The Millennial Blizzard

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The queue to get into Ireland at Dublin Airport on the eve of the same sex marriage referendum in May 2015

Brian Boyd makes some interesting observations on what is referred to as “Generation Snowflake”.

As he points out, it is the prerogative of every generation to look at the generation that succeeds it with an often unjustified sneer of pity and disdain. It was the meat that was dished out to us as teens by the generations that preceded us; and we took in so much of it that we want to impose the feast of our moral superiority on a generation whose only obligation, like the generations that preceded them, is to embrace knowledge and to take delight in their own youth and in the marvellous gift of life.

However, a major social experiment has occurred over the past 20 years that has elicited very little debate. The children coming into adulthood now are the first generation to be shaped by the internet.

Once upon a time our parents were charmed when we invented an imaginary friend; now children can have a thousand imaginary friends and we call it Facebook. Rather than interacting with the rough and tumble of real children, it is easier for children to sit in their rooms and morosely compare the amount of “likes” their picture receives in relation to others whom they can so easily perceive to be more attractive, affluent and intelligent than they.

A teenager won’t burn many calories staring at a screen, nor do they acquire much in the way of life skills. Depression and self-harm are a growing issue among the young. Rather than dealing with the individual when they have the courage to present themselves, or castigating a whole generation as “snowflakes”, we should perhaps ask ourselves how smart is it for adults to hand children smartphones and unrestricted access to the internet.

It is an issue that we need to take seriously, otherwise we may find that these “snowflakes” rapidly accumulate into a blizzard and change, not for the better, the fabric and culture of society.

Kevin Ryan
London.

Generation Snowflake (Irish Times letters page)

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106 thoughts on “The Millennial Blizzard

  1. medieval knievel

    “However, a major social experiment has occurred over the past 20 years that has elicited very little debate.”

    ehh….

  2. Medium Sized C

    ” These are the people who spend a lot money to dress so they look like a Victorian child going off to work down a coal mine but are in fact called Oisín and live in a big house in Sandymount. Petulant, privileged, patronising adult-children.”

    HHAAHHAHAHHAHAHA.
    HILARIOUS.

    ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE WORKING CLASS AND HAVE JEWISH NAMES.

          1. Medium Sized C

            My name is Abner and I wear a blue windbreaker and grey cloth tracksuit bottoms every day.

  3. Clampers Outside!

    I hear ya, but it’s OK, when snowflakes grow up and go to college, on graduating from their SJW advocate courses, thick* as fupp but tooled up to ‘engage’ with society, they’re no longer as delicate as snow, just flakey.

    Thankfully, most millennials are NOT snowflakes, so it’s all gonna be cool OK. Every generation has it’s deluded.

    *Advocacy is not academia

    1. Medium Sized C

      According to some I’m a millennial.
      Because generation Y is millennials.
      But Also I’m not because I was born in the 1980’s.
      But I’m not Generation X, because that’s born in the 60’s and 70’s, the kids of the baby boomers.

      But we didn’t have a baby boom in the 40’s and 50’s. So nobody here was a baby boomer.

      The reality is the only people who knew what Generation X was were grunge kids in college. Looking to the states.

      I guess my point is, this is all transatlantic BS.
      Judging an entire cohort of people to be certain way because of their age and access to social media is dumb.

      Also SJW is a term born of social media bullying that has evolved to a term of derision for anybody who advocates equality or tolerance.
      It is used by conservative cnúts to dismiss anybody who rails against sexism, racism, gender inequality, religious intolerance or homophobia.
      Using it makes you look sexist, racist, homophobic and transphobic at a stroke. Or if not that, entrely tolerant of all those things.

      1. Clampers Outside!

        SJW “has evolved to a term of derision for anybody who advocates equality or tolerance.”

        You have that in reverse. SJWs are the most hypocritical intolerant bunch of delusional fupp wits on the planet.

        SJWs regularly rally against free speech. That’s not tolerance in any book. That’s intolerance.

        1. Robert

          I think you’ve proven his point though … it’s a sad day when the term “Social Justice Warrior” is equated with PC Principal.

          1. MoyestWithExcitement

            Didn’t that Milo weirdo invent ‘SJW’? It’s a word for bitter depressives to make themselves feel better about their shameful opinions.

          2. Medium Sized C

            No he most certainly didn’t.
            He didn’t invent anything but his horrible little online persona.

            I briefly explained the origins in a post that is awaiting moderation, because I used a bad word.

