Link:

[nilchance]

A brilliant essay by Elizabeth Bear on Generation XYZ.

We are pedestrians in a world without sidewalks, striding across traffic against the light. We are overqualified, overeducated, overworked, overstimulated, underpaid, underemployed, undervalued and underwhelmed. Our cats have their shots, but we don't have health insurance.

Comments

[ladykatiewench.livejournal.com]

Great essay.

It's so sad how I've tried to explain all of that to my mother several times and she still doesn't understand. I forwarded this on to her, but who knows. Maybe since it is coming from someone other than me, she'll pay attention. Maybe not.

I'm gonna forward this on, if that's alright with you.

[vicdesty.livejournal.com]

And 15 years later it is still just as true. I remember my Junior High teachers (this would have been around 1981) telling us that we would all be killed in the nuclear first strike and we should be grateful for that.

[floranna.livejournal.com]

This is so true. I am going to University and I am scared shitless that I won't find a job after and during it. I want to travel, I want to live before going to University, I want to get experiences and not to worry, because I think after I go to Uni, I'll have to stop. I have to be responsible, smart, adult... I don't want that. I have always felt a bit out of my skin, I haven't felt about my age in several years. I want to be a teenager, even if it would be only for a year. I want to be a teen. I am now eighteen and I want to feel like that, not like I was 30 year old with a stick up to her ass.

Wow, that was a rant.

[rae-1985.livejournal.com]

That quote is fantastic. I definitely have to link that to read later. Thanks for pointing it out.

[rocketchick99.livejournal.com]

Great essay, and still accurate. The fact she mentions Danny Elfman *and* quotes Oingo Boingo makes it extra good in my book.

[bearfairie.livejournal.com]

Huh. wow. So much of my personal truth in snippets (some, not all but *shrug* of course). interesting to see it laid out like that, from 15 yrs ago, see what's changed (for me), and what hasn't.

thanks for posting the link.

[daybright.livejournal.com]

"Understand: we never expected to live this long." how true. Having it put bluntly like that makes me realize that it is true, and it kind of explains my obsession with post apocalyptic fiction too.
I too have tried to explain gen x mentality to other people without success, definitely keeping this so I will do a better job next time.