BORN IN THE 80S
BY SHARON BEGLEY
They were born at a time when the very culture was shifting to 1)accommodate them - 2)changing tables in restrooms, 3)BABY ON BOARD signs in minivans. Yet, as a group, they led lives that are more 4)”adult-free” than those of previous generations.
When they are not with their friends, many live in a private, adult-free world of the web and video games. Aminah Mckinnie, 16, hopes to work in the computer industry. She doesn't 5) “hang out”, she says. “I shop on the Internet and am looking for a job on the Internet. I do homework, research, e-mail and talk to my friends on the Internet.” She is not unusual. Data released last year found that 6)teens spend nine percent of their waking hours outside school with friends. They spend twenty percent of their waking hours alone. “Teens are isolated to an extent that has never been possible before,” says Stanford's Damon. “There is an 7)ethic among adults that says, 'Kids want to be 8)autonomous; don't get in their face'.”
Meanwhile, this generation is strongly peer-driven. “This is much more a team-playing generation,” says William Strauss, coauthor of the 1997 book “The Fourth Turning. “ 9)Boomers may be bowling alone, but Millennials are playing soccer in teams.” That makes belonging so crucial that it can be a matter of life and death. In Littleton, a year ago, the two teenage shooters stood apart, alienated from the 10)jock culture that infused Columbine High School. Yet in a landmark study of 7,000 teens, researchers found that teen social groups are as fluid and hard to pin down as a bead of mercury. “Students often move from one group to another, and friendships change over a period of a few weeks or months.”
As a group, the generation is also infused with an optimism not seen among kids in decades. “I think a lot of adolescents now are being taught that they can make a difference,” says Sophie Mazuroski, 15. “Children of our generation want to. I am very optimistic.”
Coming of age in a time of interracial marriages, many 11)eschew the old notions of race; maturing at Internet speed, they are more connected than any generation. Both may 12)bode well for tolerance.
What do they want out of life? They are found the most occupationally and educationally ambitious generation ever. Most plan to attend college, and many aspire to work as professionals. A majority identify “happiness” as a goal, along with love and a long and enjoyable life. But many doubt that marriage and career will deliver that, so they channel their energies more broadly. About half of teens perform community service once a month by, for instance, delivering meals to the homeless or reading to the elderly.
Some sociologists believe that each generation assumes the 13)societal role of the generation that is dying, as if something in the 14)Zeitgeist whispers to the young what is being lost, what role they can fill. Teens today, with their 15)tattoos and baggy shorts, could not seem more different from their grandparents. But every generation has a chance at greatness. Let this one take its shot!
Meet the most powerful economic force in the retail marketplace. (“These are sorta nerdy.”) The 16)giggly girls at the sale rack.
Girl” I can't help it. I always go shopping.
Armed with 17)debit cards and shopping bags are keeping corporate America up all night. Why? Generation Y. Kids today from preschool to high school make up the largest generation of young people in America ever. And thanks to the Internet, they're also the most informed. Today's daycare crowd is expected to far out learn and out earn their baby boom parents and already the business world is taking notice.
Retailer: I think that retailers and basically everybody are finally realizing that the teenage market is a very 18)lucrative one. In fact, this current group of teenagers coming up is going to be the largest group of teenagers we've ever had in the history of this country.
30 million teens to be exact out of a generation 79 million strong, but those numbers aren't the most impressive. Last year alone those teenagers spent $153 billion on clothing, food, entertainment, and technology. That's more than the entire national budget of Australia. The younger generation also influences $250 billion worth of purchases made by their parents.
Parent: They have a lot to say 19)in terms of what we buy. Because if they don't like it, you hear it.
And Generation Y is listening to and spending money on things we didn't have growing up: CDs, MP3 players, computers, and electronics.
Retailer: We try to 20)specialize in the latest technology piece and really focus hard on that. They usually know what it is before it comes out, and they're waiting for it. They seem to have more money to throw around than I had when I was younger.