        2. Medium Sized C

          No I have it absolutely right.

          It originated in the subreddit r/TumblrInAction, a forum where people made fun of kids who were a little over excited about social justice. Then it became a term used by “neo-conservatives” and gamer-gaters to deride anybody who stood against their bullying bigoted attitudes. Through the constant action of these horrible pricks it has become common parlance, similar to the word FemiNazi, for people who want to deride anybody who opposes repressive social order.

          And you are doing their work by using that word or believing it means something different.
          “Free speech” doesn’t mean “Speech free from consequence”. (hat tip Randall Monroe)

          Your book is all fecked up. Presumably because you believe that free speech means you get to say what you like without having your damn feels hurt.

          1. Tony

            Am i allowed use free speech when you are in your safe space? Or does your safe space depend on denying my right to free speech?

          2. Medium Sized C

            Tony, you are just the living end.
            https://xkcd.com/1357/

            In one post you are telling me that milennials (and I’m not done with that BS) should shut up because they have it better than in Russia and in the other you are implying your free speech is being impinged upon in some way it isn’t but would be if you were gay and in Russia.

            You would be free in the theoretical “safe spaces” ( I have none by the way, I don’t need them much, I am an educated white middle class man with a job living in my home country, but I’m at least self-aware enough to see that) to say what you like. You could go to a room full of these kids and start shouting horrible things and it would be legally safe to do so.
            They can also follow you around calling you names for it.
            Just like you can go to a funeral and shout horrible things about the deceased and it would not be illegal.

            You are mixing up your freedom of speech with your feelings about other people exercising their free speech.

          3. Clampers Outside!

            “Free speech” doesn’t mean “Speech free from consequence”. (hat tip Randall Monroe)
            Why are you telling me, I never disagreed with this. But policing free speech to avoid consequences presumed is intolerance.

            Allowing a neo-nazi speak is not the same thing as supporting a neo-nazi, or supporting what they may or may not do. Most SJWs don’t understand this difference and attempt to close down any speech they disagree with, and will use wild accusations, intimidation, cry-bullying / fainting couch feminism, and lies to shut down free speech.

            Thankfully, it’s not as big an issue here (yet?) as it is in the US and UK.

          4. Medium Sized C

            All you are doing is calling the consequences policing and then saying it is wrong.
            You are contradicting yourself and not making any discernable point in your defence.

            All the things you claim with your horrible bigoted akronym, are consequences of free speech. You are as free to walk away from them as they are to you.

            You are also confusing your own freedom of speech with your own feelings about the consequences.

          5. Nigel

            I hate to think of Clampers and Tony being overly similar, but there’s always a point where their arguments crumble under scrutiny and they have to bail. Tony gets more personal and verbose,Clampers pretends he thinks the other person is stupid. Pair of snowflakes, really.

        3. pedeyw

          I have to disagree with the idea of “SJWs regularly rally against free speech. That’s not tolerance in any book.”. There’s a difference between a right to free speech and a right to not haveyour opinions questioned or criticised. The argument goes if your criticising or questioning my opinion then you trying to censor me. That’s not to say there aren’t problems with the liberal and left wing commentariat (twitter pile ons, etc.) but it’s not as black and white as people who use the term “SJW” like to proptray it.

          1. Tony

            I agree its not as black and white. However, neither are terms like racist, homophobe, misogynist, hater etc. So people react to being accused and vilified, by using a term which undermines the accuser. Hence SJW, Feminazi, Gaystapo. Thats why its just getting more toxic despite everyones supposed desire for a better world.

          2. pedeyw

            Well therein lies the problem, we live in a world where being labelled as racist or homophobic or misogynist is somehow more offensive then actually being racist or homophobic or misogynist. The RTE interview with Rory O’Neil and subsequent threat of legal action from a group that were directly campaigning against gay rights, which actually is homophobic, is a perfect example of this. I really wish that had been tested in court.

          3. MoyestWithExcitement

            “So people react to being accused and vilified, by using a term which undermines the accuser.”

            You’ve just shown that the word has no merit. You have admitted exactly what I said above, that it was invented by bitter depressives to make themselves feel better about the shame they feel for their opinions. ‘I’m not wrong to say this, you’re just part of a club I invented in my head who want me to feel shame so I don’t have to feel shame.’

            Seriously, still can’t work out if it’s all an act with you. How could you undermine yourself like that if you were serious?

