Leyva: What Defines Our Generation

         What do you think defines our generation? Each generation has something that represents their culture, lifestyle, or point of view.  Although many aspects represent our generation, music is among the strongest influence for our generation. The music of today defines our generation’s vision of the right life as a party life. While doing this, women are degraded through language along the way.

             Music does allow people to express themselves, but sometimes what we want to express is vulgar and degrading. In most music women are targeted both directly and indirectly due to male dominance in the music industry. In the hit Bitches Love Me, Lil’ Wayne says, “These hoes got pussies like craters, can’t treat these hoes like ladies man”. Lil’ Wayne compares a female’s vaginal area to a bowl which emphasizes that the women have been with many men. He is not only calling women hoes, but he is also stating that they shouldn’t even be treated like ladies. Women are referred to as sluts, bitches, or hoes, yet we as women continue to listen and even sing along to this type of music. I believe women do this to be part of the crowd and have societies acceptance. We do not want to be the odd one or the loser. In this type of music the artists are more interested in having a hit rather than sending a message out. On the other hand some music does transmit a message to the listener but that message is to drink, party, and don’t worry about anything.

The music of today expresses our generation’s believe that having fun and partying means you drink, smoke, and have sex. In many popular songs, the artists talk about having such an amazing time that in some way involved the whole party seen. In Young, Wild, and Free, Snoop Dogg and Wiz  Kalifa say, “so what we get drunk, so what we smoke weed, we’re just having fun, we don’t care who sees, so what we go out”. These few lyrics represent our generation’s whole attitude when it comes to going out and having fun. We think its fine to leave everything behind and smoke and drink. We see this kind of lifestyle as the right life. Our generation is really cares about being accepted and being part of the in crowd. To be part of that in crowd you have to have the mind set that smoking and drink is the best way of life.

Although our generation is defined by the music we listen to there is also technology that brings positive aspects to our generation. 

What actually defines our generation?

Every generation is defined or at least influenced by something. The generation in college right now is focused on making things easier. Certain types of technology help make life easier, but is that always a good thing? Today, students are surrounded by technology such as cell phones, computers, smart boards. They are always around us.

Students are losing critical thinking skills because technology makes everything easier. Who uses the library anymore? There a not many people who think about the library when they are in need of an answer. Everyone always says "Google it" because it is faster. If students were asked to look up an answer in a book, the first thing that pops into someone's mind is how long looking up the answer will take. Also, people do not even know how to express themselves anymore. There is time people take in planning a text message, but if a professor wanted to talk to us in front of a class, there is a loss for words. It is harder to form sentences on the spot. This generation has become used to communicating behind a screen where they will not be judged.

In addition, technology can be a major distraction. The big thing are people's smart phones. Some cannot leave the house without their phone because students wait on text messages, emails, and notifications from their social network sites. All of these things create a distraction during what is supposed to be homework time. As a result, the student's mind is not totally focused on on the material. Grades will drop while the student's social life increases. It is hard for this generation to put aside the phones, computers, emails, social networks because our social lives seem way more important than our school work.

I am not saying that this generation is lazy or stupid. I mean to say that this technology that surrounds us makes us want quick answers and too focused on social life. It's the shiny new thing that everyone wants to have. Technology influences our lives in so many ways, some good and some bad. Once we figure out what is actually happening to us when the phone is the first thing to remember to pack, the sooner students can correct themselves.

Jean-Michel Martinod Revision: Technology New Opportunity or Disaster for our Generation

Our generation is the generation of evolution. How now people get more involved in new things and ideas. For example, no one thought that someday people would enjoy to stay in continuous communication with other people through the new tools of technology. I would say that because we use innovation as a tool we are evolving into a new generation of human beings. In a way technology is a good thing, but as we know not everything is perfect.

There are some things that this new generation is getting used to and is turning into a generation of comfort. People are relying especially on technology in order to get ahead in life. Instead of going to a store and buying a movie, you can just order it online or download it and watch it on your computer. The experience of going to a store and just having human contact, is something technology can replace. This face to face communication what our new generation is losing. If you stay at home you lose what the basic human contact is about.

Technology has also brought some advantages. Global communication has opened new doors for new opportunities. As a new generation we depend on specific technology, communication is key. For example I can now communicate with my family in Ecuador and I am happy to hear my little sister’s voice on the phone every time I call. Yet again technology has opened this door in order for me to be communicated with my family.

Technology has altered the way we view the world, opening new doors for generations to come. Technology has its advantages and disadvantages, it is our decisions as human beings to see how and for what we use technology. Let’s just hope the generations that are heading this way don’t turn into technology freaks.