Go to the shopping 21)mall and you'll see the competition for teen dollars is furious. Stores using music, videos and the latest fashion to lure in a crowd some store owners once wanted to ban. The mall rats of yesterday are today's hottest market. (Store Owner: “Check right here your e-mail if you wanted to.” Customer: “Can you?” Store Owner:”Yeah.”)
Retailers are aggressively targeting Generation Y's piggy banks and they're starting early. Ford now markets cars to kids who are still in car seats. The automaker's sponsoring safety ads on the website for Blue's Clues, a cartoon popular with three-year-olds.
Retailer: It's a huge market which affords the opportunity for Ford to have a life long relationship with these buyers.
Young buyers whose spending habits show they are very concerned about how they look.
Girl: I like to spend money on clothes and shoes.
Girl: I just like wearing name brand clothes 'cause I see a lot of other people wear name brand clothes.
Retailer: The driving force behind our business is basically the young people. If they want to look 22)stylish from age 5 now. It's really, really exciting.
To merchants, maybe, but parents worry that their children are constantly being 23)groomed to consume.
Parent: I think it's a little overwhelming because myself as a parent, I get pressured into spending a lot more money to keep up with the fashions. As far as my child is concerned because if she's not up with the fashions, then the kids become start to tease her.
Selina: They're more 24)sophisticated. They're more independent. They're more 25)savvy.
In her book, market researcher, Selina Goober says those 26)traits are what make children fiercely brand loyal and retailers so interested.
Selina: I think they're beginning to realize, “Get them while they're young.”
Journalist: Do you feel like there's a lot of competition for your money?
Girl: Yeah, 'cause there're so many stores and so many ads and there's billboards all over the place.
With that attention comes the new found respect that only money can buy.
Girl: They pay attention to you now, because they know that you have money in your pocket just like everybody else does.
New earning power and potential that retailers are hoping to latch on to.
Market researchers estimate that the average teenager spends about $82 of their own money a week on clothing, food, and entertainment. But not all kids have time to go shopping. As a matter of fact, the amount of free time that children have has dropped about 16% over the last several years. Many call it the over-scheduled 27)syndrome.
There's been a real cultural shift in this country in the past few years. It used to be that children could participate in ballet, or 28)gymnastics, or football in a very casual way. Now there's a real emphasis and a real stress on these kids to be experts. The children are expected to become 29)prodigies in whatever 30)extracurricular activity it is that they choose.
Is it all necessary if the goal is simply to get into a selective college? Admission officers at Harvard University say, “No.” Only one-third of the students they select are academic or extracurricular prodigies. The rest are quote, “well rounded and well grounded”.
What we're finding is that many parents now are starting to say “enough is enough”, and they're cutting back. We've found parents who are pulling children out of all of their activities. It's just too much stress on the children, too much time away from homework, time away from sleeping, time away from eating and enough, and a lot of parents now are just saying stop!
