Short-cut Society

Featured

Posted on April 29, 2014 by brice4@gsu.edu

Lazy, unimaginative, or the lost generation are all concoctions that exemplify what this “short-cut” society is supposed to be. According to the Merriam dictionary, the detonation of short-cut is a “quicker or easier way to do something.” However, the connotation of short-cut, which is constructed by society, depicts that anyone who takes the “easier way” is lacking the basic fundamentals of life, or in other words is ignorant. To a society that’s main concentration is directed towards technology, it is tremendously offensive to categorize this society as being people that take short-cuts in life. The internet, Google, and even the calculator are all inventions that the public has adopted and use daily, but that where the paradox lies. These devices were created for people to utilize while simultaneously being juxtaposed to the notion that you’re lazy is you use these devices, no matter of it is more effective. Therefore, I will explore the concept that this generation, Generation Y or the millennials, are not in fact taking the easier routes in life, but are utilizing technology and allowing its resources to be beneficial.

Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it,” stated by George Orwell, a prominent man, which depicts the relationship that each generation has as it coexists in this world. Since the progression of technology, millennials have been accused of being narcissistic due to the fact that technology shortens the process of a task and doesn’t require too much work. Narcissism is characterized as someone having an “extreme self-absorption, an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a need for attention and admiration from others” (narcissism, 2014). Research has shown that those students in college from the 2000s to late 2010s have shown higher levels of narcissism than previous generations (Twenge, Konrath, Foster, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008). However, millennials being accused of being
narcissistic is what makes them so successful, (narc leads to success), and because millennials are already well acquainted with technology, most millennials work in an aspect that is associated with office work or business. In
fact, there are studies that report that it’s the business students that have higher levels of narcissism compared to other students in different fields (Daly, Westerman, & Bergman, 2010). Let be honest, no one invests all of their time and money into a business, unless they have extreme confidence in themselves. The people that are trying to develop their own business or work in an office spend 80 plus hours and have little time for a social life. Very few people do that for the fun, most do it because they have a high level of self-confidence in their success. Millennials have turned this belief that they are too self-absorbed into being a beneficial aspect. They have used their own narcissistic characteristics into progressing in the work industry, in spite of how they are perceived from other generational cohorts.

The older generations, mainly Baby Boomers, consider themselves to be judicious, while perceiving the younger generation to be ignorant. On the other hand, the younger generation believes the older generations to be loquacious about their time period, yet ignorant about the world they live in now. Most Baby Boomers deem millennials to be entitled and difficult to interact with. However, this same thinking once described Baby Boomers (Deal, Altman, & Rogelberg, 2010). Therefore, each generation shouldn’t have an ethnocentric approach to any new generations. A solution that can be adopted, constructed by Franz Boas, known as the Father of Anthropology, expounds on the notion that we, as a people, have to accept the beliefs and customs of someone else to be valid and justifiable, also known as cultural relativism. Each generation should realize that there will be trends and reformed cultural values across a period of time, thus the customs that are derived unto the pubescent is all they will know.

In this society there is a natural force that drives Generation Y— the use of technology. In the past century, there have been lucrative and innovative devices that have improved the prosperity of America. But, prior to the 1920s, America wouldn’t have been able to fathom the concept of a computer, a phone, or an iPod, because their resources consisted of type writers and hand written notes. The generation before the Model T’s would have deemed the people of the 1920s to be lazy, similarly to the people of the 21^st century. The students that are born in the 21^st century have computers, iPhones, and iPods has their source for knowledge instead if using encyclopedias or atlases as the generation before them did. Ellen Gamerman stated in “Legalized Cheating” The Wall Street Journal how “old rules still reign in most places, but an increasing number of schools are adjusting them,” which clarifies the educational transition schools are exemplifying in response to the progression of technology (Gamerman, 2006). Every generation has had resources available that were utilized, so in this short-cut generation the accessible resources consist of technology. Thus, it is only plausible for the students to utilize what is present even if it deemed quicker by the people that are less technological savvy.

There is no doubt that since the evolution of technology, that Generation Y has been accused of not having to work to get what they want. There is a belief that because technology because technology makes a tedious task shorter, that millennials can’t possibly have the capability of developing a good work ethic or be of value in a work setting. In fact, research has shown that there are no differences between the hours worked by Millennials and Generation Xers when they were at the same age (18-22; Deal, et al. 2010). Then, it was also discovered that Generation Xers worked more hours, in 2002, than Baby Boomers did at the same age, in 1977 (Deal, et al. 2010). Therefore, despite technology being more accessible to the millennial generation than the previous generations, there isn’t much difference between the generations, in the sense of how adequate one generation is over the other. Technology doesn’t reduce the chances of millennials being deemed valuable. Actually, since technology is being infused into businesses, such as communicating through email or using Power Point instead of a poster board, its millennials that have the upper hand. According to the Harvard Business Review, by 2016 millennials will make up almost half of all employees worldwide. Therefore, even if millennials are addicted to social media, Baby Boomers can’t even open an email attachment, which reduces the value that Baby Boomers have in the work place in comparison to millennials (Casserly, 2012). Considering that more business are moving towards being more technologically friendly. The usage of technology has not forced millennials to use the easy route. Technology is the most plausible route.