          4. Medium Sized C

            Lets just point this out.

            Millennials are not all into social justice.
            Milo Yiannopoulos could also be described as a millennial.

            I don’t know why there are no articles bemoaning gangs of millennials going posting horrible bigoted shite and then moaning about their free speech when they are challenged on it.

          5. Tony

            Calling people something they are not is highly offensive. The terms are so bandied about as to be worthless. That is what is offensive. Unfortunately we dont live in a black and white world with everyone in boxes, no matter how convenient it would be for activists.

          6. Clampers Outside!

            I agree, of course it’s not B&W. Sorry if I gave the impression that was my stance, it’s not.
            I don’t believe in absolutes when speaking about society, I’ll leave that to the modern “feminists” and their learned by rote advocacy.

          7. MoyestWithExcitement

            “Calling people something they are not is highly offensive.”

            So you want people who say homophobic and racist and misogynistic things to have a safe space free from criticism of the very stupid thimgs they say. You are a parody or really REALLY dim.

          8. Tony

            Bigotry is part of human nature. As is racism, religion, mysogyny and every other ill you can think of. Some societies, especially in the less developed world have these as part of their approved culture. Other have laws protecting citizens from these actions- such as Ireland. The delusion is that its enough to point this out, rather than the actual engagement and compromise needed to live together in such a world. Hating people rarely changes their stance, it just entrenches it.

          9. Medium Sized C

            Jaysus….

            The natural order argument.
            I mean you really are going for the full house here aren’t you?

          10. Tony

            What other order is there? Its fine to wish for one, but its not there.. All we are doing is trying to contain our natural selves with semi-civilised societies. You seem to be trying to change the actual natural order. Good luck with that.

          11. MoyestWithExcitement

            “Bigotry is part of human nature.”

            Yeah that’s another part of your self delusion. ‘It used to be fine to say what we liked about gays and blacks. Now we can’t cause some liberal pinko cabal have taken over the media. Everyone thinks like we do, they’re just scared to say it out loud. We’re actually really brave. We’re definitely not wrong anyway. It’s everyone else who’s wrong.’ Trollny, everything you say here has been said a million times before. You are a walking cliché.

          12. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            God damn it….

            Tony is right. People have a natural built in fear of “other” from back in the evolutionary darkness. That is not to say it is an excuse for holding those behaviours in today’s modern world at any stage. And that people, is why you have to have unconscious bias training at work (or is that just us London luvvies?) or why if you sit down and have a nice calm chat with people about whatever it is they are afraid of, most people change their minds.

          13. MoyestWithExcitement

            And another clichè! ‘It’s part of human nature so it’s ok. I’m not wrong. Definitely.’ Ok then, Trollny. Taking a pish is a also part of human nature. Can I take a slash in the middle of your sitting room or would you expect me to show some control and understanding of your feelings about having a pishy puddle in your sitting room?

          14. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            I don’t know about your Tony but I am freaking out right now. Twice in one day?

          15. MoyestWithExcitement

            Good man, Trollny. Lets do away with all public indecency laws. Human nature!

          16. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            Well, there only one thing left for it. Let’s jack this all in and run for Labour leader on a joint ticket!

          17. pedeyw

            “Calling people something they are not is highly offensive. The terms are so bandied about as to be worthless. That is what is offensive.” That’s fine and all, I do think they are overused, but you’re engaging in exactly the same thing when you throw SJW, Feminazi or gaystapo at anyone that disagrees with you. You’re complaing about the toxicity of online discussion while actively engaging in that toxicity.

          18. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            I don’t care anymore Tony, I can’t handle all this nonsense and fighting and screwing everything up. Surely we can’t be worse than anyone else? I tried to get Rob involved but he was having none of it.

            Plus, if you get in, you get to be in a Privy and play with the Queens corgis*

            *not a euphemism btw

          19. MoyestWithExcitement

            “You’re complaing about the toxicity of online discussion while actively engaging in that toxicity.”

            He probably thinks he’s ‘returning fire’ and standing up against ‘liberal oppression’. Seriously. He reminds of me of a facebook friend. After Nice, he posted a derogatory starus update mocking people who put French flags on their avatar. Someone toom him to task and asked him what *he* was doing and he says he’s trying to talk to Isis folk on Twitter. This is the delusional mindset you are dealing with. Rational discourse is a waste of time.