生于80年代
莎朗.贝格丽（著）
在他们出生的年代里，一种独特的文化正与他们相应地发生着变化--洗手间里出现活动桌板，出现了”车上有小孩”的警示标语以及小型面包车。然而同前几代人相比，生于80年代的人在生活上显得更自成一脉。
他们并非个个与朋友形影不离，他们生活在网络与电子游戏的世界里，这个世界是个人化的、不受成人干预的。16岁的亚米娜·麦基妮向往以后到电脑公司工作。她说她可没有”游手好闲”。”我上网购物、上网找工作。我做功课、搞调查、写电子邮件、和朋友在网上聊天。”她并非独特个例。据去年发布的数据来看，青少年在校外与朋友相处的时间占他们非睡觉时间的9%。在20%非睡觉的时间里他们是独处的。”青少年被孤立的程度是前所未有的，”斯坦福大学的达蒙说，”成人中流行一种观念，认为‘孩子希望自立，不要干涉他们’。”
同时，生于80年代的人受同一圈子人物的影响很大。”这一代人更喜欢群聚，”1997年《第四转折》一书的合著作者威廉·斯特劳斯说。”如果说婴儿潮一代是独自玩保龄球，跨千年的一代则是结成队地踢足球。”有时这种团队归属感十分严峻以致生死攸关。一年前在小顿城的哥伦拜中学，同伴圈子的孤立将两名少年变为杀手。然而研究人士通过对七千名青少年的研究发现，青少年的交际圈就像水银珠子一样易变化、不稳定。”学生们经常从一个圈子换到另一个圈子，友情每隔几星期或几个月发生变化。”
做为一个群体，生于80年代的人所具备的乐观精神在过去几十年中也是没有的。”我认为，当今青少年们被教导为可以创新的一代，”15岁的索菲·马祖洛斯基说。”我们这一代人希望如此。我就十分乐观。”
随着一个跨种族婚姻时代的到来，许多人抛弃了旧式的种族观念；他们以互联网的速度成熟，比任何一代人更彼此紧联。也许这两者都预示着宽容之心。
他们希望从生活中获得什么呢？他们被认为是历来”在职业与教育上最雄心万丈的一代”。许多人计划上大学，许多人渴望做专业的工作。大部分人给”幸福”所下的定义是：有目标、有爱、长时间的快乐生活。不过也有许多人对婚姻与工作能否带来这种幸福表示质疑，因此他们将精力分配到更广阔的领域上。约半数青少年每月通过诸如给无家可归者送食物或给老人念书等形式来为社区服务。
一些社会学家认为，每代人所担当起的社会角色是即将在下一代中消失的，犹如时代精神向年轻人低语轻诉失去了什么、他们要履行什么职责一样。今天，青少年们刺着纹身、穿着袋袋裤，和他们的前辈有着迥异的面貌。不过每代人各有机遇创造非凡。这一代，且让我们拭目以待吧！
他们是零售业市场上最强大的经济动力。（”有点怪怪的。”）看看这些在折价货架旁乐滋滋的女孩吧。
女孩∶我喜欢购物，我总是去购物。
带上借记卡，挽着购物袋，他们把整个美国变成一片不夜天。为什么呢？因为他们是Y一代。如今，从幼儿园到高中这一段的青少年形成了美国历来人数最多的年轻一代。互联网让他们成为也是资讯最灵通的一代。虽然现在还没有独立，但预计他们的知识和收入水平都要高于他们婴儿潮一代的父母，商界已在对他们瞩目。
零售商：我认为零售商们，以至于人人都终于觉察到青少年市场是非常有利可图的。其实，现在的青少年群体将增长为美国有史以来最大的青少年群体。
在约七千九百万的年轻人中，青少年就占据了三千万人，不过这些数字还不是最惊人的。单在去年，这些青少年在服装、食物、娱乐和科技产品上的花费高达1530亿美元，比澳大利亚政府的国家预算开支还要多。年轻一代对他们父母进行购买的总值影响高达2500亿美元之多。
母亲∶我们买什么东西，他们会发表很多看法。因为要是他们不喜欢的话，你准听到抱怨。
而且Y一代人所听和花费的是我们的年代里没有的东西：CD、MP3播
放机、电脑和各类电子产品。
零售商∶我们以卖最新的科技产品为主，我们的确是努力以这方面的尝试为主。他们在新产品出来前对大致情况都了然于胸并等候着产品上市。比起我年轻的时候，他们的零用钱似乎是多得多了。
到购物商场去，你会发现争夺青少年顾客的竞争有多激烈。商家用播放音乐、录像、陈列时尚物品的种种手段来吸引买者，这些招数在过去是一些店主不想使用的。昨日不受欢迎的顾客如今成为运财童子。（店主：”如果你想，可以在这查电子邮件。”顾客：”真的吗？”店主：”是的。”）
