I am so happy to be in the generation in which I currently live. Technology is getting more and more impressive every day, acceptance and freedom are at a cultural high in most places on earth, and more and more people are trying to do things that they enjoy and that make them happy.
Recently, I heard our generation referred to as "The Whatever Generation" and I thought this was an interesting way of trying to explain my age group. In order to understand this label, I guess you have to start with our grandparents living in the good ol' days of the ’30s and ’40s, although I'm sure if you asked your grandparents they'd say it wasn't very good at all. They had amazing pride and work ethic, and worked hard for everything they received. The Great Depression led to the need for those who did have jobs to work even harder for their average annual income of $1,300. The late ’40s also marked the genesis of using technological advances for the primary objective of making everyday life easier and more enjoyable via inventions such as the television and the refrigerator. The emergence of black culture brought with it the first dance in nearly two decades that allowed individual expression: "the Jitterbug".
This lifestyle continued through the Cold War and well into the ’50s. After serving their time in the war, men began starting families. Enter: the Baby Boomers. By the time our parents were around our age, people started separating from the conservative ’50s decade. The ’60s, deemed the “Age of Youth”, had 70 million post-war teenagers who wanted change. New revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of life began taking shape, the likes of which are still ongoing. Peace was a large focus. People like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X continued the fight for racial equality, while women like Betty Friedan fought for gender equality. Mainstream religion such as Christianity and Catholicism began its decline; people started accepting other religions such as Buddhism. Enter: The Hippie Movement. The use of mind-altering narcotics grew exponentially (much in part to the discovery of MDMA, LSD, and the emergence of ethnobiologists like Terence and Dennis McKenna), coinciding perfectly with the soaring status of rock music, sexual freedom, and crime. People became more aware of our impact on the earth, while technology also continued its climb to what we know it as today. A lot of the "radical" ideas of the ’60s gained wider acceptance during the ’70s.
Computers began getting popular, the Atari came out, floppy disks and laser printers were invented. The rock music of the ’60s broke off into many different sub genres (soft rock, folk rock, punk rock, etc.). Marley, Tosh, and King Tubby were introducing reggae and Dub to the world just as a new disco craze began to grow. These decades are pivotal to the society and way of life we live in today.
BOOM!
That brings us to now. I remember my dad when I was younger telling me how his only toys when he was my age were a stick and a piece of glass, as I begged him to buy me new Spider-Man toys. I always took this as a joke, and I'm sure it wasn't nearly that bad but it's still something to keep in mind. My parents’ home is now filled almost to the brim with new and old electronic devices they purchased for themselves, or for me. Things my grandparents would have called alien technology such as iPods, CDs, and GPS systems become outdated or broken and discarded somewhere in the dusty basement. Anyone who takes the time to think about it should easily be able to tell that quality of life in most ways is better now than it has ever been, as evolution should be. The concepts and ideals our parents and grandparents began regarding like equality, acceptance, and peace are stronger than ever.
The work ethic, however, seems to be slowly fading away with our growing ease of life. We haven't had to work as hard for receiving much more and eventually we might pay for it. Increasing numbers of people are starting to believe that their future is not in their control, giving us our somewhat "whatever" work ethic and lifestyle. We meet someone who dresses unconventionally. Whatever, they can wear whatever they want. Someone tells you they want to own an emerging maple syrup conglomerate. Whatever, they can be whatever they want. Someone tells you they're gay. Yeah, man that's fine too, do whatever you want. A friend asks what should we do tonight. You say whatever, because the possibilities are almost endless. We truly do live in a generation filled with whatevers. Just the feeling of the word and the way it describes the openness, acceptance, and even in some ways the work ethic of a large part of our population makes it an excellent word--if we must have a word--to describe life today. Of course I'd rather our generation be described as something cooler or more interesting like the “Super Awesome Laser Explosion Generation”. But if we are, in fact, the whatever generation, I'll have no problem proudly explaining to my children.
DANNY SAUVE