Jacob: Defining my Generation

       In today’s world what defines my generation is Technology, music and the way we dress and style. Back then people did not have much technology to communicate with. Now days we have smart phones and many other communication ways such as emailing or texting. Additionally another main thing that defines our generation is the type of music that everyone listens to. Back then rock was the main thing. Today the most common type of music is rap/hip hop and even electronic/dub-step is becoming popular as well. The last thing that stands out when defining my generation is the way people my age dress and style. The way people have dressed and styled has changed over the years and continues to change every year.  

Julius Zabaneh, What Defines my Generation?

I think what defines my generation is Technology. Our generation is moving in a fast pace. Today we have Facebook, Facetime, Ipad, Ipod and so many other types of technology. Society is moving so fast that it is hard to keep up. Everyday you see on a commercial a new product to buy. It seem like every time you get the newest gadgets a new one comes out every month. For example the Iphone keeps changing constantly. Technology also has been base alot on Social Media. An example of this would be Twitter and Facebook. Books have become dinosaurs due to  Google, Yahoo and also the Kindle.

Colon: Defining My Generation

Anjeska Colon

Dr. Nancy Rowe

Expository Writing T-122

                              Defining Our Generation Essay

            We are the generation defined by unequivocal acceptance and incorporation of mass communication technology.  Media has been a great part of us. Things are changing so fast nowadays that we begin to question the definition of a generation because technology is evolving so fast. I dare to say my generation is mass communicators. We are the first to grow up with social networking. Teens rely on text, call, Facebook, chat, Snap Chat, Twitter, Instagram etc. This is a way to communicate with others in a much easier and effective matter.  It is harder for us to communicate with others when we do not have technology around. For example, if somebody loses their phone, she/he may not know what is going on through the social media, will not be able to communicate with others and may not be a part of what society is now. This will cut down the number of conversations we can have if we are not in the social media. Also, it is affecting our language and how we speak. We developed a new “language” to convey ideas in a faster manner. An example would be: brb, lol, etc.

For the generation above us, they see all this as impersonal. They prefer to communicate with people through letters or face to face. The evolution of technology cuts down interaction with others in person and is affecting our ways to communicate. What they do not understand is that this is a tool that allows us to have instant communication with others in a much easier way.

Hixon: What defines my generation?

      

Technology can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. In the world we live in, technology can help us cure a disease while also enabling us to hold a simple conversation. In this generation, it would be rare to see someone not using any form of technology. Technology defines my generation.

Nowadays, we have become "robots to machines." In my generation we see a lot of obesity causing us to get different diseases or health problems. The internet and social media is the cause of this because it consumes most of the average persons time. The fact that technology provides us with unlimited access of information and gives us answers to any questions instantly without leaving our house causes a lack of exercise resulting in obesity.

People of my generation have a lack of social skills. It’s a challenge for people in the 20^th century to actually interact with people face to face. Technology has defined the way we communicate with one another. For example, most people have more friends on Facebook or Instagram then they do in person. Conversations are becoming less and less personal causing society to grow closer virtually not personally.

To conclude this, my generation is not as independent as the generation before us. Because technology gives us everything we need at hand, we no longer are patient individuals. We no longer have people skills or find the need to exercise defining us as anti-social, illiterate, and impatient individuals. Technology has shaped who we are not only as individuals, but as a community and generation.

Kenner : My Generation

Have you ever looked at your peers and wondered “what are you similarities?” Is it the new smart phone that just came out? The music you listen to? Or maybe it is the clothes you wear? For example, people my age could not even imagine going out with a Walkman in hand while they were popular while my parents were grouping up. When you think about it, what defines you and your peers defines your generation. There are many things that describe my generation, but these are the three things I think sum it up; technology, social media, and easy access to information.

Pretty much everything today is run by a computer. Almost everyone in the United States has access to a computer. A big thing that symbolizes my generation is all the new technology we have. While cell phones were first introduced in the 1970s, they did not become “perfected” and popular until just about eight years ago. Of course people of my generation could not even imagine going one day without a cell phone in our reach. Books , which have been around for centuries and centuries, are now being held in small devices called Kindles and Nook Books. People of my generation have what seems like a dozen gaming consoles just for one game , but just a few decades ago no one would even know what a Xbox was. New technology is coming out every year. Just when you think there is a device for everything, something new will be invented.

If someone asked your parents did they have a Facebook when they were teenagers, your parents would probably look at that person like they were crazy. Virtual Communities is a concept that has become a huge phenomenon in such a short amount of time. Practically everyone in my generation has some kind of account on an internet community. Places like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and LiveJournal have become home for people in their own way. Social Media has become the main source for communication for my generation. Friendships are made with people that you have not even met before. Sure people can argue that social media can be dangerous. There are predators on social media websites. People have lost their jobs because of posts and pictures. Despite this, the social media is a place for people to interact with their friends, across the world, their school, and community.

