The Entitled Generation
That’s it, I have to get this off my chest. I can not STAND the entitled attitude of so many people nowadays. I don’t know if it’s generational thing necessarily, or if I’m just surrounded by pompous little shits, but I am constantly running into kids AND adults with this sense of “the world owes me.”
Example #1- I stopped at my local ice cream parlor and got the kids and I a treat. There was a tip line on my credit receipt, which I silently scoffed at. When the teenager behind the counter brought my ice cream, he made sure to note “we do appreciate tips.” I’m sure you do your highness. But I refuse to tip someone who had to scoop ice cream and put some sprinkles on it. That’s your JOB sweetie. He didn’t even have to bring it to the table! Unless I see someone going out back, milking a cow, hand churning my ice cream, then serving it to me at my table there will be no tip given. There’s none earned!
Example #2- Babysitters. I hired a new babysitter to watch my son this week as well. First of all, when did one child constitute a $15 an hour charge? Secondly, if I am paying you $15 to watch my child my house better be in the same clean state I left it in. There were toys EVERYWHERE, and she didn’t even bother to clean up his lunch. Um, no. If I had pulled that when I babysat, they would’ve taken a paddle to me! And I would’ve deserved it. If I’m paying you MORE than a drop in rate at a nice daycare, my house and child better be spic and span when I get home. The WHOLE point of paying you to come to my house is to cut down on the work for me. Lazy, Lazy, Lazy.
Example #3- Professionally. I used to be in technology sales, and now that I’m in the blogging world I see it too. I LOVE when other bloggers email me asking for advice on their blog or help with their pitch emails. It makes my heart soar to know I am helping another woman achieve her dreams through constructive criticism and learned tricks of the trade. What I cannot stand is the constant asking of contacts. ALL DAMN DAY. Don’t get me wrong, there are bloggers that I have a friendship/mutually beneficial relationship with in which we share contacts and blogging tips. However, I am inundated with daily emails from people I barely know, asking for this and this contact. NO. Do the work!!!!! I hustled my butt off to get where I am. Numerous sleepless nights, sweat, tears, and yes even blood have gone into this little blog of mine. I worked hard to be where I’m at. So unless you have something beneficial for me, expect for me to respond with a terse NO.
I also see it from businesses asking for FREE blog posts, Instagram shares etc. Again, NO. Do you pay your employees? Then don’t expect me to work for free. It’s as simple as that.
I guess my overall message is this: learn to work. I promise you’ll see the payoff.
Yesssssss
This deserves a share. Loved it. But then I started freaking if I pissed you off when I emailed for help hahaha.
You could never, ever in a million years!! Seriously LOVE YOU!
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GAHHHHH YES GIRL to all of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT WORK FOR FREE. You go girl!
Yes to this all! I just did a post on how millennials can’t “adult” these days and this falls right in line in so many ways!
I wholeheartedly love this post!! I see this mentality even in my younger sister!! Haha but I totally agree with you, working for it and putting the time in for yourself makes it that much more rewarding too, so why wouldn’t you!? Xoxo Summer
haha “pompous little shits” – I hear you!
That’s pure perfection!
I absolutely LOVE your post! I will share with my other business partners! Very true. It may be the generation or may be that WE (hardworking people) see what HARD WORK looks like and know the feeling of success. XOXO
I totally agree with you on the tip line. Seems every carry out sandwich place has it now and they use an ipad to swap your card so you have to actually hit the 0 tip. lol I don’t care, I don’t tip on principle in these situations but it sure feels awkward because I see other customers do it.
Yes, yes, and yes. My husband and I were just talking about this! We are a whole nation of people (of all ages!) feeling entitled to this or that. Ugh.
I don’t have the babysitting experience because I don’t have kids, but I can totally imagine. But when it comes to blogging and the business world, it’s crazy! I am on a sabbatical, but right before that I spent 26 years in corporate America building a career, getting promoted and building a team. When I gave notice at work, a new team member I inherited who was nothing but a prima donna who wanted status but to not do the work, who had been at the company for four months, wanted my Director position over teammembers who had been there awhile. Plus he is 2 years out of school! Go back and do the work, then maybe you’ll get the job! Yikes, now I’m ranting!
I completely agree that this is a major issue! The whole concept of people who do not work for tips asking for tips drives me crazy. I think I’m going to put a tip jar on my desk!
Yes! A tip for serving ice cream?! I think not. And I get emails all the time asking for free posts, free shares, and free promotion. I work hard on my blog, so it would be nice if people recognized that.
Yes!!! You are so right! My husband and I have this conversation often. I don’t even think it’s just generational. I’ve seen many people (20-60 years of age) who have the notion that things are owed to them or that they’re above working for things. I’m tired of it and having a hard time biting my tongue anymore.
Couldn’t agree more, especially about sharing contacts/asking for free stuff. The absolute worst to me is other bloggers who constantly ask me for free stuff but NEVER buy anything. I’m actually not making clothing to give it away :/ you are not one of those people, another reason why I <3 you so much!!!
While I understand where you’re coming from, and I tend to ignore emails asking for contacts, I do think everyone needs a little push in the right direction sometimes. It’s always nice to help others, but I don’t know if people come off at entitled when they ask for contacts. I do think lots of people come off entitled in different ways, but emailing you asking for help is not necessarily it. Unless they’re saying things in their emails demanding the contacts….then I would say “um no, who do you think you are. Eff off” but usually I get emails that are more on the desperate side.
What’s funny is that nowadays people will tell me that they’ve NEVER reached out to a brand, as if they’re “proud” of that. Not sure how they expect every brand they love to know about them especially given there’s thousands of bloggers now and a brand cannot know about every single one. It’s impossible, so it always does amuse me when bloggers say they’re NEVER reached out. God forbid they send an email to a brand, pleeeeeaaaaase! How do they think some of the biggest bloggers now got where they did? xxAdaleta Avdic
Well said sister! While I fit on the edge of the millennial category, I hate being associated with that word because there is a clear different between myself and someone in their early-mid 20s. As someone who manages early 20 somethings, the thing that bothers me most is the question of “why?”. “Because I am your manager and this is your job” is what I always feel like saying, but instead they need me to hold their hand and spell it out for them. Since when did questioning authority become ok?