"Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2169409/

Here are excerpts from the article:

At a a recent presentation to executives of some of Canada’s biggest companies they were told that a massive survey of university students found that work/life balance and vacation time ranked extremely high on their wish list. They also expected high salaries and quick promotions. On average, they expected a starting salary of $53,000 a year.

At the end of the presentation, a senior executive said: “If what you say is true, then we cannot succeed as a company in Canada.”

...Many students openly admit their goal is to succeed with the least amount of effort. And many universities make this easy for them. It isn’t hard to find courses where you can get good marks even if you don’t show up. Professors say it’s not uncommon for 30 per cent or 40 per cent of their students to skip any given class. And students strenuously object if they don’t get the marks they feel entitled to. “They got 80 per cent in high school and, when they get 62 per cent, they’re mad,” says Prof. Coates. “They bring assignments in late and think we’ll mark them without penalty.”

...The entitlement mindset didn’t come from nowhere. It came from us. It came from a generation of adults who believed that kids should never be allowed to fail, or told the truth about their abilities, or learn that getting what you want is sometimes hard.

Comments? According to my brother, we're doomed.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

I think your brother is right Annie, our societies are doomed unless we can somehow re-instil the work ethic, at least to the level of "Third World" countries. Their people are hungry and suffer hardship and deprivation, and there is nothing like hunger, hardship and deprivation to drive productivity.

We have to face the fact that the generations in the West have been progressively spoilt ever since WW2. The more we have then the more we give to the kids and the less effort they have to make. We are now at a point where pretty much everything is handed to them on a plate and they know no different. How do we reverse this...I've absolutely no idea...

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

Doomed is right, after 20 years of mollycoddling what do you expect?. Kids are not allowed to "fail" subjects in school anymore, it hurts their feelings we are told, unruly brats are not allowed be chastised anymore, I could go on and on but the sad fact is it's now too late.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

Thats the word for it Mollicoddling, and also lazyness by parents and teachers.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

Actually, I find this concept very sad indeed. I remember getting my first job and I was excited by the prospect of learning the profession (?) being in a working environment for the first time in my life, and being accepted as the new girl - the office junior.

Wow, if these kids today had to do only half of what I had to do at 16 they quake in their boots.

I had to man the phones, see to clients coming in, make the tea, do hand deliveries of post, fill the coal scuttles from the cellar and get the fires in each office started each morning, mopped the old brown lino floors and stairs. I did the general office typing of invoices, and other stuff, making sure we didn't run out of tea, milk, sugar, and I had to go and do the shopping for it, stick stamps on letters, go to the post office. The list is endless.

No faxes or emails in those days. No computers either, except old sit up and beg typewriters which were hard work, but didn't know that until electric typewriters came into being, and we worked longer than average hours.

I was so proud when I was eventually offered to "move up" a position to secretary to the boss at age 18, who was a solicitor, and even more proud when it was suggested that I take exams to become a Legal Executive at age 21.

I took pride in achieving what I did by starting at the bottom on a pittance, but I think pride today is literally one of the deadly sins and not to be tolerated by the young.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

I know lots of young people who havep pride in themselves Mollie .You always seem to have a negative attitude to the young .

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

Right on Mollie. I worked my way up through various jobs from office clerk to a manager in Public Relations & Communications. The survey I mentioned at the start of this thread was on what university kids expect for their first job and they sure don't expect entry level work.

My partner's 15 yr old daughter want to be "a rich veterinarian". Emphasis on rich. She expects to have staff to run the clinic and attend to the animals! In school she cheats on her homework (gets answers emailed from a friend), sends hundreds of text messages during the school day when she should be paying attention to the teacher. Oh, and she refuses to dissect frogs or fish in biology class - good luck with anatomy in vet school.

But what can anyone do?

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

It would seem that some of the older generation have a totally negative attitude towards the younger generation.
Maybe some are not in touch with the vibrant, intelligence and exuberance of today's youth and can't see beyond their own prejudice. Not all of our youth deserve the contempt that is displayed by some people here. We have fine young people in this country.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

I agree with Mall, there are some great kids but I am afraid to say theire are more lazy kids than great ones.

I had a lad worked for me and when I went to check on him doing a Job I found him sat on the floor, my enquires got the reply, my legs are tired, he was only 21yrs old.

Re: "Entitlement generation" expects success with little effort

There should be no such thing as tired legs on a 21 year old, unless of course he has run a marathon