Each generation is inevitably different. From the Baby Boomers, to Generation X, Y, and Z—people of various ages behave differently due to a variety of reasons. Each generation lived under different circumstances with different lifestyles and different societal trends. Despite the obvious differences, one similarity within all generations is the goal of achieving the American Dream. This dream became a beacon of hope for many and provided a hopeful opportunity for newcomers abroad.
For several decades the American Dream was defined by opportunity. Our great grandparents understood this pyramidal concept and selflessly dedicated their whole lives towards bettering the life of their children. On tired, withered feet they continued pursuing this dream not for themselves, but for future generations. Our grandparents were then handed this same task and expected to continue pursuing the dream despite any limitations that could potentially restrain them from achieving it. They, too, understood the utmost importance to create a better life for the future. Many of our grandparents were not graced with the opportunity to attend college, but in many ways had an improved living situation from the generation before. With two generations working towards the hope of the future, eventually several of our parents were given the opportunity of attending college. This marked a milestone in American history.
With history made, our parents took pride in being able to attend furthered education. They worked tirelessly to take full advantage of this opportunity by working several jobs to pay off student loans and setting high standards for their academics in order to earn their college degree. They fully understood and appreciated their role in history and the importance of grasping every opportunity for the hope of a better future. It is reasonable to say when people in this generation found success, they took extreme pride in it. They wanted to display this newly found success with fancy houses, outdoor pools, and expensive clothing. But this success did not come from a decade of hard work in school. Rather, centuries later the American Dream was finally beginning to become a reality for families around the country. With countless years of hope and hard work from ancestors before, our parents’ generation was the first to experience this success.
It is reasonable to say this newly found success and increased exposure to money created a divide in our country. Not everyone from this generation was able to attend college. Not every family was able to mark consistent milestones while attempting to achieve the American Dream. There was now a significant, deadly divide in our country. Those who made it, and those who didn’t. A common theme started to run through the veins of every person who inhabited this country: a hungry desire for materialism. People became jealous and wanted more, and people who had success couldn’t get enough. And since this divide, nothing would ever would be good enough.
People began to overwork themselves. People started to drive themselves into the ground with 12-hour work days and stress piling up on their shoulders like a heavy stack of books. The American Dream was no longer the dream of opportunity, but the dream of excessive money. It became a game, and everyone was hypnotized into playing it.
That is when our generation comes into play. Our generation, in my opinion, is one of the most conflicting generations to ever exist. Many of us have rebelled as teenagers. But for what reason? Many of us grew up in a fairly well-off family. We always had food on the table. We all got to ‘eat out’ at expensive restaurants. We always were clothed with the newest trends. We always have had the highest level of education. And if you are even lucky enough, your parents paid your college tuition. We all have been excessively fortunate compared to our ancestors. We often take for granted everything we receive because we never have had to experience backbreaking work or living off of barely anything but hope.
Although this information is as honest as Abe Lincoln himself, I argue there is another side to this argument. We may come off ungrateful and lazy, but there is often another perspective other generations don’t see. What if we don’t want to idolize money? What if we don’t want to turn the American Dream into something it isn’t? And what if we simply don’t want to live an unhappy life for a dull materialistic reward? These are questions several of us think, but never express. We don’t want to continue this pursuit of a materialistic ‘American Dream’. We want to be happy. Why is depression so common these days? Because our society does not understand the definition of relaxation. We need to start pursuing happiness, instead of living for materialistic rewards.
I could potentially rant for hours about everything society needs to change. But we still must always remember and applaud our ancestors for everything they have given us. From the surreal world we are now able to live in, to creating a blood line of overachievers and believers, we must always be mindful of the past because it has given us all optimistic futures. The past will always remain the past, but there is still time to write the future.
