Jeff DierkingJulianna McCarroll Comp.110 9-22-15

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The Troubled Generation

The condition of the modern American family’s expectations of their children are much

higher than generations before and ultimately causes both positive and negative outcomes.

From a young age, children are taught that once you graduate from High School, you must to go

to college. Once you graduate from the college of your dreams, you then go to the profession

you’ve aspired from a young age. From then on, you supposedly live the life you have dreamt

of. With an amazing job, a picture perfect family, and not one bead of a tear found in your eyes

from stress of monetary debts, life is clearly perfect. That is where this upcoming generation is

at fault.

From grade school and up, children are influenced by their parents and family members

to figure out what the future holds for them. The average child thoroughly and completely does

not understand or even know what they want to do in the future. This next generation is a

generation of over-achievers. Because of the economic struggle in America, my family has been

directly affected by a hard overachieving angst. My entire life, I’ve been told I would have to pay

my own way to college, and not going to college was definitely not an option in my household.

My parents wanted what was best for me to succeed in this world, because they knew what the

world was like. As Moore explained in “Idiot Nation”,”...There are forty-million Americans who

cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level - in other words, who are functional

illiterates…” (132).

Being an overachiever, not by any means, should be declared a bad thing.

Overachieving simply means that the person longs to achieve and obtain goals far beyond what

is expected of them. People who do only the bare minimum in life do not succeed as much as

others who go out of there way to make sure the job is done. Overachieving is a great skill and

mindset to have, and if it is inserted into us at a young age to set the bar high for our goals, it

will become more natural.

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Ultimately, though my parents have greatly influenced my perseverance, I desire to get

good grades, mainly for myself. I desire to go to college and want to pay the least amount of

money for a good college education possible. I also know that doing so will require for me to

work my way there. That is what I’ve been taught. I have been taught to overachieve.

Not every family pushes their children to go to college and make good grades, of course,

but this generation's’ parents’ majority desires what is best for their children concerning

schooling and life experience. They see the importance of going to school, getting an education,

and preparing yourself for your future and doing what you love to do as a priority in their

children’s lives as well as theirs. College, in their eyes, seems like an answer to prayers.

Unfortunately, life has gotten much harder in the past 50 years. It is much more difficult to get a

job that an averaged-sized family can live off of.

The modern American family struggles greatly, but still sees hope in bleak and blinding

situations. As Santorum states in “It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common

Good”,”...A society rich in social, cultural, and moral capital-like America in previous

generations-supports and nurtures families. A society in which those kinds of capital have

eroded creates something like a vacuum, sucking the life out of families…” (92). My father, in

2008, was laid off from his job of 9 years, where he worked as a customer service manager.

Eventually, to them, he was just another number that didn’t fit in their plan, so they deleted him

from their payroll. The fact that he had faithfully been there for 9 years did not amount to

anything, but that’s just the way life is. Though this was an extremely difficult time for my family,

we got through it, and now both of my parents are employed and have jobs that greatly intrigue

their interests. This simply reflects on the everyday struggles that we as 21st century modern

families endure. Our parents desire us to achieve and have a better future than what they have

had and experienced. In doing so, they

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push us to our limits. To be well-rounded in everything means that you will have better job and

college potential. To play sports can mean a potential college scholarship, or even a full-time job

as a professional.

Though there are many positive things said and given about overachieving, many

negative outcomes can occur as well. Every person has their breaking point. An individual can

only endure so much stress and time crunching till they can not possibly enjoy the constant

unavailability and lack of down time. This breakdown can occur at any aspect of life of any age.

Most often, teenagers will revolt against the normality and rebelize against hearsay and

absolute law placed by parental authority, simply because they are tired of the routine and

desire a change made by themselves. Past generations allowed their children to make their own

decisions, but put in place strict rules and regulations into their children that they knew as fact

and unbreakable, and most commonly, not able to think for themselves on issues. This

generation has the ability and does think for themselves. They are innovative. They are

passionate. They are independent. Most of all, they are over-achievers.

Raising a family is not easy. I realize that as a nearing adult, and recognize the

sacrifices my family has made for me. The modern American Family accepts each other’s faults

as well as wants what is best for their children. They want their children to confidently pursue

their own passions, and live the life they want to live. They also want their children to grow up

and be influenced by an atmosphere that would encourage them to make right and educated

decisions. The Modern American Family never ceases to give up through the positive and

negative times of their stressful routine and life journey, Even when hope seems lost, humanity

will discover a way to find joy where there is none.