Are GenXers the Last Generation with a Work Ethic?

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WhiplashMotorbreath@reddit

Some want to work for what they want, others not so much. Many I've run into either working with or in passing, don't see the point, there isn't a goal they feel is ever going to be within reach, so they don't bother. Some grow out of it, some never do. Every generation has both. It is easier to use the victim card for reasons you'll never get there, over busting your arse.

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spykedaddy@reddit

Nope. My kid is 20- didn’t want to go to college. I let him have a year to figure shit out when he turned 18, then got him pointed in the direction of a full time job that he loves. Works 40 hours a week, has a car that he paid for himself, pays a portion of the household expenses and saves money more diligently than I ever did. He could move out and be fine if he wanted to, but if he can stay at home and stack up until he *needs* to be on his own, I’m for it. He’s an all around awesome human and if I did nothing else at all right in my life, I can say that my kid turned out great.

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UltraMagat@reddit

What job did you point him to?

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spykedaddy@reddit

Casino business. At this point it’s our family business since he’s a 3rd generation casino worker. It’s never going to make him rich, but as long as he keeps his nose clean he will have a job no matter where he goes. If he ever wants to do something else, he has it in his back pocket. It wasn’t what I wanted for him- wasn’t what my father wanted for me either but the apples don’t seem to fall very far from the tree.

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UltraMagat@reddit

Interesting. Thanks.

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One-Earth9294@reddit

I didn't have one.

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cenrepute@reddit

Didn't boomers say the same shit about us? Pretty sure they did.

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Cool_Dark_Place@reddit

Yeah, I seem to remember the words "slacker" and "desensitized" bantered around quite a bit.

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WalkingstickMountain@reddit

![gif](giphy|xUPGceosCZT1yb4Ph6) SLACK!

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CoffeeCandy69@reddit

no, because if it wasn’t for Gen X the boomers wouldn’t be successful . movies like Wall Street illustrate this perfectly. Many of us slaved for boomers as apprentices and helped them look good. We are still doing it to carry them.

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Thirty_Helens_Agree@reddit

I dunno. I wasn’t paying attention.

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-badfeet-@reddit

All 3 of my kids (35, 31, and 22) all work their asses off and go above and beyond when someone is in need. As do my son-in-law (37) and daughter-in-law (32).

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Av8Xx@reddit

It’s your sucky parenting skills. Stop buying him everything. How is he getting games if he doesn’t work? Why would he work if someone will buy him things? I went to work as Soon as I could because I wanted to buy clothes. My parents bought up 4 tops and 2 pairs of pants at the beginning of the school year and that was it.

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BloodSweatAndWords@reddit

Gen Z kids I know have a very strong work ethic. My Gen Z college kid does work-study job on campus and has a full-time seasonal job at home during winter and summer breaks. In high school, kid worked part-time during school year and full-time during breaks. I never had to say one word about it. Kid's friends do the same. They are all anxious about getting a good job after college.

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Sassinake@reddit

make money for what? the future? what future?

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TheReal8symbols@reddit

Jobs are a fucking scam. We shouldn't have to sell our time (and often our dignity) to be considered valuable members of society. Hell, most jobs don't even pay enough to survive anymore. Many of our generation knew this, but we weren't the first to figure it out. The fact that so many of us are proud that we bought into the lie is seriously depressing; forcing it on our kids is even worse. We should be helping them by working to fix this broken world instead of demanding they take part in it. And no, I know plenty of zoomers who have a great work ethic; they just refuse to be objectified and commodified. I also know Xers who have no work ethic. Stop trying to generalize people based on arbitrary distinctions.

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djhyland@reddit

My kid already wants to get a job at 15. While I'll support him if that's what he wants, I also want to tell him to wait. He has the rest of his life to work, and only a few more where he can NOT work. What I wouldn't give for that freedom today...I want him to enjoy what he has now. There's the rest of his life for the other stuff.

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FallAlternative8615@reddit

Remove the lack of consequences and set the framework where he has to work. He will have to sooner or later so best to start early. I had jobs since age 15 and paid for my car, college and my part of rent once I moved out 18, self supporting ever since. My mom made me pitch in 200 a month towards the mortgage once I graduated HS while working a crappy part time job. Hated that then but it taught me how to budget, scheme and level up my job while going to school to then afford to live with a roommate. Never looked back and debt free in the 40s and married. Discipline isn't punishment, it is love.

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Malapple@reddit

Hey another boomer post. Man, when I was 16, I worked but hated it. Slacked off as much as I could. Most kids around me were the same. I ended up very successful from busting my ass - but more because I found something that paid stupidly well that I loved doing. Every generation has some people with a drive to work hard and some without. Huge generalizations help no one.

