Generation+Y+-+Hedonistic,+Lazy,+Altruistic+Thoroughgoers

 Article by Benjamin Lu - 8102562 Tutor Judith Meiklejohn

**Generation Y - Hedonistic, Lazy, Altruistic Thoroughgoers** //The Multifaceted Life of Generation Y and its Effects on Public Health//

Cultural Artefact •  Public Health Issue  •  Literature Review  •  Cultural and Social Analysis  •  Analysis of the Artefact  •  Reflection

With a major shift in opinions, views and beliefs over the past 20 years, a new set of life values has been imbued upon the youth of today. Focus has been detracted from the need to establish a single career and build a family, which has prompted the current generation to focus on other facets of life such as personal development and the acquisition of a highly diversified skill set, preparing them for a world that demands highly skilled and educated professionals. These extra pressures placed on //Generation Y// are bound to cause negative public health issues. 

Cultural Artefact
[|Holstee Manifesto - Kinetic Typography Video] The Holstee Manifesto, seen on the right, was created by Mike Radparvar in an effort to encapsulate the mindset he and two others were attempting to maintain while creating their upcyled goods online shop. What he ended up creating was a piece that exemplified the mindset of Gen Y, that fascinated the public, so far as to be passed around the internet as an allegory of all that represents the young generation. The above video link is a video of the same poster using kinetic typography and narration.

image retrieved from http://shop.holstee.com/products/holstee-manifesto-poster Back to Top 

Public Health Issue
Generation Y has grown up being told by parents, teachers and the media that they must take their future into their own hands and take responsibility for their actions. This has driven a school of thought amongst youth that their lives are a personal project, and that their aim is to develop themselves to be the best they can be in all facets of life. Most of this generation, therefore, are well educated, looking to tertiary study to further their learning, while taking part in various extracurricular ventures. The daunting task of ordering these various areas of life together into a functioning system may sometimes lead to an appearance of self-centeredness, but there are much harsher circumstances from having too much on their plates. With over a quarter of young Australians having been diagnosed with having an anxiety related mental disorder and a third having experienced depression at some point in their short lives, there is a very visible detriment to the well being of young Australians.

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Literature Review
This generation has seen longer periods of adolescence progressively as the years go by. A book by psychologist Phillip Graham (2004) explores this increased adolescent phase, and some of the mental health impacts it is having on the youth. Graham's most pertinent claim is that adolescents grow frustrated and depressed due to an imbalance between pressure to perform, and freedom of responsibility. Meaning there are expectations placed on adolescents that they find it difficult to achieve not because of difficulty of task, but simply because their age and social status dictate very clear, conceived limits to their abilities which are, in most cases, far below the cognitive ability of an average teen. This leads to increased stress and anxiety.

A paper from Constance Hammen (2006, 1065-1082) explores the link between increased stress, and it's effects on depressive characteristics. Unsurprisingly Hammen found that stress, indeed, induced depressive states. During the course of the paper, however, a number of sources of stress were highlighted that caused these depressive symptoms; Anxiety to perform, social conflict and job dissatisfaction were a few relevant to this article. While this paper highlights some pertinent issues relating to the mental health of Generation Y, it doesn't properly encapsulate the mentality of the age group.

Professor Patrick McGorry is a leading Australian youth psychologist. In a 2007 paper with colleagues (Patel, V., //et. al.// 2007, p. 1302) McGorry explores the confluence of lifestyle factors in an attempt to contextualize the mental health profile of the youth of today. Most of Generation Y are currently in the final stages of education, and the beginning stages of establishing a career. They have begun activities considered part of "adulthood" including the use of alcohol and tobacco, engaging in serious romantic relationships, and being financially independent. A recurring theme in the paper is the need to address the mental health of youth, as most mental health problems arise during this transitional stage of life. But is this an issue with all adolescents? or is this particularly pronounced in Generation Y-ers?

The Age published an article in 2008 (Stark, J. 2008) assessing the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data on youth mental health showing that just over a quarter of young people in Australia are experiencing a mental illness. In their interview with Professor McGorry, he highlights the lack of infrastructure to cope with these issues. In a more recent article by Dr Dan Woodman and Prof Johanna Wyn (2011) The pressures placed upon Generation Y in particular are assessed, with contemporary issues being raised, such as the balancing of work and study, multifaceted extracurricular activities and life choices. A major point made in this article is the uncertainty and lack of predictability faced by Gen Y-ers in this new and evolving career climate. They must navigate secondary and tertiary education while pursuing avenues of education and work relevant to their chosen career, in order to get a leg up in this face paced world. These pressures undoubtedly lead to increased stress and anxiety within the younger population. The healthcare system must ready itself for this influx of new cases.

In his address to colleagues, McGorry (2011, p.5) describes the landscape of 21st century health. He argues that the current infrastructure for dealing with contemporary mental health issues is woefully outdated and frankly inadequate. He states that over 300 Australians present to emergency wards daily with obvious mental ill-health and are dealt with, without being referred to an appropriate service. The aftermath of this gap in the efficacy of the mental health care system costs up to $30Billion annually. With mental illness on the rise, and a lack of re-evaluation and re-designing of the system, these fiscal and care deficits are bound to get worse.

