The golden age is never the present age

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Several journalists, analysts and baby boomers criticize our generation, otherwise known as Gen Y or The Millenial Generation, as lazy, entitled, self-absorbed and shallow.
Time Magazine's Joel Stein pointed out in an article last May that "the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the generation that's now 65 or older".
At the risk of further enforcing Stein's claim and the baby boomer's criticism Millenials, The DePauw's editorial board would like to speak out in defense of our generation.
So often are the positive attributes overlooked by older, nostalgic critics and instead our flaws receive constant attention. We ask that critics of our generation consider the good along with the bad when generalizing about us millenials.
According to the Pew Research Center, millenials are well on their way to becoming the most educated generation in United States history. Consequently, the US Chamber of Commerce found that millenials are more tolerant of race than any older generation (47 percent versus 19 percent).
The Pew Research Center also found that our generation tends to value social equality and diversity. Therefore, we experience a certain amount of social responsibility.
Three in four (77 percent) say it is important for them to be personally involved in social change. To support this claim, a study from Walden University and Harris Interactive found that 81% of Gen Y adults donate time, goods or money to charity.
Older generations should find some comfort in the fact that while milennials don't have the same morals, certain values have remained the same.
For instance, the US Chamber of Commerce also found that millenial's values of being a good parent and having a successful marriage are of utmost importance. Such values are similar to those held by Gen Xers at this same stage in their lives.
We're the folks born between 1980-2000. And we'd like to kindly remind baby boomers, members of generation x, and critics of the old addage: "the golden age never was the present age."