In the endless garbage bin of catchy 1980’s music that doesn’t hold up well is a song by The Vapors called “Turning Japanese,” with the totally rad lyric young people used to sing, “I think I’m turning Japanese.” A generation of young people today might sing “I Think I’m Turning East Indian,” in that they can’t find a job, have little opportunity, are flat broke, and are living at home with their parents.
A little reported fact of “The Great Recession” from summer 2008 til supposedly—if we believe the hype—about five minutes ago, is that it disproportionately affected young people. This was mostly blown off by a news media for baby boomers by baby boomers where the average story was a lot more focused on someone getting laid off from a great job than someone just starting out being unable to get a great job. I guess it inspires more sympathy to see well off people lose stuff (like the rich drumming up hell for almost losing their Bush tax cut) than it is to see poor people be denied stuff they never had (like the millions of Americans, a large number young people without good jobs, that don’t have healthcare).
However, when I would walk into a job fair with a stack of resumes with filler on it, and not much else, it was dispiriting to see a line of comb-overs twisting around the booth in front of me. The “President of the Society of Self Promotion” qualification padder I might have had on my resume just didn’t look as radiant next to a guy that had been laid off after thirty years working in a media management position…especially when we’re competing for a job as a Verizon sales clerk. Grown men that were middle managing empires in spring 2008 were ready to ask you if you wanted six or 12 chicken nuggets as the assistant manager of a Wendy’s in winter 2010.
These adults were broke, were willing to work way below their pay grade for a job they’re over qualified for. The exact kind of job a college graduate is supposed to get! We didn’t just spend six figures listening to Professor Lost up His Own Ass for four years to be turned down for a job asking people if they want free ringtones with their TMobile upgrade.
Seeing the revolution Egypt’s youth has just staged—mostly through social media American kids that have never seen a vegetable use to manage imaginary farms or posting pictures modeling in front of a bathroom mirror like some disgraced congressman—for better jobs and opportunities, maybe it’s time American youth took the hint. Of course, if we did that Twitter and Facebook would just co-opt it to sell Pepsi or some shit, and we can’t be counted to show up and protest for days anyway. Maybe like…four hours on a Sunday but only if our schedules aren’t too full, and by that I mean it’s not football season, basketball season, a Jersey Shore rerun marathon isn’t on MTV, a “celebrity” dating show rerun marathon isn’t on VH1, let’s just say all of cable TV is out of power, Facebook is experiencing site maintenance, and there are no parties that night. So yeah, the third Sunday in February you should absolutely put us down for a revolution…provided there are snacks.
lol…if we weren’t so busy wasting time we probably could stage a protest. go wisconsin unions!!!
It is sad the graduates that use to beam while graduating with such hope and promise are scared to death. Will they have a job? Who knows………and what about that high dollar degree? Will you actually get to use it?
Pray for our young people because times are bad.
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