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Ill_Dig_9759@reddit

My 18 year old Gen Z worked 2 jobs through high school. One of which being full time in the summer. She's heading into college this fall with multiple credits already and will have enough to buy herself a brand new car saved up before she leaves. Mostly, we'll help a bit. My 13 year old might be just the opposite, though.

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dragjira@reddit

If he likes games, he might want to consider day trading futures with a funded prop firm account

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UltraMagat@reddit

I can sympathize with this person under certain circumstances. If she's just being lazy or wants to "be their friend", that's stupid. Sometimes we're caught between an ultra demanding profession, parents (up to four) who are going through severe health crises that demand your attention, (dementia/hearth failure/falling and needing to get them to rehab or assisted living) and trying to raise your children with solid values. You can burn your self to the ground trying your best and end up on the losing side of some things while holding it all together.

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Gen-X-Music@reddit

Haha the only problems I see in this silly meme are 1) a clearly waaaay too hands-off parent 2) asking the internet 3) how to "empower" a lazy teen. TELL that kid to get a job with an "or else" ultimatum. Period. Worry more about being a competent parent and less about your social media image and "likes".

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UltraMagat@reddit

"Or else" what?

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Ambitious_Lead693@reddit

This is not a gen anything issue, it's a parenting issue.

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UltraMagat@reddit

Not always.

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glantzinggurl@reddit

I keep hearing Gen Z using the term “soul sucking” related to jobs. You can’t let anything suck your soul out, so it’s on you if it happens.

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ManzanitaSuperHero@reddit

For a lot of younger kids, it’s really hard to find jobs. Sometimes a terrible job is the only one available.

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WyleECoyote77@reddit

Empower him by not giving him any money.

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Different_State4375@reddit

This is the only answer.

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SomeRando1967@reddit

If it helps, I don’t have a work ethic.

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raf_boy@reddit

I do. I put ethics aside to work.

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stupid-username-333@reddit

if you wanted any money you had to work

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Scary_Sarah@reddit

That would be pretty funny, considering we raised being called the slacker generation

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CriticalEngineering@reddit

I will not be drafted into your generational wars.

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Ok-Dragonfruit-715@reddit

The first time I heard the term Gen X used, it was in connection with a trait we were all supposed to have called being slackers. I was in my mid-20s, working two jobs, and not amused to be so maligned. I think it makes more sense to encourage kids to do things like babysitting or yard work for neighbors, rather than trying to get them to work a real job, even part-time, that would interfere with their school work and or activities.

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MNSoaring@reddit

Yes, now get back to work you slacker!

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LittleMoonBoot@reddit

Everyone’s opinion may vary, but in my experience the Gen Z I’ve worked with that are in their 20s have been very ambitious and hard-working. Same with my nephews. This sounds like a “parent dealing with a teenager” issue.

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Shockmaindave@reddit

We had a work ethic? I thought we were slackers.

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HughesdePayensfw@reddit

Swap internet access for work hours. Every hour he works, he gets an hour of gaming time with internet access otherwise, change the password to the WiFi. Quid pro quo. In my day, my mom would have taken the game console away and locked it up. This seems much more reasonable.

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Officialfish_hole@reddit

I didn't want a job either but I was forced to get one at 15. Kind of glad I did though because it really was nice getting some spending money and helped motivate me move out as soon as possible.

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fyodor_mikhailovich@reddit

what a stupid facebook post.

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invisible-dave@reddit

I didn't work when I was younger either. If I had gotten a car or a gf, I would have had to get a job but at the time I didn't want either one of those things.

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HalfOrcMonk@reddit

I didn't want my son to get a job while he was in high school. He volunteered at the public library and also at the food bank. His "work ethic" was cultivated around education and public service, not making money.

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BununuTYL@reddit

39 years later, my movie theater job is still one of the best gigs I ever had. Great group of people my age, free movies, soda, and popcorn. Could even eat the candy if you "damaged" it and wrote it off ;) Even helped Aimee Mann and Jules Shear at concessions once.

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RCA2CE@reddit

Dunno - how’d you raise em?

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nygrl811@reddit

My hometown is funny - EVERYONE gets a job in HS. Farm stand, Pharmacy, restaurant - anyone who would hire a 14-16yo. Didn't matter if your parents were rich or poor, if you didn't have a job you were looked at as weird. It's still like that today.

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Spherical_Cow_42@reddit

Every generation says the same thing.

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blade944@reddit

Every generation has hard workers, and less than hard workers. Every generation also thinks they were the last of the hard workers.

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