Astudy published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in March confirmed one of my worst fears about my generation.
The study found that the millennial generation, consisting of those born after 1982, “considers money, image and fame more important than values like self-acceptance and being part of a community.”
In addition, results showed that millennials were less environmentally conscious, community-oriented and politically engaged than previous generations were at the same age.
An obsession with wealth and those who hold the wealth grips culture like never before. Newspapers that used to cover important political and newsworthy events now feature countless photos of Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston’s engagement ring. In the recent presidential debates, the focus has been on the wealthy. There have been countless discussions and arguments based on President Barack Obama’s “You didn’t build that” comment as well as Gov. Mitt Romney’s tax return information.
America is not alone in this materialism, though. Nearly any college student with Facebook has heard the Korean pop song “Gangnam Style.” Gangnam is a city in South Korea associated with those in Korean society who have made it to the top of the economic food chain. They are ridiculously rich and live a life of decadence. South Korea, which has a 3.1 percent unemployment rate, is currently in a situation in which they must assess their nation’s values. South Korea is booming with business and opportunity, but this is not necessarily a wonderful thing for society. South Korean workers put in some of the longest work hours in the world and children spend almost all of their time either at school or being tutored so they can do better in school. Korean students are then shuffled into colleges, where they face anxiety and family pressure to achieve and out-perform their classmates.
Similarly, a high-level job and an economically stable and successful country are both important facets of the American ideal of achievement. Yet where have those standards gotten South Korea? They are well off and financially stable, yet starved of time with family and friends. Their lives revolve around jobs that provide for families they never see.
From the time I was a child, I was told by teachers and guidance counselors to find what I love in life and go do it. That “doing” always implied a job and money. We are taught that the highest degree of satisfaction in life comes from doing a job we are passionate about. When the purpose of our life is to find a fulfilling job, we live to work instead of working to live.
Of course, I want to have a job in which I do quality work that I care about. But I don’t believe a job can truly fulfill a life. America must realize that relationships are the lifeblood of a deeply satisfying life. Don’t sacrifice a gratifying and profoundly rewarding relationship with family members or close friends for a job title that won’t matter at all in a few years.
A palliative nurse in the U.K. reported the top five regrets of the dying in a powerful article published by The Guardian. According to the nurse, almost every male patient and several of the female patients expressed one regret: working too hard. They expressed guilt and sadness after realizing that they had lost precious years with their spouses and children.
Moral of the story: Millennial generation, it is time to set our priorities straight. Stop worrying about your future job and fantasizing about how much money you could make. The best things in life are free and the happiest people are those who see the value of relationships instead of the value of money.
