Clearly my zeal for writing blog posts comes in waves. I've just been reading and writing and thinking about so many things that I think are interesting to share, and I usually never get around to it, but now I'm making a special effort to share.
I'm fascinated by the phenomenon of "generations", and naturally, I'm particularly interested in learning about the characteristics of my own generation. When I worked at Curves I learned that Baby Boomers refuse to become old. According to this Wall Street Journal article, my generation, Generation Y, and especially the males, are refusing to become adults. The article is called Where Have the Good Men Gone?
The article argues that men in their twenties are growing older, but not more mature. Instead of being married with a job and children, the typical 25 year old man these days more resembles an over-grown frat boy, Adam Sandler type who barely manages to take care of himself. According to the article, women are becoming increasingly unamused with the selection of potential spouses and are turning toward careers rather than family to build their identities.
I can definitely think of some real-life parallels to the people described in the article, although I would be remiss if I didn't say that my husband David is not at all like the males the article describes. In fact, I think David might have been born an adult. He's the only 25 year old I know who gets excited when people mistake him for a man in his 30s.
I'm interested to know if this article rings a bell with others. The article sheds a negative light on the state of "pre-adult" males, but is it bad? Is it good? Some of both?
7 comments:
You are on a roll!
I think that men tend to mature rapidly when they get married. The single life is the most fun life event out there. What incentive is there for men to leave? For the men who are serious about attracting a mate, they will heed social cues and modify their behaviors.
I don't think watching guy movies and playing video games are bad things. Guy movies tap into humor that men have always resonated with, but is only now more socially acceptable. And video games are actually beneficial in moderate amounts; they bring out persistence in the face of failure, group work, and positive feelings of achievement. The point is, it is OK to do things that you enjoy, as long as you are not letting responsibilities slide.
I think that the opposite can be true as well ("where have all the good women gone?"). Because a career-minded woman may not be the most attractive thing to a man either.
I think you make some good points. I personally am glad that David doesn't play video games (probably because I associate them with children). However, they have become a way for men, and not just children, to socialize, much the way that playing poker has long been a social activity, especially for men. Video games have also become a way for men to unwind from the day's work, a purpose that the television has served for decades.
I think that it's good for people to mature and do grown up things like work hard and have families, but since it's apparently no longer a matter of survival, in order for that to be satisfying, people need to understand why it's good. I believe that our generation has realized that we don't know why growing up is good, so we hesitate to do things the way they have been traditionally done. We fear getting into jobs or marriages for no other reason than "that's just what you do."
Nowadays before making major life decisions, people ask, "Is that what I want?" But I'm not inclined to think that "what I want" and "what is good" are necessarily the same thing...
Soooo, you think, and I quote "that it's good for people to mature and do grown up things like work hard and have families". Hmmmm.
Do I sense a trace of sarcasm?
I think y'all work hard...
I just wrote a big long comment, and Google was "unable to complete my request" to publish. Maybe one day I'll have the time to write it all out again!
Ooh, I hate it when that happens...I try to remember to copy it first, just in case :-)
Post a Comment