What do you think about the latest generation of Americans?

[Call of the Wilde]

The newest generation graduating from high school / college is Generation Y.
Most of them were born between 1985 and 1995. They aren't the MTV generation..I'd say they're more of the Facebook/Myspace generation.

Many statistics show that drug use is lower for this generation (even compared to the baby boomers), cigarette use is far...far lower, fewer than ever cite "professional athlete" or "rock star" as their ambition, and the generation is considered more idealistic than the previous Generation X.

What's your opinion of them?

[Your Assistant]

They are good for America
They will not be uneducated freaks that go around following racial ideas

[Lady Liberty]

Well, they will be very smart, and studies show they have higher IQ's than older generations.....
however,
They live in an alternate reality, where there isn't a whole lot human interaction. (facebook, texting, etc.)
This will ultimately hurt future relationships for them, because they won't be sure how to deal with issues face-to-face.

[petiteearthquake761]

Cons:
Poor work ethic
low attention to detail
Much less interpersonal skills

Pros:
The easier, less physical society has made it easy to have poor work ethic. However, they generally have better computer related skills than those older than them.
They are generally more educated than the older generations. In fact, the overabundance of higher education has made us a top heavy society where blue collar workers can actually make much more than a white collar one.

[Maxwell]

if too many people are too idealistic, then it leads to unrealistic desicions that America simply can't afford.

Example:

Sure it would be neat if everyone could own their own home! No more rent, no more being beholden to a rich landlord!...in fact the govt could encourge no-down payment and interest only home loans to help make that a reality!

Oh wait...that idea was tried and it lead to a national financial meltdown.

Being idealistic is great, as long as you are grounded in reality.

[guitarman]

Their youth has often been overscheduled by parents who have tried to get them involved in every extracirricular activity possible. Their overprotective parents have put a lot of pressure on them to be very successful achiever types. And because of that, some say this generation has been sheltered and maybe even spoiled. Other generations before them were often not affected by overprotective parents and those kids spent a lot of time playing outside and discovering the world for themselves. I actually see Generation Y as a bunch of future Wall Street businessmen and Microsoft software developers. They don't challenge authority the way Generation Y and Generation X did. They often go with the flow and their ideas are conventional. Corporations love Generation Y because Generation Y is a generation of consumers who are easily controlled by advertising campaigns. Expect to see more slick Madison Avenue type ad camapigns for politicians in the future as politicians try to get the vote of those in Generation Y. Generation Y just seems so, um, for lack of a better word... corporate.

[W.C. Felcher]

They've been saddled with enormous debt from prior generations and they will resent paying it back while supporting the rest of us in our old age.

Successful Generation Yers will be those who were born into wealth and privilege and those who are highly educated and marry the same or higher social strata.

However, the bulk of Generation Yers will be wage slaves with little or no upward mobility. Their standard of living is projected to be lower than their grandparents and parents'. Public education will continue to deteriorate to the point of a cruel punchline.

I wish them well.