Generation We?

We are responsible. We are tolerant. We are well-educated. But are we? Eric Greenberg and Karl Weber, the authors of Generation We, think so. In their kid-friendly book (complete with charts, pictures, and easy-to-read font), they argue that it is the responsibility of people born between 1978-2000 to take up the call of duty and fix global problems. According to Greenberg, we are the best qualified because we are the people coming of age in a diverse and technologically savvy world. Greenberg's argument is flattering and especially refreshing after reading Twenge's "Generation Me." Some of Greenberg's points are exceptionally foretelling, especially when he comments that Generation We has effected national elections in profound ways. His book was published one month before Obama's victory in November. However, I think the one flaw in his reasoning is that he gives Generation Me too much credit. As some people pointed out in our last class, teenagers often do volunteer work because they're fulfilling a school requirement or hoping to round out their resume.