iGeneration
Generation Z or Gen Z (also known as iGeneration or iGen and Post-Millennials) is the demographic cohort after the Millennials. A significant aspect of this generation is its widespread usage of the internet from a very young age. The iGeneration has totally redefined communication. Based on my research, I have now discovered that the “i” representing both the types of mobile technologies being produced (iPhone, iPod, Wii, iTunes) plus the fact that they are “individualized (customized)” in the way they are used.
I would hate to be judgy, therefore, support writer, Matt Carmichael who once argued that the “i” in igeneration could be interactive, interesting, international etc. Well, come to think of it he might have been right because this generation is all about the interacting [LOL]. However, let’s try and remove the internet from the equation and see if at all this “i” argued by Matt applies, I would argue that the “i” in igenation stands for “individual” whereby each man for himself and God for us all.
Narcissist generation
We have a narcissistic society where self-promotion and individuality seem to be essential, yet in our hearts, that’s not what we want. We want to be part of a community, we want to be supported when we’re struggling, we want a sense of belonging. Being extraordinary is not a necessary component to being loved. The failure to achieve intimacy with anyone results to them seeing other people like items in a vending machine, using them to service their own needs, never being able to acknowledge that others might have needs of their own.
The delusion of public acceptance has become routine for not only “celebrities” but also to the ordinary people to post banal information and fill Instagram with the “#moments” that constitute their day, the implied principle is that, once you are “liked”(double tapped) enough, nothing is mundane, recording mundane events becomes proof of your importance. This has led to a dramatic rise in cosmetic surgery in Kenya is part of the same effect (courtesy of citizen tv); the “celebrity” fixates on his or her appearance to meet the demands of fame. Then the vanity, being the only truly replicable trait, becomes the thing to emulate.
Fast-paced generation
We have bread a very impatient generation, look at it this way, nobody waits anymore. We are are a generation of microwave lunches and dinner, online shopping, online banking, online dating, online gaming, whirlwind romance, drive through weddings, quickie divorces, food deliveries, instant tea? Still surprises me..hehe instant response, remote access, connectivity to our fingertips, 3D movies etc.
We have idolized motivational speakers who insist that we can have anything we want, whenever we want if we just believe extra hard enough. whoever coined the phrase “patience is a virtue” certainly did not leave in the fast-paced 21st century. Restaurants serve “all you can eat” of our favorite foods. Advertisements constantly push things we “need” to buy because, of course, the things we have just aren’t good enough.
Kindly note, I am not protesting the new age of technology, unlike the older generation who would say “You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” On the contrary, technology has made the world a global village, communication easier not to mention the social economic growth within our regions among other pros.
A little advice goes a long way:
All is not lost, here are five principles of self-improvement: gratitude, modesty, compassion (for self and others), mindfulness and community. Some of these are obvious – modesty as an antidote to self-love – and some have a practical application. The Bible also teaches us that excess doesn’t work so well.
The interesting thing, as their prevalence increases, will be seeing whether society rebels against or accommodates narcissistic traits. But you also have to fight the tendency to stick your head in the sand and say: ‘ There’s nothing wrong with this generation.’
Share your advice to this awkward adult as it takes a village to raise a child. [Wink]
