Posted: April 25th, 2025

Adjusting the Sails – A Closer Look at Generations iY – Discussion

Post a reply of at least 200 words for each discussion post. Each reply must incorporate at least one scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include peer reviewed journal articles, content from relevant professional
associations/platforms, course materials, the textbook, the Bible, etc.

Discussion by Aric Hall

           The short answer, is that the young people in the digital age are indeed over-connected, but I am not sure about overprotected and overserved (Elmore, 2015).  Young people cannot do anything without their smartphones attached to them.  They are constantly on social media, and are addicted to it.  It interferes with work and play.  Most parents today seem disinterested and detached from the lives of young people, neglecting their duties as parents.  I think the number of helicopter parents has dwindled to a trickle.  As for overserved, there are those who drink too much, but the vast majority of young people are less dependent on alcohol and drugs than ever before.  Few smoke anymore.  I do believe that the intellect and critical thinking skills of the younger generation greatly limits what they are capable of.

            It seems that young people cannot even attend class without a smartphone.  Apps like Snapchat require frequent posting of messages and pictures or their conversational thread gets deleted.  It is a designed addiction.  Young peopled working will be staring at their phone, even if they have a rather safety-serious job, like a flagger who is supposed to be stopping traffic.  Where did they get the idea they have to have these things?  People posting all day about where they are and what they are doing is not necessary to life.  More bothersome is what it does to productivity.  In my age bracket, 30 years ago, it was about being addicted to television and movies.  Most of that is rubbish that should not be observed anyway.  It is imperative for parents and teachers to force young people to focus more on what matters:  school, training, church, social skills, sports, and even some recreation time (
King James Version 1769/2017, Phil. 4:8). 

            As for being overprotected, this one is a little more complex.  There are helicopter parents that want to control everything their college-aged child does.  I have seen these in the advising office.  Oh my!  Let those young adults make some decisions for themselves.  Yes, they spend little time learning and analyzing, but the younger generation wants to make quick decisions even if based upon poor data.  It is a hard way to learn, but it works.  This is the texting and Google generation, where answers must be instantly available, in their minds (Elmore, 2015).  I read an article recently about teenagers bringing a parent to a job interview!  That is a thing now?  On the other extreme, it appears that a majority of parents take no interest in parenting.  We read a few months ago about the number of young people that sympathized with a manifesto that had been written by Osama bin Laden.  As one of the conservative newscasters said, tell the parents to put down their smartphones and try raising their children.  We have seen the anti-Israel protestors calling for the end of Israel, despite having no knowledge of its history or pertinent geography.  Where are the parents?  I did teacher observation hours a few years ago, and I was stunned at basic things that students did not know, and yet the teachers gave them no homework.  I guess they needed all that time at home to be on Tik Tok. 

            Something must be done better, be it at home or at school.  There are elements that young people are missing in their upbringing.  I get it, people are too busy working to try parenting.  That is not true.  The parents have little interest, little time management training, and they are doing the irrelevant things in life with their time.  It is not that technology and distractions impact society’s perception of the younger generation.  In reality, these distractions are disastrous to the productivity of the younger generation.  A lawyer instructor of mind pointed out in his family law cases that the young people today are bright and smart at a very young age, thanks to the digital revolution (J. Williams, personal communication, 2020).  Many of these things are tools for the elite to dumb down students.  They are learning nothing of the Bible, the Constitution, current events, or how to resolve conflicts.  There needs to be more structure, but someone has to take charge of making that happen.  Just as children should be protected from rattlesnakes, they need to be protected from a myriad of lying voices out there as well.  One recommendation is to have more learning time away from technology:  using gardens, shop class, welding, canoeing, and outdoor learning spaces (Dring et al., 2020). 

~ Aric Hall

References

Dring, C. C., Lee, S. Y. H., & Rideout, C. A. (2020). Public school teachers’ perceptions of what promotes or hinders their use of outdoor learning spaces. 
Learning Environments Research, 23(3), 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09310-5

Elmore, T. (2015). 
Generation iY: Secrets to connecting with today’s teens and young adults in the digital age. (Expanded ed.). Poet Gardener Publishing. 

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769).

Nov 9 1:17pm

Discussion by Joshua Popovitch

In the reading, Tim Elmore stated that Generation iY is overwhelmed, overcorrected, overprotected and overserved. He also stated that this generation is different than the ones before it, and as a parent, teacher, or employer, it is imperative that one knows what to do with these different-personality-typed generation. I would have to agree that as a whole, this statement is somewhat true if this generation was to be collectively judged. Although there are some outliers and exceptions to these characteristics such as overwhelmed, overprotected, etc., I would say that this is mostly true of this distinctive group of people. 

In the text, Elmore made the reference to his trip to Cairo where he embarked on a sailboat ride that I think depicts what business employers and managers should do with their new hires from Generation iY. He made mention of how the winds at sea were ever-changing, causing the captain of the boat to have to change course and alter the sails frequently (Elmore, 2015). Just like how the captain altered the sails based on the changes of the wind, so should employers alter the sails of their company, and not necessarily change the goals of the company. This mindset can propel a business rather than drag it down if the leadership knows how to adjust the sails properly.

The perceptions that were mentioned limit what society thinks of this generation. This is rooted in the frustration from parents and employers regarding the attitudes and limited experience coming from recent graduates. With this kind of attitude from employers, they are less likely to hire recent graduates, which then produces a stereotype that can overshadow the diverse talents and innovative qualities that many individuals in this generation possess. By focusing only on perceived negative traits, society risks overlooking the unique strengths they bring, such as adaptability, creativity, and a sense of social awareness. This narrow view can lead to reduced opportunities for Generation iY in educational, professional, and leadership roles, as they may not be given the same trust or responsibility as other generations. By broadening the understanding of Generation iY to include their technological fluency, problem-solving capabilities, and collaborative spirit, society can better support and empower them to lead and innovate effectively in the workforce that is predominantly led by Generation X or others before that who were raised much differently.

Elmore, T. (2015). 
Generation IY: Secrets to connecting with today’s teens & young adults in the Digital age. Poet Gardener Publishing in association with Growing Leaders, Inc.