider 5 Comments

Tony Hsieh Zappos CEO uses Happiness as business model

It’s the last day of September. 1 o’clock in the morning. It’s raining. A few tears are rolling hotly down my cheeks as I contemplate a thought that has been taking up space in my mind lately. I keep asking myself if I’m crazy to have this dream. Staring at the blinking cursor, I drift off and let the thoughts form in my mind.

2moroDocs: If u r truly unhappy in ur career, you must try to change it. Life 2 short. Maybe take classes & slowly work into it, or leap #genychat

rblake: @Austin_Curtis I’m not – it’s just hard to find a job that matches passion. Especially with limited experience. #genychat [Read more...]

Filed Under: Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: career, fear, generation Y, get there from here, happiness, linkedin, success, use your gift

I Didn’t Join Twitter for This (Or What Could Kill Twitter’s Popularity)

September 5, 2010 By Chanelle Schneider 29 Comments

I’m writing this with much apprehension. I’m sitting here dumbfounded and disappointed. Only one other time in my life have I found myself at such a loss for words that I can’t even determine how to complete this statement in a manner that concisely summarizes my thoughts. Where are we as a human race that we cannot look to our left and look to our right and help us all make it out? I used to believe that we were all good at heart. I thought that somewhere along the way unfortunate experiences turned us bad. I hope this is still true. If you really knew me, you’d know that I hold a lot in because expressing my feelings and sharing my thoughts with the goal of helping people always resulted in me being hurt because the person didn’t want to be helped, hence the reason for my apprehension in writing this piece. Many events have occurred on Twitter in the past month that led to me writing this. There is no one event that sparked it, but they all need to come to resolution. [Read more...]