Statistics show that on average Google received about 2 trillion searches in 2013, and about 1 trillion the year prior; for students, “Google searches help find information in milliseconds,” and now that we live in the “internet age” it’s understandable for a student to go to Google for clarification on a difficult topic (Grimes, 2008). For instance, when a person of this decade is enquiring about a subject, it is almost embedded into our heads to “go to Google” or “look it up in Google.” Very few people of the 21^st century think, “Let me find the answer at my nearest library,” because it is not our primary source of knowledge — technology or the internet is. Technology is a convenient resource for millennials, regardless of the popular belief that it may hinder our success. In fact, due to Google being such a distinguished site it opens students to a global network, such as Cliff notes or Spark notes, designed to help and guide students through their troubles.

Even though not all students use Cliff notes, Cliff notes can be extremely beneficial despite its negative controversy. Cliff notes is tool that should be used as a resource for understanding, not for content. For instance, if a student wanted to understand the meaning of “Dante’s Inferno,” by John Cardi, they would go to Cliff notes for summaries and important events that contribute to the overall message of the book. Agreeably, with a website that offers a myriad of information on one subject, it is inevitable for a student not to use Cliff notes as a means to getting out of doing the full work. Therefore, Cliff notes have not become an adaptable tool in education, despite its benefits of helping loss students. In the same fashion, calculators were once on the receiving end of a heated debate back in the 1970s because adults felt that students were short changed of their education because this machinery was able to give answers in seconds. Then, it wasn’t until 1994 that the SAT even allowed students to use these “new machines” during an exam after initially being banned (Gamerman, 2006). Now, seemingly all math or science classes require the usage of a calculator. Gradually calculators became acceptable just as cliff notes will be. This website is effective because it serves as a guide that keeps the knowledge rudimentary so that even a 5^th grader can comprehend the message, which is considerably accommodating to students that can’t grasp the meaning or central idea of a piece of literature. In fact, Marilisa Sachteleben, a Literature teacher, stated that textbooks dehydrate and don’t offer a thorough job of helping students learn literature. But, it’s Cliff Notes, in her opinion that simplifies and extracts the essence of a piece of literature, not the textbook that students are forced to use (Sachteleben, 2009). Even though using Cliff notes doesn’t require any effort, it is very beneficial to the educational system and gradually using it will be second nature.

The implications associated with the term complacency and short-cut all embody a generation that does not exist. Generation Y makes use of the tools necessary to prosper because the world is all about what’s faster and better, not what’s slow and tedious. Cheating and taking short-cuts are not the word anymore; it’s exploiting the resources that are accessible to you. Millennials don’t take the less-traveled by route because the easy way is what’s offered. The beliefs that are associated to how millennials are only put into place by the people that never had the easier opportunities; therefore they would deem this generation to be lack lusters. Despite the popular opinion that technology makes millennials inadequate, it’s the millennials who are the future business owners. The students of this era are utilizers and use what is beneficial to their educational prosperity despite the controversy directed their way. The people of the 21^st century will realize that students are not lackadaisical— they are trailblazers.

REFRENCES

Casserly, M. (2012). Millennials And Baby Boomers: At Odds Or Peas In A Pod? Forbes.com, 30

Daly, J. P., Westerman, J., & Bergman, J. (2010).Narcissism in Management Education. Academy of Management. Learning & Education, 9, 119-131.Deal, J., Altman, D., & Rogelberg, S. (2010). Millennials at Work: What

We Know and What We Need to Do (If Anything). Journal of Business & Psychology [serial online]. June 2010; 25(2): 191-199. Available from Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Acessed April 19, 2014

Gamerman, E. (2006). Legalized Cheating. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB113779787647552415

Grimes, G. (2008). Spark notes Suck. The Antitoch High School Times 13 (2008): Print.

