I have recently started an MPhil/PhD in virtual environment interaction. For all intents and purposes though I am an engineer; I generally have a good understanding of how things work. I have usually stuck to technology, when people ask me what I do I usually say I poke things with a screwdriver until they work, which is fairly accurate lol. I am good a researcher on top of that, so the progression to stay in academia seemed like the logical solution.

When I leave, many years from now, I would love to get a job that combines these skills. I would love to either work for a company developing new technologies, or at a University teaching or researching.

And what is that, something with computers and virtual reality research I assume? In what institution and subject field is your doctorate exactly? And your professors, in which discipline are they?

I blame the previous generations for raising them like that. If you're not taught to value work, you're in for a rude awakening when it's time to get into the real world. Out of all of my friends and college students I've come to know that are my age and even some of the high school seniors that i mentor, working a 9-5 (or working period) is almost completely foreign to them. Usually they don't even know how to go about getting a job until they take a career class in college or hiogh school and most have never worked with their hands in their entire lives.

My family was pretty poor during my childhood and teen years so I learned to work with my hands (building fences, laying tile, painting, etc.) early because we wanted to live better, even if we didn't have a lot of money. Having a job was also a requirement in my household, so I've had a part-time job since I was 15.

On a lighter note: LMAO at hair technician/scientist.

I'll PM you about what I'm doing, I don't like giving out personal details on a forum.

So who made up Generation Y, and who made up the terrible name for that? And who decided that this generation is any more lazy and foolish than the pot-smoking, idealistic baby boomers? Seriously, what a bunch of pretentious bullshit. I was born in 1985 (so I'd be a member of this generation), and I work incredibly hard.

Frankly, there are so many better names for this generation too. For example, you could call us the Information Generation, since we grew up during the rise of the free flow of information. But no, let's just be lazy and call it Generation Y because the last one was Generation X.

Fuck it makes me mad. Arrogant assholes. Oh, and I'd be more worried about the baby boomers. Look at how the world is shaping up under them.

lol Montana chill. You don't have to take it personally, I'm sure there a couple of exceptions who actually work really hard and you're one of them.

There is a lot truth to it though, I assure you. Overexaggerated like everything else, but generations are quite different from each other.

1) That has a nice ring to it.......

2) Damn straight. Lazy people breed lazy kids, so if two lazy parents have 4 lazy kids, it only looks like our generation is lazier than the last.

I do take it personally. This is literally telling me that everyone from my generation wants the easy way in life, and when I see millions of people my age going to college and working hard, something like this simply isn't true. And stuff like this is just another example of the older generation mocking the generation after theirs and still having plenty of flaws themselves. At least Generation X brought us some great things (which I'm grateful for).

As an educator, comments like these makes me sad. So very sad.

On-topic: I don't think that's true at all. The same thing, I'm sure, is said generation after generation. Sure, in many facets of life, it's true and is measurable (obesiety, etc). However, that is to be expected as technology progressively makes life easier. Claiming that they are any less hard-working, though, is ridiculous without any actual data. Does productivity drop in companies whose workforce is primarily from Generation Y when compared to similar companies predominantly consisting of workers from Generation X?

If not, I'd remain skeptical. And this is besides the point that the workforce has changed dramatically in the last 30+ years. Simply because one does not work hard, physical labour does not mean that they aren't working hard. Many different types of stresses come from all types of jobs. I wouldn't even begin to try and compare which one is 'harder'.

To me, this is analogous to saying generation X is stupid because such a low percentage of them went to college. This, of course, is absurd and completely untrue. They didn't because in many situations, it was financially viable nor was it seen as imperative. Today, however, many of us witnessed the hardships our parents had to endure (so that we wouldn't) and simply wish to follow a different route... then we get called lazy for it...

I, like Montana, get a bit worked up about this too. I teach these so-called lazy Generation Y kids everyday. From my experience, they seem just as driven as my parents' generation, only in different directions. Hell, many of my co-workers, who have been teaching 25+ years, say the same thing.

I would agree that the problems started with the baby boomers.

After the double-whammy of the depression and WW2, kids were coddled too much by parents that just didn't care after going through so much. Throw in a population boom that meant families had more kids, and less time to care for them, and you had a screwed up, retarded generation.

From the 60's to the 80's, we had so much stupid stuff, no wonder 'my' generation is so apathetic.