Prompt:Write about the issue of this generation called The Entitlement Generation. Explain who they are and what they represent; what the issues are with them and for them. Ultimately, using Rogerian Argument style, argue for or against this generation's future success based on what we are seeing from them now.
Here is what I have so far...
Entitlement Generation
If some one was lucky enough to be born sometime between 1979 and 1994 they are labeled as, "The Generation of Entitlement" or "Entitlement Generation". Some may feel honored to be crowned with this title, however if you look this term up in an online dictionary you will find the definition to be, "The group born between 1979 and 1994 who believe they are owed certain rights and benefits without further justification" (Dictionary.com). Most people who identify with this title have certain ideologies that are narcissistic. Narcissism is a psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem. There are people who believe being from the Entitlement Generation, with these narcissistic attitudes, may help our society. According to Michael Maccoby, a psychoanalyst, anthropologist and business consultant based in Washington, D.C., "What the American economy needs right now is a generation of brazen, brash, narcissistic innovators"(Halpern). Others believe that a narcissistic attitude mixed with the ideas of "The Generation of Entitlement" blends together and makes for a lazy, "give me everything" attitude that equates to our generation becoming unsuccessful.
One of the aspects of the "Entitlement Generation" is that they feel entitled to grades they have not earned. According to Max Rossevelt, "A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students surveyed said that they expected B's just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B for completing the required reading" (Roosevelt). Professor Marshall Grossman at the University of Maryland says he has come to expect complaints whenever he returns graded papers in his English Classes. Students who have grown up in this generation often feel that a grade is earned through effort and not through hard work and studying. Unfortunately, the grade complaining does not just stop at statements such as, "I deserve an A" or "I never get less than Bs". According to Jean Twenge, "Several studies have found that narcissists lash out aggressively when they are insulted or rejected" (Twenge 71). In her novel Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled- and More Miserable Than Ever Before, she talks about the teenage gunmen at Columbine High School and how they made remarks similar to items on the most popular narcissism questionnaire. She states, "On a videotape made before the shootings, Harris picked up a gun, made a shooting noise, and said "Isn't it fun to get the respect we're going to deserve?"(Twenge 71) This incident was one taken to the extreme and was a huge tragedy. Not all people who are termed "Entitlement Generation" will grow up the same but recent studies have found that currently students in this generation feel entitled to good grades without earning them.
I'm having trouble with finishing up my essay. It only need to be 3.5 pages so I am planning on using my next main paragraph to talk about the positive aspects of "The Entitlement Generation". Then close with a concluding paragraph.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Your essay is a bit disorganized at present. Why should those born between 1979 and 1994 have a particularly strong sense of entitlement? How is this linked to narcissism? Clearly not everyone born in those years lacks a sense of empathy, even if they have adopted an attitude of entitlement as part of a generational zeitgeist. You explain in detail why an attitude of entitlement would be bad, but you also say that some people believe it can be good, and you don't make a particularly strong case for this. Perhaps you could explain in greater detail how this could be seen as a good thing.
