Opinions on society: Strawberry Generation

The youths of today. All so intelligent, so capable.

Yes, these statements might be true. But people debate over the real aptitude of youths, otherwise known as Millennials.

Or, the Strawberry Generation. The term is a Chinese neology used to refer to Generation Y who are often labelled as insubordinate, spoiled, lazy, and having an entitlement complex.

These perceptions stem from the notion that members of the current generation have grown up overprotected by their parents and in an environment of economic prosperity, much like how strawberries are grown in protected greenhouses and fetch a higher price as compared to other fruits. Strawberries also bruise easily, which references the belief that the young generation are unable to take hits and are not tenacious. The concept of ‘take but never give’ is also heavily, I find, associated with them.

However, I feel that these are untrue, and are an overgeneralization. Not every single Millennial is an ignorant and arrogant brat with an utter lack of respect for their elders. In fact, many young people today are actually able to express their views rationally, in a tactful and respectful manner.

Take for example, Malala Yousfazai, who was shot by the Taliban at the age of 15 in 2012, for her activism for the rights of females. After her recovery, instead of cowering away in fear, she still stood for what she believed in, more firmly than ever.

Therefore, I do not agree with these ideas of the youths of today. These seem to be rather prejudiced and short-sighted opinions of young people. To be fair, our world is so developed that yes, the suffering which those before us went through is minimal. But is that not a good thing? Did they not work hard to develop the world of today so that no one would need to suffer what they did?

April Ang (2H)