Jennifer, F. (2014, February 20). Why Narcissism Leads To Success. Thought Catalog. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://thoughtcatalog.com/jennifer-foster/2014/02/why-narcissism-leads-to-success/

narcissism. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic//

Sachteleben, M. (2009, December 1). Using Cliffnotes and Literature Study Guides in the Classroom. Yahoo Contributor Network. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://voices.yahoo.com/using-cliffnotes-literature-study-guides-the-4994802.html

Twenge, J., Konrath, S., Foster, J., Campbell, K., & Bushman, B. (2008). Egos Inflating Over Time: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis Of The Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality, 76, 875-902. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/brad.bushman/files/TKFCB08A.pdf

Homosexuality

Posted on March 3, 2014 by brice4@gsu.edu

A homosexual being denied their God ordained rights has been a constant debate for centuries. Before the LBGT movement gained more support, most Americans would rather avoid the topic of homosexuality because it was too taboo. The discussion of there being people that were openly gay wasn’t exactly “table talk.” It was easier for society to brush it under the rug. However, the gay rights movement didn’t gain momentum until the 1950s, when more gays become more confident about openly expressing their love towards their partners. Despite the progression the gay rights movements has received, this movement has reached a cement padded roadblock. It is natural in American culture for two people that love each other to get married; except for a person that is gay that is not a possibility. The problem in society isn’t that governments are too lazy to pass a gay marriage law. In fact, the problem is the principles and perceptions associated to homosexuals. There is a stigma that being gay is wrong despite the progression that the LGBT movement has received. As a person who does have a lesbian sister, I must address that it isn’t simply gay marriage as a law, its homosexuality as the perception that it is wrong. Gays are being denied the right of marriage and acceptance due to principles and the perception that homosexuality is wrong. Now, the gay rights movement is progressively aiming towards opening the hearts and minds of Americans to being more accepting. Although, this movement has proved to be controversial, it is a necessity to address the problem in society, so that it can understand why there is a roadblock on normalizing homosexuality: the perception that homosexuality is wrong.

The American Gay Right Movement has been around since the 1920s, making history and changing the lives of millions, through the Stonewall riots, the contributions of Harvey Milk, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, the first civil unions, and the legalization of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and more. (n.d.). However, homosexuality has been around since the beginning of time. The discussion of homosexuality wasn’t a topic most, particularly men, willingly choose to speak about in fear of being deemed gay themselves. On a primal, basic level, “homophobic heterosexuals men can’t accept gay men because” gays “are not like them.” (The Epistle, n.d.). It was once, and often times still is, instilled in people to regard gays as less than because they are going against the grain. Thus, to the minds of most close-mined people, anyone that goes against the grain is doing something wrong and shouldn’t be followed. However, I have been around homosexuals all my life. I have a homosexual uncle, cousin, sister, and friend and none of them pose a threat to me.

Even though “normal” is socially constructed, norms are “rules of conduct that guide people’s behaviors in social situations.” Values, the ideas about what is and isn’t acceptable behavior, and norms both work together to “serve as a script for how to behave in society.” However there are some that don’t conform to the values or norms of society, known as deviant behavior. When someone engages in deviant behavior that goes against the values and norms of the majority, it could create a “strong reaction.” (Hoffarth, n.d.). Therefore, in response to the social issue of homosexuality, the natural response to compromise with homosexuals in the legal system was the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Societies natural reaction to homosexuality was avoidance, most Americans decided not to openly react or respond because it made it seem as if homosexuality didn’t exist. Thus, resulting in some Americas, legally-wise, wanting to push them from society, as if keeping open gays out of the military will fully eradicate gays from society. In 1993, President Clinton issued the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which authorized that “closeted homosexual service members were allowed to serve in the military while homosexual or bisexual persons who revealed their sexual orientation were subject to discharge upon discovery.” (Jurist, n.d.). However, in doing so, it was further not normalizing homosexuality in America because it was urging for gays to cover up and not expose who they really are, as if they were doing something wrong. This policy was implying that in order to be seen effective in the eyes of Americans you had to be on the “Down Low” because there was no possible way heterosexuals and homosexuals could get along due to prejudice feelings or attitudes. A gay or a lesbian had to comprise who they were, in order to fight for a country that is supposedly the land of the free. After 17 years President Barack Obama, was able to repeal the DADT policy, creating a message that discrimination was not acceptable. Since as Americans we put a lot of faith into the legal system, DADT was unknowingly working against normalizing homosexuals because the only reason something gets banned is if it is a threat to the nation. Society has come a long way since 1993 in accepting homosexuals, except not in trying to normalize the idea homosexuality. Agreeably, most have accepted that there are gays rather than staying ignorantly oblivious, but some can’t fathom the idea that gays would want to get married because of cliché perceptions that same-sex relationships are unorthodox.