          20. Tony

            Just in the interest of transparency, even though its a joint ticket, Id like you to be the boss. Teresa needs an equal to oppose her.

          21. Tony

            Are you done pishing on my floor Moyest? I have guests later and need to clean up. No rush though.

          22. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

            You were right to assume that power differential there Tony :)

            But I reserve the right to PMQs drunk everytime.

        4. J

          Given Bodger’s behaviour on a previous thread, I am putting him up forward for a “BS only SJW” award.#love&peacefortheBOD

      2. Robert

        I would’ve thought you were Generation Y … or maybe X. Millennials are later again …

  4. Eoin

    Decent opinion piece. There are, unfortunately, nothing but dark clouds on the horizon for the latest generation. They are really going to need to be tough to make it through. They’re going to have to fight for everything. And currently they are not that tough. But humans usually rise to deal with any crisis that threatens survival.

    1. Robert

      They’ve got their youth, health and strength. Despite the fact we’ve fupped up the world on them they’ll be okay, but they won’t thank us.

  5. Really Old Snowman

    That snearing lip, those swivelling hips, our future is doomed because these teenyboppers love Rock n’ Roll…. 4EVER!!!!!!!

  6. Tony

    What we are seeing is a mass migration of the human experience from the real to the virtual world. People are living more through their screens than their surroundings. The millennials are the first generation to be born into a virtual world, while older people like me were the first pioneers to cross over. Thats the gap that exists.
    So millennials can keep screaming about how the world should be, and endorse that virtually, while ignoring life as it actually is with all its complexities and realities. The angst millennials feel is to be found in the gap between reality and expectation. Thats where sorrow has always lived, but never as viscerally as now.

      1. Medium Sized C

        ….I think people making these sweeping emotive generalisations about some poorly defined cohort of people screaming on the internet is hilariously ironic.

        The fact that I’m reading it proves that I’m reading it.
        It influences your point in no way.

        I kind of think you are what you are criticising.

        1. Tony

          Em, this is comment section on the internet. Thats why I’m saying it here. Half the crap about racism, sexism, gender, homophobia is generated by silly young idealistic delusional SJW’s who wouldn’t make sense in the real world. So they spout off in the safety of the virtual world. And they also wouldn’t say what they say to a real person because person to person communication has a different dynamic to just sitting in your bedsit giving out about people anonymously. This makes the debate more toxic without solving any of the issues.

          1. Medium Sized C

            Idealism is where change comes from and there is nothing wrong with having the ideal of people feeling safe and included.
            You’re getting all conservative in your old age.

          2. Tony

            What does “safe and included” mean? More buzzword crap Im afraid. Is it just western people who should feel this? or does it apply to the people of Russia, Syria and the many hell holes in Africa, the Middle East and Southern Asia? if you mean them, then Im with you- but that will take more than a like or a tweet. If you are referring to the comfortable people in the West- then its just another luxury you want, and the warping of human nature. There is no guarantee of safety on earth ever. Sorry.

          3. pedeyw

            Explain how such idealism wouldn’t make sense in the real world, please? Genuinely curious where you’re coming from here.

          4. Medium Sized C

            You’re like a laundry list of conservative clicés.

            For a start, Safe means not in danger. So women feel they aren’t under threat of sexual abuse or the effects of sexist behavior. People of minority ethnicities feel they aren’t at risk of being discriminated against or abused or beaten for being of their own ethnicity. People of a particular social background don’t feel that they are under risk of missing opportunities because of their social background.

            Included means that people don’t feel excluded, or that they are less important to society or not allowed to participate because of their particular background. People will respect their boundaries and not treat them as an other. Not constantly reference why they are different. Its like a group of English people making IRA, or potato jokes around a single Irish person. Or telling them to get their mick arse out of their country and everything in between.

            How do you not know this?

            “If you kids lived in Russia or Syria or Asia or other crappy countries you wouldn’t be equal so stop asking for equality!”

            Why are you talking like not banning Gays from being gay in public is somehow as good as it gets?
            Are you gonna tell those afghan kids who were beaten in Rathfarnham that they shouldn’t complain because the Taliban aren’t trying to kidnap and behead them?
            Society isn’t perfect, why not try to make it better?

          5. Tony

            Where Im coming from is that issues that present themselves in the real world are completely different from the virtual one. Read Susan Greenfield on this. By only dealing with the world virtually, you fail to develop real neurological development which helps you cope with the complexities of interpersonal interactions. So tweeting about a baby on the beach in Turkey till your thumb hurt didnt make a blind bit of difference, but gave the impression that something was being done. This passes as activism. The idealised version of ourselves that we present on social media doesn’t cure or hide the malaise of living in the real world.

