Our generation loves to complain. I am no exception. With social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, voicing one’s complaints is easier than ever. Did our parents raise a generation of bitter and somewhat cynical children? Or are we all just suffering from #firstworldproblems?
I’ve never understood the purpose of Twitter; however, you don’t need a Twitter account to know what #firstworldproblems is or means. Look anywhere online, or simply eavesdrop on someone’s conversation at Starbucks, and you’ll find that people are complaining about, well, problems that only plague the first world.
The average college student probably sprouts off several complaints in only a minute. For example: I spend too much money on iTunes every month. I have to write a 10-page research paper in a week. It’s going to be 100 degrees this weekend. I have to drive home in traffic, and there are no open outlets in the library. That took me an impressive 10 seconds to type, without much thought at all put into it. It comes naturally to us.
Visit Tumblr and you’ll find a community of privileged young adults complaining about everything and anything. I giggled when I read someone’s post “Should I go back to school tomorrow or should I fling myself into the ocean?” partially because I felt the same way. And other posts such as, “I’m pretty sure I somehow skipped the young, carefree stage of life and went straight to being bitter and resentful” are the typical complaints of our generation.
Why do we all feel so bitter and resentful? Do we have any reason to be? My parents tell me stories about road trips, and doing crazy things in their young adult life. The craziest thing I’ve done lately is stay up until 3 a.m. studying for my first final.
The discrepancy between generations is obvious. My dad skipped the college scene and had fun in his 20s. While he lives the opposite lifestyle today as a successful businessman, he still has stories to share. As do most of my other friend’s parents — they grew up in the 1970s as a generation full of fun-seekers.
As for our generation, many of us will take out another loan next semester to pay for the required courses we aren’t interested in. Who looks forward to taking calculus with analytical geometry? The answer is no one. Throw in an organic chemistry class that starts at 7 a.m. and you’ll find a bitter student.
However, let us look at things a different way. I get to take organic chemistry at 7 a.m. I have no idea what analytical geometry is, but I get the opportunity to find out next semester. And while I may have to sit in traffic, at least I get to do so in an air-conditioned car with my favorite playlist on. Life could be worse. We all have privileges that not even 50 percent of the world enjoys.
Poor exam scores, boring lectures, busy finals schedules and inopportune class blocking turn us all into angry, frustrated messes. Since things won’t always go the way we want, maybe we should try to look at our “issues” in a different light. We’re all paying to be here, so we might as well enjoy it.
Reach the columnist at OBrunaci@asu.edu
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