The internet and technology has caused for faster access to information at all times of the day. Nowadays if you have a problem with your homework, you can easily look up the answer on Google or any other search engine. There are websites like Sparknotes that summarize chapters in a book for those who do not have time to read. You can easily download a dictionary app on your phone instead of having to look for a dictionary book. There is nothing you can not look up on the internet now.

My generation can easily be called the fast and easy generation. Everything about us is ways that make our lives easier in a rapid amount of time. We now have technology for practically every little thing. We interact with other people more on the internet than person. We want things right when we want it and not a second more.

Norton: What defines our generation?

In my opinion, one word I would use to describe my generation is artsy. On various social media sites like Instagram, users will comment on a picture using the word artsy. Describing something as artsy has become quite a trend specifically for my generation. I’m aware that over time, the meaning of a word can be used incorrectly. So, out of curiosity, I searched on Google the definition of artsy. Google defines the word artsy as “making a strong affected or pretentious display of being artistic or interested in the arts.” Google also showed a chart of the use of the word over time, and the use of the word artsy increased dramatically around 2010. To some degree, my generation uses the word correctly. However, in my perspective, when teens and other young people use the word artsy, it’s more like saying that’s cool or hip but in a different, maybe rebellious way. In today’s youth, being artsy and different and testing boundaries is popular, but by being different and rebellious, the youth gives into conformity. For example, Urban Outfitters, a store that sells products that glorify rebellious, adventurous, and unique ideas, is one of the most popular stores for youth these days. For all these reasons and ideas, I describe my generation as artsy. 

Thompson's Revised: Growth, Change, and Understanding

           Jim Morrison, an American singer-songwriter and poet stated that “Each generation wants new symbols, new people, and new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors.” Our generation known as the Millennial or Generation Y proceeds that of Generation X, a generation known for social change.  Each generation seems to provide more opportunities for the next, to make the world a better place.  Some say what defines Generation Y is simply MTV and BET, which is simply not true.  Our generation is defined by a constant progression in technology, the ability to access information, and tolerance.

      

          Our Generation is built on advancements in technology, allowing us to communicate in new ways and be innovative.  Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone in the late 1870’s and forever changed the way we communicate.  The creation of the first telephone led to updated versions of a telephone throughout the 1900s.  In 1977, the first cell phone was created.  Since the creation of the first cell phone, we have been able to communicate with people far and near almost effortlessly, a luxury not available to previous generations.  Along with cell phones, we also have the ability to communicate through instant messaging, and with the use of webcams, we can now have a face to face conversation with whoever else has a webcam and internet almost anywhere in the world.  Today’s Technology has also given us the ability to listen to thousands of songs without the use of CDs, cassettes, or vinyl, we are also able to instantly take a picture that can last forever.

          With the growth in technology came the ability to access information which is defined by our generation.  Previous generations fought for our ability to have the education we have today.  In 2001, the United States issued the No Child Left Behind Act, which allowed children all over the United States to be educated, no matter what.  Colleges and Universities today are often filled due to the high demand by our generation to be educated, our generation will have far more people with a college degree than the generations before them, which will providing more people with more knowledge and opportunity.  Information and knowledge is not only found in libraries or schools anymore--now it is at our finger tips.  The internet has provided us with an infinite amount of information, which was never as accessible as before.  The internet gives us a broader understanding of the way the world works, which could have only been speculated years prior.

         Our Generation comes before Generation X, which paved a way for their children to live in a better social environment, and we’ve embraced it completely.  Thanks to Generation X our generation is more accepting in areas of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation.  Our generation is one of liberation, a generation where people are truly starting to feel equal.  Our Generation accepts the vision set by our forefathers when they stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Unlike the generations before us we have become more tolerable, allowing people to live in a comfortable environment.

          When asked what our generation represents a million things come to mind, but the three that stick out are growth, change, and understanding.  The Millennial or Generation Y are living the lives envisioned by the generations before them.  We are far mot then Just the MTV Generation.

Thompson: Growth, Change, and Understanding

          Jim Morrison, an American singer-songwriter and poet, stated that “Each generation wants new symbols, new people, and new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors.” Our Generation known as the Millennial or Generation Y proceeds that of Generation X, a generation known for social change.  Each Generation seems to provides more opportunities for the next, to make the world a better place.  Even though some say what defines Generation Y is simply MTV and BET, our generation can best be defined as growth, change, and understanding.  Our Generation has Accepted a constant change in technology, growth in education, and cultural change.

