EVALUATING "THE TETHERED GENERATION"

EVALUATING THE TETHERED GENERATION ‘The Tethered Generation’ discusses the impact that growing up in the digital age has had on millennials; that is, people who were born between 1978 and 1999. The millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, has for many years been described as being different from previous generations; ‘The Tethered Generation’ seeks to provide an explanation for the sudden change in behavior between generations. Tyler calls Generation Y the ‘tethered generation’ because they are tethered to their mobile phones, social media and their parents.

The article was published on a human resource website, therefore its audience is human resource practitioners who would like to know how to deal with Generation Y in the workplace. Tyler appeals to her target audience by referring to the research on the subject by other scholars. For example, the article refers to a 2006 study by the Society for Human Resource Management that found that three quarter of fourth year students had average professional skills and work ethic, while only a quarter were well-equipped to contribute significantly to the workforce (Tyler).

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According to the article, growing up in the age of rapid technological advancements has caused millennials to lack the independence and skills of earlier generations. Mobile phones, social media and the internet have made it possible for people to communicate in real time, and as a result, parents have become excessively involved in their children’s lives, as they receive constant updates on their day’s activities (Sachs, and Carroll 62). Prior to the invention of these technologies, young people communicated with their parents less often, and this helped them learn to be independent earlier in life.

Tyler states that the millennial generation is relatively poor and slow at decision making because technology has made them slower at making decisions by themselves; many of them have to consult their parents and peers beforehand. With this argument, ‘The Tethered Generation’ links connectivity to dependency. The author’s opinion of how technology has affected behavior because in every generation, there has been a significant event that has caused a culture shift. For instance, in the early 1900s, the telephone was invented and this changed how people communicated, in the 1960s the television was invented, and thus began the growth of the movie and fashion industries. For millennials, this event has been the rapid advancements in technology.

Tyler’s argument on the impact of technology on generation Y is harsh because it paints generation Y as being unable to make similar to children in that they cannot make decisions for themselves and also suggests that they are extremely incompetent in the workplace. This is incorrect because the extent of a parent’s involvement in their child’s life is dependent on the parent’s relationship with their child. Some are naturally very involved in their child’s life, while some have a more hands-off approach; even with the presence of modern technologies (Baker Rosa, and Hastings 922). Contrary to Tyler’s argument about the

impact of technology on people’s behavior, technology has not caused a major change in people’s behavior. It has only made it possible for people to respond to their impulses. For instance, when the television was invented in the 1960s, families began spending more time watching it than interacting with each other. This behavior has continued in the digital age, where people spend time looking at their phones in a social setting. This shows that it is not the technology that causes the problem, it is people’s constant need for a distraction and entertainment. In the article, Tyler claims that it is not millennials’ fault that they have become more dependent than the predecessor generations, but also appears to criticize them for being unable to match up to their predecessors’ abilities.

Tyler appeals to the audience’s ethos by using information that can be fact-checked, such as studies performed by scientists on the development of the brain. The writer appeals to the pathos by creating a plan of the best methods of incorporating millennials into the organization.

Works Cited Baker Rosa, Nicole M., and Sally O. Hastings. "Managing Millennials: Looking Beyond Generational Stereotypes". Journal Of Organizational Change Management, vol 31, no. 4, 2018, pp. 920-930. Emerald, doi:10.1108/jocm-10-2015-0193.

Sachs, Justin, and Michael Carroll. Millennials In The Workplace!. Motivational Press, Incorporated, 2018.

Tyler, Kathryn. "The Tethered Generation". SHRM, 2019, https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/0507cover.aspx.