          6. Tony

            Medium, that is the greatest list of mum by yaa I have ever heard. The world is simply not like that, despite the glossy overlay of the virtual fog through which you see it. I admire and share many of your ideals, but i despair that you think the current strategy by Gen-Z and millennials will in any way change it. Look at the things that are happening around the world, genuinely scary things. Do you actually think your kind of “wishing it weren’t so” is going to change that? It take action, courage and in many cases sacrifice to change things. Not just using empty utopian phrases and a petition.

          7. Medium Sized C

            “Read this one Writer who has appealed to my confirmation bias.”

            Given your performance in these comments today Tony, I’m not taking book recommendations from you.

          8. Tony

            Is that the only piece of the argument you wish to engage with? You are a poor representative of your generation if so.

          9. pedeyw

            But the idealism does occasionally occur in the real world. The illustration for this article is a good example. Sure, for a lot of people it’s just empty sentiment to make them feel better but not all. It’s black and white thinking on your part again. “Activism only occurs in the real world therfore no online argument is valid and they’re just silly sjws”

          10. Nigel

            Heh. The ‘safety’ of the virtual world. I heard Twitter banned a troll yesterday! The virtual world is safe again!

          11. Clampers Outside!

            Milo got banned because he dared challenge a movie star, and for giving a movie a bad review.
            Another example of feminism and censorship, that’s all you’re celebrating.

  7. Starina

    urgh. moral panics, dont you love them? the structuresl of this email is the “i’m not racist but…” of generational tut-tutting. i agree it’s not prudent to give children unfettered access to the internet but comparing the net to imaginary friends is strawmanning at its lamest.

    1. pedeyw

      Every new piece of technology/entertainment seems to do it. Telephones, Bicycles, Novels, Radio, Television.

  8. Robert

    “Depression and self-harm are a growing issue among the young.”

    The reporting of these issues, and the discussion of them is increasing. This can only be a good thing. It was always there.

    1. Tony

      Have you any evidence that self harm is not increasing? Figures would suggest that people presenting with these issues are on the rise. Maybe you have different facts?

      1. Robert

        You don’t have any evidence that it is. All you have is the fact that more and more people are reporting it and talking about it.

        1. Tony

          As its an area I do some work in, i do have a bit of experience. And in my observation, it is becoming a lot more common in incidence as well as reporting. Other workers in the same area report the same. Like so many other things, it has found a place on social media that would scare you. Some figures from the UK suggest an increase of up to 70% in numbers presenting.

      2. Malates

        That’s what he’s saying! The number of people presenting to medical professionals IS on the rise – but perhaps there was a lot more hidden cases in the past, people trying to keep it a secret. So the question is, are there MORE teenagers self-harming, or are the numbers the same/similar as years ago but now we know about more of them. The latter would be an improvement, more discussion at least gives opportunity to help & heal. I’m 29 now and I used to self harm as a teenager. Never spoke about it to anyone, not friends, not family & definitely no doctors or nurses! Then just grew out of it after a few years on & off thank god.

    2. Dόn 'The Unstoppable Force' Pídgéόní

      Increases both in prevalence and in help-seeking, with increasing severity

  9. Waddy Dilson

    In fairness most people in the 16 – 25 age bracket are a bunch of absolute whinging fairies

    1. Robert

      “The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”

      ― Socrates

      1. Waddy Dilson

        You see that’s not what I’m saying,
        I have no problem with youthful arrogance – It’s expected, I was guilty of it up to my mid twenties.
        But this is the opposite, it’s youthful over sensitivity, a weak willed generation of wimps.

  10. fluffybiscuits

    My experience of this is different.

    I met my partner online and we are happily together 3.5 years

    Most of my friends are from real life but a few have come about thanks to random facebook additions

    My interaction with travel buddies who I go away with comes from online

    We can all sit at home and lose touch with reality and it happens often enough but we can also harness the internet for a force for good

    Im loathe to play the Pokemon game but I have read a lot of anecdotal evidence that its getting kids with learning difficulties socialising etc.

    Lets not knock online socialisng completely…

    1. Tony

      No-one is knocking online socialising. There would be no point, its here to stay. It is when we muddy the real world and the virtual world that problems arise.

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