Comments on: The "Millennials" Are Coming

Morley Safer On The New Generation Of American Workers

[mseisler]

As a Millennial, our dream is our moti vation. That is what isw keeps us going. People should understand the life of the typical 9-5 job and would want a better life for us. People should not be able to say, "NO, you can't do or want that because it is not realistic. You can't, it isn't possible." Everyone one should get a chance to dream of the unrealistic job and the unrealistic lifestyle. People back in the day dreamt of the perfect lifestyle too. If people need these dreams to motivate them, then let them have it.
Lisa HSB student

[mseisler]

I?m a high school student in Toronto and I sense Jealousy, The baby Boomers are always saying ?We worked hard for your future to be better? Now that our future is brighter, they are complaining? We Millennials have options, were going to be working 2-6 jobs in our lifetime. Baby boomers had 1-2 jobs in their lifetime and all they had to do was finish high school! Now a day, the minimum is a high school degree and even that will not get you a good salary job. Times have changed. I?m tired of hearing about the Millennials being lazy, were not! So we have made life easier for us and we are adapting, don?t be mad because you baby boomers suffered. Yes we do depend on technology. Yes we think we are all special. I agree with baby boomers on that, but it could also be a good thing. Giving us hope or a dream, is a good thing. Baby boomers, you don?t have to worry, unlike all other generations we will succeed without suffering.
Burak HSB Student

[mseisler]

I am a 20 year old Millennial, and I work two jobs and attend school full-time. Although I do agree that we are an incredibly privileged generation, I do not think that we are these lazy, self-obsessed, freeloaders described in this video. I am actually mad that our own hippie parents are complaining that we do not work hard enough. Meanwhile they were lying in fields doing acid and ?sticking it to the man?. Well, now Mr. Baby boom hippie pants, you have become the man and you are judging us just as your parents did to you. Mommy and Daddy now that you have turned in your peace signs for blackberries and six figure salaries, I guess you think we do not measure up. This is exactly what happens when a generation is young. They are rebels and then suddenly, it?s another ?kids these days? speech spewing from your aging mouths. Let?s face it, each generation tends to make life a little easier for their children. So thanks for inventing and innovating the computer. Thanks for sticking it to the man. Thanks for doing back breaking work in a mundane job. But remember, you did all this so we could have brighter future. Do not turn around and resent us for enjoying the fruits of your labour.
We are your future too. We are the nurses and doctors and caregivers. We are the scientists and accountants of the future. So really we are not all that different.
Leah HSB Student

[run85]

I abhor the fact that the overall perspective of gen-y/millenials is that they are weak, incapable, coddled and incorrigible (I could go on all day with the negative adjectives associated with my generation). Unfair assumptions such have these have integrated into the mindset of employees at every place I have worked and interned, which includes two major financial institutions. This story and the ensuing commentary sums up the repugnance (be it passive or blatant) that my fellow co-workers, superiors and equals, have displayed toward ?my kind?, regardless of any of our capabilities and contributions as team members. We don't all think we are special and entitled. In fact I have encountered more 'bratty' personalities among co-workers much older than myself than among those in my own age bracket. I find this overall perspective of Gen-Y to be a detriment to the global business environment; how can any enterprise in this day and age expect success and progress when its employees have this animosity and, in my opinion, generally unsupported bigotry toward the youngest members of its own workforce? Is it any surprise that many of us want to work extremely hard at our respective occupations (at which point we are then accused of being too ambitious) in order to disprove these ridiculous assumptions? It's a real shame and I genuinely hope this path of negativity has some end in sight.

[d_k_g]

I remember watching this story and getting just as mad as many others over the absolute stupidity and the attitude of most of those spoiled brats.

As of 2009 I bet a lot have had to grow up and have gotten to experience the real world. All that 'entitlement' you thought you were owed without pays dues, wihtout having any real experience...how's that working now?

[jewboywonder]

Being a millennial myself, i find this offensive in so many ways. The article refers to us as an "epidemic" or "extraterrestrials." this is saying that were some kind of parasite or something! It''s a kind way of saying that we are like a disease spreadin throughout the workplace and contaminating the workplace with our "bad habits" and "non-chalant" way of dealing with real life. There are those teenagers and those in their early twenties who do have a work ethic and do have the right mantality when it comes to stepping up to the plate and taking action. It''s not as if the only qualities that we possess are laziness and fear when it comes to taking action in the business world. We, and im speaking for the millennials out there that are with me, have what it takes to be great in this world and the workplace. We are the people that will be running businesses and taking important roles in society in the future, so if you think that we dont have what it takes, watch us prove you wrong.

