Every generation faces an obstacle related to the current events and issues the nation is facing. Our generation today faces a challenge due to the Great Recession that busted out last 2008. Youngsters are forced into debt, unemployment, and competition to all working age groups and with different level of experience. In response to these issues, they are forced to change their initial career path and what they call their American Dream.
Past generations have defined the American Dream as freedom of religion, rags to riches, opportunity and success, and having their own house, car, and family. Today’s generation, however, has to redefine their American Dream as the United States enters another challenge with the global Great Recession. Like past generations, my American Dream is to have a career in the field I’ll study in college, support my mother, and have a family. I am forced, however, to alter my dream.
As of right now, I’m still struggling to what I should take in college since I want to stick to one major until I graduate college. I’m ripped between choosing a major of my interest and a major that is currently in demand in the society. I don’t want to have a degree and not able to use it in the job I will be taking. According to the article “Generation Screwed,” “Among 2011 law-school graduates, half could not find a job in the legal field nine months after finishing school ” Other graduates also couldn’t find jobs while others gave up on college. Saeed Alwan, a grocery-store employee, from “Generation Screwed” said, “I quit high school because everyone that I went to school with was getting lousy jobs with their college degrees. It sucks to go to college just to do that.” Many of this generation graduates compete for jobs that may not even require a degree and many are now reconsidering whether or not to go to college and what course to take.
At times, it occurs to me whether if it is still worth it to go to college. Also, the course that I’ve been reconsidering to take is related to the Age of Technology we experience today. Technology has been a part of this generation and will be to the next. The demand of technological advances has been going up and is proven by Aboujaoude from the “iCrazy” article, “one in eight showed at least one sign of an unhealthy attachment to the Net.” People will continue to be indulged to the internet and technology. With this, the demand for new technology and services related to it will keep on getting higher and it won’t stop there because this is only the beginning of the Age of Technology. Apple, a company that is famous for and produces iPhone and iPad, is an example of the growing technology demand. Today, many, especially the youth, buys and demands Apple’s products and new releases. Those are the reasons why I reconsider what major and career I should take after high school. Today’s issues also modified my dream of supporting my mom and having a family just like other youths today.
Many still dreams of a house, car and family, however, those dreams are blurred out to our generation. After college, graduates look forward to getting a career and fulfilling those dreams, but the unexpected waits the youth of this generation today. According to Forbes in “Generation Screwed”, “The average student already carries $12,700 in credit-card and other kinds of debt.” By the time a graduate gets out of college, he or she is already in debit and now, has to compete with other graduates for a job or career that might not be in their field of study. It seemed impossible to have a house of our own in this generation and according to Katherine Newman in “Generation Screwed,” “I’m hoping the millennial generation doesn’t set its sights on home-ownership as a benchmark of economic stability because it’s going to be out of reach for so many of them.” The dream of having a family has also been out of reach because many wants to have economic stability before settling down and focuses on their career rather than looking or having a partner. In the article “Generation Screwed,” it is stated that many delay settling down, “Nearly a third of people between 18 and 34 have put off marriage or having a baby due to the recession.” I have taken the dream of having a house for my mom and family out of my list and I’m still contemplating whether to have a family or not, and when. The issues our generation face today has changed the past generation’s American Dream to a simple dream of having a stable career that will enable them to achieve something more.
My American Dream, just like other youth in my generation, has changed to just having a career in my field of study, and to try my best to help and support my mom. The dream of having a house and family became blurry and out of sight. My choice of major may seem to be unclear for now, but sooner or later, I’ll eventually have to pick my final decision, work as much as possible to achieve success, and of course, have the career in my field of study. Youth of this generation, like me, will just have to strive harder to compete with others in the battlefield for jobs once we are out in the real world.