There are other instances that are unknowingly working against normalizing homosexuality in America. “Hate the sin, love the sinner,” has become an important slogan in regards to the LGBT community. However, this phrase is not promoting the acceptance of gays, in fact this phrase is further marginalizing and ostracizing gays. It is a matter of right or wrong. If you’re straight, you are on a god-like path. But if you’re gay, your detrimental to society, you are a disgrace. Most are failing to “recognize that what we are calling “sin” and the person we are calling a “sinner” are one and the same,” stated by Mark Sandlin in “Clobbering “Biblical” Gay Bashing,” because “It’s like saying “hate the toppings, love the pizza.” (Sandlin, n.d.). There isn’t a way to distinguish between a sin and the sinner because it doesn’t exist. Therefore, to define accepting the gay community as hating the sin, but loving the sinner, isn’t effectively separating a gay person from being a person that is doing something wrong. These are the perceptions that are mainly to blame when homosexuality is discussed. The beliefs that the society should take the social issue of homosexuality into their own hands or the marginalization of homosexuals based on the notion that homosexuality are taboo and wrong.

In order for Americans to alter the perception that is associated with homosexuality, such as it being unorthodox or the wrong, there needs to be a change in the image of what acceptance is in American culture. Acceptance isn’t to imply that homosexuals are sinful or advocating for others to not address homosexuality because it is too taboo. So far, excluding the entertainment world, acceptance has been defined through marginalized phrases and homophobic policies. In fact, the entertainment world has already gained a stance on gay rights and altering the image of acceptance of homosexuals. In the entertainment industry homosexuals are accepted and proud to be whom they are. Ellen DeGeneres, a talk show host and comedian, is contemptuously in a relationship with her girlfriend Portia De Rossi. Darren Young, WWE star, was one of the first to publicly announce to being gay in his career. Also, Jason Collins, a NBA player, has now paved the way for future homosexual athletes to show that by being gay it doesn’t hinder your masculinity or femininity. In pop culture, homosexuality is widely approved, yet it is still a taboo topic in the American culture, specifically in the government.

Regardless of the advancement homosexuals are receiving in response to pop culture’s acceptance, there is still a needs for improvement in regards to the government. As of February 2014, there are 16 states and Washington D.C., according to CNN, that have passed laws allowing same-sex marriages. The remaining states have banned same-sex marriages because it goes against their principles. Therefore, in order for society to become more comfortable with the idea of homosexuality, there needs to be a change in how gays are viewed and having the support of the nation. The most important way to solving the issue of how homosexuals are perceived in America, besides altering the image of acceptance, is passing gay marriage laws and those accommodating benefits. Gay marriage will pave the way to changing the perception that some have towards gay people. Since Americans do in fact put a lot of faith into the legal system, gay marriage will work towards normalizing homosexuality instead of working against it. By all states implanting gay marriage laws into the community it will further normalize homosexuality in America and not just in pop culture. Barack Obama stated in an interview with ABC, “I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally.” (2012). Obama is one of the first presidents to announce his support for same-sex marriage. After Obama publicly announce his stance on homosexuality, more and more Americans are beginning to accept and acknowledge gays. However, more and more some states are adamant about not allowing same-sex marriage. President Obama stated in an interview with Robin Roberts on an ABC interview that, “Unfortunately, 30 states, including Kansas and Missouri, have laws banning gay marriage,” proceeding President Obama’s announcement of support for the LGBT community. So there is still a long way America must go to altering the perception of homosexuals. Even though my sister is able to legally marry her partner, there are still plenty of others that can’t the reason being a response to the perceptions that associated to homosexuals. Gay marriage won’t force gays to cover up like the DADT policy or promote a stigma that homosexuality is wrong, which is why the stigma on gays should be altered.

Despite the progression in the fight to having equality for all gays, there is still a roadblock in accepting that gays are here to stay. Changing the stigma associated with gays will allow a more normalized view of gays. Homosexuality is still a weird topic regardless of its approval in pop culture. In American culture we put on rose colored glasses because it’s too controversial, too weird, or there is no point, nothing will change. Women Suffrage was too weird, but the 19th Amendment was passed. The Civil Rights Movement was too controversial, but the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act was passed. The LGBT Movement may seem too taboo, but after altering the stigmas associated to homosexuals, it will normalize homosexuality and promote equality for all in America.

REFRENCES

The American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline | Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html

Don’t ask, don’t tell. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://jurist.org/feature/featured/dadt/

The Epistle. (n.d.). The real reason straight Americans can’t accept gay Americans. Retrieved from http://epistle.us/articles/straightamerica.html

Hoffarth, G. (n.d.). THE SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://instruction.blackhawk.edu/ghoffarth/social%20problems/socunit1.htm

JURIST Feature Commentary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://jurist.org/feature/featured/dadt/detail.php

President Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage | The White House.( 2012, May 10). The White House. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://m.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/10/obama-supports-same-sex-marriage

Sandlin, M. (n.d.). Clobbering “Biblical” Gay Bashing – The God Article. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.thegodarticle.com/7/post/2011/10/clobbering-biblical-gay-bashing.html

Transcript: Robin Roberts ABC News Interview With President Obama – ABC News. (2012, May

9). Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-robin-roberts-abc-news-interview-president-obama/story?id=16316043