You are making a lot of jumps of logic here with my statements. I did not say any of these things that you are assuming are my generalizations. I abbreviated my post for the sake of not boring everyone to death with quotes on GenY employment characteristics from articles or my pondering on the psyche of the young working class in America today. But I feel this warrants a response, as I am not quite the "one dimensional strawman" that you might think.
Right, well I shall make my case and then you shall have your chance to explain how your first post was not chock full of generalizations.
Generalization #1
I have a lot of friends who had no desire to try with their education, but the problem was not that they felt they were destined to fail, but that they thought that they would succeed regardless of their lack of effort.
If I understand your second post correctly, this isn't actually based on your friends, but rather some amalgam of independent thought and cobbled research. If that is indeed the case, why phrase it as though you had so much personal contact with this subset of GenY that has no desire to exert effort? And why deny that it is a generalization? I mean you have to figure there are some overachievers, some under - even if, as you say, the overall trend in educational effort is downward sloping. The article you referenced actually reinforces my point. Namely, that even with the underachievers you're harping on about, there are still well qualified twentysomethings that are being sought out by employers, case in point: "As much as some employers would like to resist the trend, a growing number are searching for ways to retain twentysomething employees — and to figure out what makes them tick."
Generalization #2
Children and teens are raised to believe that they are perfect and special despite minimal effort and lackluster accomplishments.
I can't think of a possible argument you could employ to back this up. How is this not a generalization? Minimal effort? How about curricula taught in schools using the lowest common denominator of required material, or the various ways in which the modern grading scale encourages mediocrity? Those are real issues affecting the current mindset of our youth, and the minimal effort comes not from the youth themselves, but from the educators.
On the perfect and special bit, parents have always told their children they are special, that they can do anything they want to. Hell, imagine what the Great generation must have told their children to make them into the baby boomers! Those hippies you spoke of had parents too, ya know. And after those hippies had their fun at Woodstock being delinquent and unemployed, what did the majority of them do? They settled down, held stable jobs, started families, and told
their kids they were perfect and special, just as their parents had told them. What I'm getting at is that it is impossible to classify an entire generation as underachievers. Doing so is the very essence of generalization.
Generalization #3
This generation of mediocre achievement has come to the conclusion that a college education is not necessary, and that good grades are just trying too hard.
Again, this is so generalized, it's hard to see the point you're trying to make. If, however, you are trying to make the case that today's youth are all too cool for school, I will counter with personal testimony. My (public) high school had a 99% college acceptance rate the year I graduated. The top 150 students in my graduating class had over 95 percentile GPAs (admittedly, due in part to grade inflation) and other high schools in my area had similar figures. I
am Generation Y, and my experience is so profoundly opposed to what you are saying, I cannot fathom that what you are saying is the dominant trend.
Generalization #4
Then they go out into the professional world and don't understand why employers won't give them management positions and high salaries just because they're a unique and special flower that has been coddled their entire life.
I don't think you read the article from your second post very closely. "Maybe we WERE spoiled by your generation. But I think the word 'entitled' isn't necessarily the word," he said. "Do we think we're deserving if we're going to go out there and bust our ass for you? Yes." Hard work deserves compensation. It has always been that way. Nothing in that article said anything about GenY workers expecting more than their predecessors. The only source to the contrary in that article (the quote you copied for us here) was from a doctor who happens to have written a book on the subject. Imagine that! Someone willing to say something sensational for the chance to plug their book! The article did mention that the folks of Generation Y are more class conscious, altruistic, idealistic, and less willing to be a 'cog in the machine,' but are any of these things necessarily linked to demanding higher pay or less work? Not at all.
My peers and students tend to have an attitude of "how little can I get by with?" instead of being proud of their work and putting forth their best effort. It is rare that a student "tries their best" in my experience. This is because we allow our students to "pass" and "succeed" on with minimal input from the student. Why should they have to actually try when they can get by with the bare minimum?
First, let me say that pass/fail is a horrible concept in education. Add to that the idea that at some arbitrary percentage, a student has successfully learned enough of a course to not have to take it again, and you've reinforced the idea that failure is an option. These are problems with the schools though, and not with the generation currently matriculating.
This was not what I said or what I meant. I said that they were coddled their entire life. I was referencing the celebration of underachievement that America has adopted in the last two decades and the entitlement mentality of our young adults and teens that has become prevalent because of it. Let's take this from one article on this problem:
"We're seeing an epidemic of people who are having a hard time making the transition to work — kids who had too much success early in life and who've become accustomed to instant gratification," http://www.freerepub...s/1431497/posts 6/26/05
I think by now I've demonstrated both that I've read the article you're quoting, and that the quote you picked is not representative of the article. Furthermore, I disagree with your assertion that America has somehow accepted, adopted, and/or glorified underachievement, in the last two decades or otherwise. I seriously doubt that this will ever be the case. What exactly do you mean by the celebration of underachievement? Because on face, that's a non sequitur.
I am not blaming the student for what their parents and teachers did not tell them. Rather I am trying to highlight that our current educational system (and typical family dynamics) tends to set children up for this type of entitlement attitude by rewarding any effort regardless of how minimal with praise, accolades and eventually a diploma. Kids are jettisoned into the working world expecting the same neverending positive reinforcement; they expect too much out of their employers and have an inflated sense of self worth.
Right, this is the bit I would have agreed with, were you to have voiced it in the first place. I want you to know that I'm not disagreeing simply for the sake of it, I do read and consider what you write
It is time for us to get packing now, we are starting our out-of-town move in about an hour. Thank you for giving me something fun to do this morning. 
Hmmm, I actually just finished moving cross-country. Two days in a car makes Paddy an unhappy camper. But, I will say that I'm glad to reciprocate the favor and give you some food for thought. It's been too long since I've exercised these particular mental muscles. Cheers
