Topic > The Consequences of Follow Your Passion Advice for Generation Y

When I was little, many people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Every day I gave them a different answer; the astronaut, the princess and the veterinarian were among the most popular. My family always denied the idea that I was a princess, but supported every other realistic career that crossed my mind. They always said, “It doesn't matter what you choose, just make sure you love it.” Contrary to popular belief, Generation Y is not defective, but misinformed; passion and dedication develop over time so "follow your passion" is not the correct advice for growing kids. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIn "Solving Generation Y's Passion Problem," Cal Newport justifies the real reason why my generation will always prefer to stay quietly at home, rather than go out and work hard at a job we don't love; and it has nothing to do with us. The author introduces the topic by admitting that there is a problem: Generation Y is not entering the job market as it should. Explain that older generations see us as “the worst generation” and believe we are selfish, lazy, and uncompromising. The fact that many adults live with their parents or depend on their money does little to change this image. The truth is, it's not our fault; It's the older generation's fault. They, just like my family members, advised us to follow our passion. And we, as good girls and boys as we all are, simply followed the old man's advice. Our parents had to work hard to get what they have today; since they wanted the best for us, we should not deprive ourselves of any luxuries. In other words, our parents spoiled us unconsciously. They raised us with the idea that being happy is all that matters, since money wasn't really an issue due to their hard work and probably unlovable job. So, when we hear the phrase “follow your passion” we will think of happiness, and not money. This may be why so many students choose underpaid, overcrowded or useless mayors (TEDx Talks). The author explains that passions develop slowly with time and the acquisition of skills. Those people who testify that they loved their work and had a passion for it from day one, had to be exposed to some type of activity that allowed them to gain prior knowledge and minimize the time it takes to develop a skill. After so many years of hearing adults say “follow your passion” over and over again, the least we expect is to find a job we love from day one. But of course the first job is always far from perfect. When we, Generation Y, find ourselves in difficulty in our first job, we tend to think that the path we have chosen is not the right one for us. At that moment, we tend to get frustrated and quit our job, instead of trying to address obstacles and thrive in our work. Newport uses real-life stories to explain how our generation's expectations are far from reality. One of them was Steve Jobs. Even though the creator of the MAC does not represent the typical business scenario, he had an interesting message to share. He revealed his philosophy and key to happiness and success during an undergraduate degree at Stanford: “Your work will fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do… So keep looking until.