[mommobj]

What a sad state we''re in! No wonder our country lags behind. It''s time these "little darlings" had a wake up call. As a nurse manager, I work with some of this priveleged group,thankfully, they are in the minority.
Children of this generation were raised with overindulgence in every aspect of their lives. The pampering should not be continued in the work force.
As a mother & grandmother, I say it''s time they grow up, stop running to mommy and become financially responsible adults.
Contrary to this segment, the world does not owe them a living. It''s theirs to earn!

[doncom-2009]

Having spent many years in management before retiring, and very aware of the economics of running a business, I am curious whether Mr. Safer asked those interviewed how much the Millenials expect to pay to enjoy their intended life styles and lacking work ethic. Because unless they are prepared to work for very little money or very long hours...which evidently they are not...the loss of productivity in the workplace while they play at life will have to be augmented by increased prices in the market place to compensate their respective employer''s for inevitable revenue losses. Otherwise there will be a lot of both bankrupt employers and employees, and consequently a lot less jobs to meet the Millenials desired life styles.
We had a similar group during the 1960''s and 1970''s called the hippies and later known as the Boomers, who are the beloved parents of many Millenials. They all looked the same, acted the same, and lived the same as their peers when they were hippies, and as Boomers still look the same, act the same, and live the same as their peers...to excess! Therefore, unless they force a complete economic meltdown beforehand the Millenials, or whatever they will be known as later in life, will also acquiesce to the reality of what has to be in life...but like their parents will likely continue to do it to excess!
Millenials, you are nothing new but another group of sheep with no imaginations...too bad because you could be so much more...and society could use that!

[elizabethg4]

I am appalled at this portion of the show. I am sick and tired of working all my life with a good work ethic, good performance, learning all I had to to keep my job that I loved and being laid off after 20 years because of my age. These kids were never raised properly and are an embarassment to the workplace. No one went out of their way for us to understand dress code, manner, rule, office procedure. Big deal electronics, we learned everything else who are they to believe we coudn''t learn todays electronics.

[cbs9669]

What got these young adults in this position to start with?
The parents who were "loyall" to the company and spent 70 hours at work each week and didnt make time to train their children. Those children grew up to be the very thing Boomers are complaining about.
Stop complaining about a younger generation that is faster and hard driving and put your foot down if you dont like the way they do business.

[lnunez123]

To Mr. Safer,

I am a 24 year old Hispanic American single woman living and working in New York City. I am the youngest of six siblings in a single parent household and love watching 60 minutes.

However, this story left me very disappointed as it did not focus any attention on the minority Generation Y kids who did not have little league classes (because our parks were so dangerous) and never got a thank you or coddle in their respective lives? What happened to us in this story? The perspective was of those white middle class families, but they are not an accurate sample of the Generation Y population.

I grew up poor and always had to fight to make something of myself. I went to school and worked since I was 15 and went to college and graduate school on scholarships so I could graduate debt free. I work now as an associate in one of the top accounting firms and I, and most people like me, are just happy to have a job and be able to fend for ourselves without any help from Mom and Dad. To say that we expect to be treated in a nurturing loving manner at work and that we expect our parents to do everything for us is just not accurate and spits in the face of what I and all minorities are - Minorities in the Gen Y group have not lost sight on how important work ethic is and how we always need to struggle through our comeuppance.

Yes, we are minorities in every sense of the word but we COUNT Mr. Safer. WE COUNT!!

Respectively,

Ms. Nunez

[davidmauld]

Invoking Mr. Rogers as the fall guy was the lowest. Fred''s affirmations of children have everything to do with the development of normal healthy people.

[kldupont]

What an insult to our country. The education of our kids is abysmal, we are behind any other country. Young adults want everything for nothing. It is a privilege own a car, house, boat etc. Yet our younger generations expect these items along top of the line appliances and computers. No wonder we are in a recession and people are in debt up to the necks. We need to be teaching financial and personal responsibility more that a feel good society. I don''t believe in all this motivational junk it feels so fake and sickening. I don''t need to always have my feelings stroked and complimented. Americans need to grow up and face the global world as responsible adults. Not a bunch of goofballs.

