Entitlement

I was listening to an NPR broadcast the other day and someone had done a piece on the young generation, that I guess I am considered a part of, and how we were born and socialized to believe we are entitled to certain things, no questions asked. They were using examples with the context of higher education. A younger professor was getting a lot heat from students and parents alike for his grading system. Students thought that if they did all the required reading and attended classes on a regular basis, they should receive an A. The teacher argued these were the requirements for the class, resulting in a C. C is average and when you do just the required elements, students shouldn't be rewarded with a higher grade.

When I thought about it, that is totally true. When I was in school I was always disappointed when I wasn't given an A for what I thought was a good effort. The thing is, I am not sure there are still those students who ask for extra credit, or even know what or how to go above and beyond what is in the curriculum. I don't even know that grades are packaged that way anymore. I don't think packaged is the right word... but you know what I mean. I was a 3.5 GPA in college and I don't know that I did more than I thought I needed to do for those grades. The thing is I also studied abroad in college and my GPA suffered for my semester overseas. I wonder if it is not only a generational thing, but a ethnocentric thing as well.

However, I was conflicted because I did agree with the teacher. As a rule of thumb, in life, rewards come when they are earned. They shouldn't come because they are expected. However, with the first year of my professional career behind me and no ladder climbing to speak of... I am starting to wonder if I feel like I have done more than I have, and I in fact haven't done enough. I don't by any means think I am entitled to a pay raise or a title bump if I haven't earned it. I wonder what grade I am getting?

My generation, generally speaking, does have an entitlement problem. I am just not sure we can be broken of it like biting our nails or smoking. Sex within the first few dates seems to be an expectation. Higher salaries starting out seems to be an expectation. Cars at 16, affordable health care, student loans...all of it. Fill out a form and you shall receive. I wonder how this will affect the world when our generation starts having kids. Will we instill the same expectations to them, or start the pendulum swinging the other way?