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Cultural and Social Analysis
As the uncertainty of employment rises, and the relevance of traditional patterns of living decrease, Generation Y are becoming stronger advocates of the adaptive life mindset presented in the Holstee Manifesto. Author Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, is a long term believer that Generation Y is becoming increasingly narcissistic and impatient under the influence of permissive parenting and informality. Her quantitative data from american colleges shows that Generation Y are less polite, more self serving and place increased value on material possession. She believes that selfishness is the driver for striving to achieve the views presented in the Holstee Manifesto. This has created a landscape of highly educated and ambitious individuals all competing for a place in a market that has a finite demand. At the end of the day, not everyone is going to get their dream job, dream car, dream house, or dream lifestyle. This, in the end is a strong driver for dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, and depression.

As Professor McGorry mentions in his address to colleagues, the mental health infrastructure simply doesn't exist to support the growing and ever changing demand being placed upon it. Mental health addresses 13% of Australia's health burden with only 6% of the total health budget. This deficit in funding causes thousands of severely mentally ill Australians to be placed in prisons because there are no health care options available to them, thousands of young Australians to sleep on the streets because of inadequate accommodation services, and quality care for mental illnesses to be three times less accessible than medical care. This is pertinent to Generation Y as the peak period for the onset of mental ill-health which persists into adulthood is between 12 and 25 years. There is a strong need for public health researchers to investigate the most efficient ways to educate Generation Y about mental health, and recognising, as everyone does with skin cancer and heart health, the early signs of mental ill-health, and make accessible quality care for those who require it. image retrieved from http://www.generationme.org/

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Analysis of the Artefact
The Holstee Manifesto shows a romanticised ideology of life choices and career aspirations that reflect well the mindset of the average, middle class Gen Y-er. The idiom "The world is you oyster" is a somewhat archaic equivalent of the wordy, artistically laid out poetic essay. It is with this mindset that the average Gen Y-er sets themselves up for disaster. It is not a majority of Gen Y-ers that fail drastically enough in their endeavours to elicit an aggravation of an underlying mental illness, but it is definitely a growing percentage, and that percentage is having an increasing demand on the metal health infrastructure. This piece was designed to motivate people, to change their lives fo the better, but at what cost are these better lives achieved? There is a finite demand for any given market, and yet motivational pieces, such as the Holstee Manifesto, profess limitless possibility, endless options, and freedom of choice, things that in the harsh reality of the world, are not always aplicable. It must be admitted that if these ideals could in fact be realised, for everyone, mental health in Australia for Generation Y would in fact be the best in the world, but the sad truth is that there are definite limits to the options available to a lage number of individuals, whether it be from a low socio-economic background, a lack of proper parental support, or a lack of education, are unable to realise these dreams. And when they realise the savage nature of their situation, they spiral into a mindset of negativity, anxiety and depression. So the question must be raised, is this mentality, that "I will realise my goals, my dreams and my aspirations because it makes me feel good" fair on those that are unable to realise theirs and what effect does is have on their state of mind?

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Reflection
Throughout this article I have found pieces that highlight to me the dilapidated and woeful state of our mental health system. Accessibility, awareness and quality of care are unbelievably poor in Australia, one of the most economically rich countries in the world. Also, the fact that mental health is most pertinent to people aged 12 to 25, almost directly Generation Y, my generation, made me realise that this is a real issue, that effects me directly. With the knowledge I have about the poor state of the mental healthcare system, I can hopefully understand better the background of many patients I will come across in my field work as a paramedic, and sympathise with their predicament. I can also, hopefully assist in educating the patients and their carers and facilitating the referral of patients to the correct services.

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References
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Shots, shots, shots - Generation Y and binge drinking
//Clearly Communicated and Eye Opening// Your article really resonated with me on a personal level as well as intrigued me from a public health perspective. The astounding statistics that you put forward highlight a definite need for change in both legislation and public mentality. Your observations on social conformity and Robert Merton’s strain theory coupled with your comments on the legality surrounding drinking paint a painfully clear picture of the issues that binge drinking and social acceptability of the activity are causing. Your use of the LMFAO song “Shots” as your cultural artefact was really eye catching, and drew me in to the article immediately. Well done all round, engaging and interesting article with clear and comprehensible points. [|comment]
 * Ben Dickson**

Generation why? The current ‘I’m sexy and I know it’ stigma requiring questioning alone!
//ROTFLMFAO// Your arguments about materialism and hedonism are backed up with ease and grace, well done. The issue of negative sociological behaviors of Gen Y is not a simple topic to wrap your head around, but you’ve done it to the point that you’re able to clearly communicate your thoughts and arguments. Your point in the second paragraph of your literature review about the bombardment of our generation with messages promoting negative social behaviors brought to light the sheer irony of our daily lives. Your use of such a relevant and well thought out cultural artefact demonstrates your deep research. This is also communicated in your paragraph about it. Cheers for a brilliant read. [|comment]
 * Brooke Richardson**

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