[kalamazoo61]

This story was so full of self-indulgence that it made my stomach turn. I would''t hire one of these spoiled little brats to walk my dog much less play an important role in my company. Hard work and dedication isn''t a bad thing and I don''t feel I should have to hold weekly costume parades around the office or provide bouncy balls as furniture in order to get my staff to do the job they were hired for. These kids can go polish the gazillions of plastic trophies they ''earned'' for doing absolutely nothing and let their busy-body parents support their lazy butts.

[alfiso]

May I point out that today''s 25 year olds are the *grandchildren* of Baby Boomers? What got disconnected between the interim generation?

[raebhoop1]

The coddling mentioned in this article is something I have experienced in life and found it beneficial as a child. It was important for me to try things with the belief that I could do it, but it should not continue on to adulthood. A part of growing up is recognizing that we have strengths and weakness and sometimes we lose or aren''t as special as some one else.
As a millennial, I don''t expect to be treated the way my parents treated me when I was growing up, I expect to be treated as an adult, as an equal. If anyone applying for a job goes around thinking that employers will give special treatment for being of a certain generation, they are seriously deluded and immature. No one, of any age, can realistically expect this.
It is silly to think that companies need to hire "professionals" in dealing with a younger generation; making frivolous changes like free food and slack dress codes to entice recruits. No matter how much younger, people are people, not aliens that require a translator.

[raebhoop1]

The coddling mentioned in this article is something I have experienced in life and found it beneficial as a child. It was important for me to try things with the belief that I could do it, but it should not continue on to adulthood. A part of growing up is recognizing that we have strengths and weakness and sometimes we lose or aren''t as special as some one else.
As a millennial, I don''t expect to be treated the way my parents treated me when I was growing up, I expect to be treated as an adult, as an equal. If anyone applying for a job goes around thinking that employers will give special treatment for being of a certain generation, they are seriously deluded and immature. No one, of any age, can realistically expect this.
It is silly to think that companies need to hire "professionals" in dealing with a younger generation; making frivolous changes like free food and slack dress codes to entice recruits. No matter how much younger, people are people, not aliens that require a translator.

[raebhoop1]

The coddling mentioned in this article is something I have experienced in life and found it beneficial as a child. It was important for me to try things with the belief that I could do it, but it should not continue on to adulthood. A part of growing up is recognizing that we have strengths and weakness and sometimes we lose or aren''t as special as some one else.
As a millenial, I don''t expect to be treated the way my parents treated me when I was growing up, I expect to be treated as an adult, as an equal. If anyone applying for a job goes around thinking that employers will give special treatment for being of a certain generation, they are seriously dilluded and immature. No one, of any age, can realistically expect this.
It is silly to think that companies need to hire "professionals" in dealing with a younger generation; making frivolous changes like free food and slack dress codes to entice recruits. No matter how much younger, people are people, not aliens that require a translator.

[lisette241]

The only legit part of the article was the quickly glossed over comment: %u201C"I remember my dad getting laid off and all these things growing up. And that''s ''cause they sacrificed for the company. Well, the first knee jerk reaction from me is I sure don''t want to do that. I''m going to be in it for me and I''m going to make it work," Dorsey says.%u201D Companies have failed to put two and two together to realize that the reason young people do not feel corporate loyalty is because we watch our parents be laid off, have their pensions cut and their health benefits discontinued after many years of loyal service. We watched Enron and Arthur Anderson. We do not believe any company will take care of us. And companies have done nothing to prove that this belief is incorrect.
In summation CBS News%u2019 shoddy reporting and blatant attempts to feed the age-old %u2018kids today%u2019 angst has lost this Millennial and hopefully many others as customers.

[lisette241]

I would also like to point out that if this statement about Millennials is true: %u201CSo, there''s not the expectations that they will achieve and work hard," Zaslow says. "It''s not the same work ethic." CBS News%u2019 reporting on stories such as this must therefore be false:
%u201CCollege Application Ills Video 11/16/2006 Students are finding that increased competition is makes college enrollment more stressful. CBS News'' Russ Mitchell talks with MIT''s dean of admissions about the issue.%u201D
And this:
%u201CCollege Hopefuls Face Pressure Video 11/12/2006

Is the intensity of college admissions robbing kids of childhood? Russ Mitchell talks to Marilee Jones, the director of admissions at M.I.T., about the pressures teens face applying to college.%u201D