IF YOU were born anywhere between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, then you are officially a member of Generation Y or, as they are commonly called, the "millennials." Individuals from Generation Y spent most of their formative years in the 1990s, which means that if you are reading this article then you are most likely a member of this group.
As a member, you are probably now silently waxing philosophic about which Nicktoon was superior and which grunge band was the best. As we were one of the first generations to truly harness the power of the Internet, we've taken it upon ourselves to painstakingly chronicle every aspect of the pop culture of our childhood in blog or YouTube form. Though this may seem like semi-obsessive behavior emblematic of individuals who refuse to acknowledge the impending responsibilities of the real world, this onset of nostalgia says something deeper about the nature of our generation.\nMany college students today will prematurely talk about life in the 1990s as if it is a forgotten golden era, long swept away by the sands of time and shrouded in antiquity. The mid-life crisis is now preceded by the "quarter-life crisis," as more and more college students struggle to cope with the responsibilities and rigors of the present. Though this may seem absurd, much of it makes sense considering the nature of Generation Y's formative years.
Our generation had to grow up rather quickly, and perhaps the change from carefree child to worldly youth happened too rapidly. To individuals born in 1990, the traumatic events of September 11, 2001 occurred around the time that many of us were 10 or 11 years old. Our generation was confronted with these ponderous "adult" problems at a rather early age and, as we have grown older, we are now feeling the effects of a childhood interrupted. Though it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations about the character of an entire generation, this longing for simplicity is revealing itself in concrete ways.
Millennials are now becoming the "boomerang kids," individuals so unwilling or unable to move on from academia to the workforce that they move back in with their parents. The assumption here seems to be that Generation Y is having difficulty coping with certain harsh realities; these difficulties have manifested themselves in such a deep longing for the comforts and certainty of adolescence that we try to delay growing up as long as possible.
Personally, I don't think that tells the whole story. We're currently reaping the fruits of what the Baby Boomers have sown with regards to the economy and job market. The fact that Generation Y is moving back in with "the folks" can be construed as a product of current economic troubles and should not be viewed as a sweeping condemnation of the generation's work ethic, as many in the media paint it to be. It is merely a coping mechanism to deal with an increasingly uncertain future.
The key to understanding why members of our generation are reflecting more upon their childhoods is to pinpoint when this sense of nostalgia begins. Individuals will often focus on the past during transition periods in their lives and there are few more daunting transitions than the one from college to the workforce. To many, this signals the end of enjoying the insulation from the real world that childhood and academia can provide, something already compromised by our generation's experiences in the early 2000s. This fear of the unknown is currently being exacerbated by rising unemployment rates and a crumbling job market. As our futures become ever more uncertain, we begin to think back to the times in our lives when we didn't have to face these types of issues and life's complexities never really stretched beyond the sandbox.
Allison Light, vice president of the University organization "Games Outdoors," which allows students to indulge their inner-child through games like capture the flag, says, "In a world that is constantly changing and advancing, I feel like our generation cherishes our childhood. Holding on to our past in this modern day and age is what grounds us."
Our growing sense of nostalgia does not always portend the increased laziness or immaturity of our generation. Instead, it points to the fact that millennials appreciate where they have come from and can use their experiences to forge ahead and make the best out of difficult situations. Our self-awareness and respect for the past can be what defines us as a generation as we meet the challenges that lie before us outside of the University. And if coping means having to wear flannel and baggy jeans while watching "All That," then we shall bear that burden as well.
Pietro Sanitate's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at p.sanitate@cavalierdaily.com.
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