The Worst Generation Ever....or is it?

You may be familiar with the new (as far as I can tell) term snowflake. This seems to be a disparaging term for millennials. Let me explain why this has gotten under my skin. 

From: pbs.org

People get older and watch the world change. There is always new music, books, radio, television, and now the internet geared toward the new generation. Every generation seems to have it's own advancement in media that it grew up with and take for granted. They always take more advantage of this medium for their own expression. The previous generation normally does not understand this new medium as well, thus not taking full advantage of it. 

In the 60's The Beatles and Elvis came out with so called revolutionary music. The generation of young adults and teenagers in the 60's and 70's loved it. Hence both are still famous today. The music spoke to the new generation in a way that nothing ever had. One of the first things that this generation could call their own. However, the previous generation condemned it. One reporter even went as far as to suggest the parents of girls that went to an early Elvis show in Miami should give these girls "A SOLID SLAP ACROSS THE MOUTH". I think it's clear he didn't get what was really going on. These same teenagers and young adults were the generation that brought forth major changes such as feminism, civil rights, gay rights, and even anti war sentiments. Though they did so fighting against the past generations, and I would hate to see where we would be without them.

The 80's came around and the teens of the 70's were now young adults. Music started to crop up the 60's generation couldn't stand. Punk rock, heavy metal, and even such pop music as Madonna and Michael Jackson came to be the music of the 80's. Of course the children of the 60's condemned it just as their parents once had condemned Elvis. However, this is the generation that brought forth the computer revolution. Apple, IBM, and Microsoft took off, while working against each other, set forth against the past generation and the limitations of their ideas, and notions of what technology should be about. Putting computers in schools, libraries, and even in homes. This generation set the building blocks for cell phones, smart phones, and basically the foundations for every bit of technology you use today. Where would we be without them?

The 90's came around and the children from the 80's were now growing up and coming to their own ideas. Just as before, new music came out that the past generations just didn't get. Music like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Marilyn Manson, Basta Rhymes, and 2Pac shows there was anger here. Maybe even more so than the past, but as a teenager in the 90's, my perspective may be a bit biased. We railed against anything that was considered standard. Social norms, dress codes, and even religion were targets for our fight of equality and free expression. We fought to be ourselves and to let others be themselves. Building on top of work done by our parents we set forth on a journey to find out what it meant to be on the internet. We developed communities that included people from all over the world and the world grew smaller.

By the early 2000's we were growing up and raising kids of our own. Once again, the music changed for the new generation. R&B became more mainstream, and dance or club music started to be the norm. Just as our parents did to us, we have said that today's music is missing something or simply sucks. I have been guilty of this myself. However, we have made same sex marriage legal. We have confronted the racism of our parents. We even elected a black president. We have raised our children with the technology of our day and let them grow up using smart phones, laptops, and communication networks beyond anything that has ever been seen.

Now we push back against our kids much the same way as our parents did to us. We fought for our own freedom to be ourselves, but now we are telling our children to be more like us. What the hell is the matter with us? We are making the same mistakes our parents did with us. Many of my generation are calling the new generation lazy, thin skinned, and inept. My generation is calling the new "snowflakes" because we have endowed them with the knowledge and understanding that every person is unique and precious. I don't get it. Isn't that what we fought for in the first place?

To the new generation, the generation of my children, I offer advice without condemnation. Be who you are. We raised you to respect the differences in others. We raised you to be better than ourselves. We raised you to work towards peace. We raised you to change this world in ways we could not even imagine. Just as every generation before us, we will fight you on everything you try to do. I have no excuse for this. However, one day my generation will be gone and the world will continue in the direction you fight to push it. Learn from our mistakes, and make your own path. Fight for what you think is right, and don't apologize for being who you are. We may not give simply hand over this world, but you can take it from us. Just as every generation has taken it from their parents. Do with this world as you see fit. Just try to leave it better than you found it. That is all I can ask.