          The World we live in today is built on the advancement in technology, allowing us to communicate in new ways and be innovative.  Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone in the late 1870’s and forever changed the way we communicate.  The creation of the first telephone leads to updated versions throughout the 1900s of a telephone.  In 1977 the first Cell Phone was created.  Since the creation of the first cell phone we have been able to communicate with people far and near almost effortlessly, a luxury not available to previous generations.  Along with Cell Phones we also have the ability too communicate through Instant Messaging, and with the use of Webcams we can now have a face to face conversation whoever else has a webcam and internet almost anywhere in the world.  Today’s Technology has also given us the ability to listen to thousands of songs without the use of CDs, Cassettes, or Vinyl, we’re even able to take a picture instantly, that can last forever.

          With the growth in Technology came the growth in Education.  Generations before us have fought for the ability for us to have the education we have today.  In 2001 the United States issued the No Child Left Behind Act, which allowed children all over the United States to be educated, no matter what.  Colleges and Universities today are often impacted due to the wanting of our generation to be educated, our generation will have far more people with a college degree than the ones before them, providing more people with more knowledge and opportunity.  Information and Knowledge is not only found in Libraries or Schools anymore, Now it’s at our finger tips.  The Internet has provided is us with an infinite amount of information, Information that was never as accessible as before giving us a broader understanding of the way the world works, things that could have only been speculated years prior.

          Generation X paved a way for their children to live in a better social environment, and we’ve embraced it completely.  Thanks to Generation X our generation is more accepting, in areas of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation.  Our generation is one of liberation, a generation where people are truly starting to feel equal; a vision set by our forefathers when they stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

          When asked what our generation represents a million things come to mind, but the three that stick out are growth, change, and understanding.  The Millennial or Generation Y are living the lives envisioned by the generations before them.  We are far mot then Just the MTV Generation.

Falu: "Like this" If You are a '90s Kid.

After a long day of work, my friends and I decided to go out and grab some drinks.

For some reason, I could not resist the urge to sing… in West Philadelphia born and raised… from that awesome show “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. My friends laugh of joy and amusement at my randomness, and started to mention other TV shows like , “Modern life of Rocko”, “Saved by the Bell”, “Clarissa Explains It All” pointing how we begged our parents to let us stay up at night and watch “Are you Afraid of the Dark?” or where we couldn’t get enough of “That ‘70s Show” besides we used to sit in front of the TV every single day at five o’clock, just to watch “dragon ball” while lifting our hands to give “Goku”  energy so he could perform his great martial technique “Henkidama” or his infamous “Kame-Hame-Ha”.

The ‘90s where the glory days, where life was simpler and we didn’t have to worry about cellphones, the internet, blog pages, facebook and many other things that have taken over our lives. The great music and dances that defined our generation like “Macarena” dance,  ‘N sync was a big hit among teenagers around the world, and how the spice girls where making it big among Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. All these music trends saw Guns N’ Roses, Eminem and Vanilla Ice rise and make a big impact in our memories. We would listen to the radio all day long just to record our favorite “Nirvana” song on a tape on that big “boombox” or listen to it non-stop on our “walkman” while going to the nearest convenient store.

Great movies like “Star Wars trilogy”, and the worldwide hit “Jurassic Park”, being part of the ‘90s kids’ memories it’s nostalgia at its finest. My 26 year old cousin asked if we carried our “Tamagotchis” around everywhere we went when we where kids, or how we spent hours collecting and playing with those “Pokemon” cards, Nintendo or Game Boy, bean. The nostalgic ‘90s memories became an escapism to forget that mountain of student debt we got on us. Bringing back memories, where one of the “coolest” ways to spend your weekends in family was by renting VHS tapes and watch movies all day long.

Many historical events have made an impact in our childhood. Growing up with many world-changing events like Princes Diana’s death, 9/11, and the Terror of War, including the rise of mass communication. Youtube, twitter, myspace, the Internet, Blackberries, cell phones, iPods and tablets are normal to us. Also, our generation is more racially and ethnically diverse compared to previous generations. We are theme oriented, committed, loyal, and want to be involved and value family, we are ambitious, and self-confident, we seek new challenges and have high expectations, and are never afraid to ask questions when something is not clear. 

              With this in mind, I compare how things are now from how they where back then in the ‘90s.  Teenagers don't usually say "Good Morning" when they walk in to a room, and I keep wondering, where are their manners or values?. There are not many good quality cartoons now as there were before, and they don’t carry as many messages anymore. All these trends define my generation. What defines yours?