零售商们先知先觉，把攻势目标对准了Y一代人的储钱罐。福特公司现在向仍坐在车椅上的小孩子们推销汽车。这家汽车制造厂商在布鲁斯·克鲁斯--一个三岁儿童喜爱的卡通角色--网站上赞助登载汽车安全广告。
零售商：这个市场非常巨大，给福特提供了与这些买家建立起长期关系的可能性。
年轻买家们的消费习惯表明他们十分注重自己的外表。
女孩：我喜欢买服装和鞋子。
女孩：我喜欢穿名牌，因为我发现许多人都穿名牌服装。
零售商：我们生意的驱使力基本上是来自年轻人。假如他们现在从五岁起就开始赶时髦的话，那真是太令人激动了。
商人或许会高兴，但父母们却要担忧孩子被过于鼓励去消费。
母亲：我觉得这现象不太好，因为我身为母亲，为了赶潮流，花销加大了，这是有压力的。我的孩子得要打扮入时，不然她就会被别的孩子嘲笑。
塞琳娜：他们更老成，更独立，知识水准更高。
市场研究员塞琳娜·古柏在她的书中说，那些特点使孩子们更热衷于名牌，也是商家对他们大感兴趣的原因。
塞琳娜：我认为零售商们都开始意识到，要趁早赚这些年轻人的钱。
记者：你觉不觉得有很多人在争着赚你的钱？
女孩：是的，因为很多商店，很多广告，到处都有宣传。
伴随着新受到这种注意，他们找到了一种可以用钱买来的自尊。
女孩：现在他们开始重视起你来，是因为他们知道你和其他人一样，口袋里有钱了。
商人们希望能把握住这股新购买力与潜在的市场。
据市场调查员估计，青少年平均一周花费大约82美元在服装、食品和娱乐上。不过并非所有的孩子都有时间去购物。实际上，在过去几年中，孩子们拥有的闲暇已经少了大约16%。许多人称之为”超负荷综合症”。
过去几年里，美国国民的心态经历了一场真正转变。过去孩子们轻松随意地学芭蕾、体操或足球。现在这些孩子却受到巨压要被苦心栽培为专家。不论选择进行任何一种课外活动，孩子们都被期待成为佼佼者。
是否为了把孩子送进重点大学就读就有必要如此做呢？哈佛大学的招生办说不是。他们所录取的学生中仅有三分之一在学业或课外活动上有优异禀赋。其余三分之二则是”根基扎实、发展全面”的学生。
我们发现，现在有很多家长在表示”足够了”并开始给孩子减压。有的家长让孩子们从活动里解脱出来。孩子们的压力实在太大了，用在功课外的时间太多了，睡觉的时间太少了，吃饭的时间太短了。如今众多的家长说不要再让孩子这样下去了。
1) accommodate v. 调节，接纳
2) changing tables是盥洗室里专门为母亲们设置给小孩换尿片的活动桌板
3) baby on board 是贴在汽车尾窗上提醒其他驾驶者此车上有小孩的标语
4) adult-free 无成人介入的
5) hang out [俚语] 闲荡，鬼混
6) teens n.青少年，一般指13至19岁阶段
7) ethic n. 伦理
8) autonomous a. 自治的
9) boomer n. 在生育高峰期出生的人，尤指美国在1946年至1965年间出生的人
10) jock n. 天真无邪的少年
11) eschew v. 避免，避开
12) bode v. 预兆
13) societal a. 社会的
14) Zeitgeist n. [德语] 时代精神
15) tattoo n. 刺花，纹身
16) giggly a. 吃吃笑的
17) debit n. 借方，记入借方
18) lucrative a. 有利的
19) in terms of 关于
20) specialize v. 专攻，专门研究
21) mall n. 购物商场
22) stylish a. 时髦的，漂亮的
23 groom v. 推荐，整饰
24) sophisticated a. 久经世故的
25) savvy a. 机智的
26) trait n. 特性
27) syndrome n. 综合病症
28) gymnastics n. 体操，体育
29) prodigy n. 奇观，奇事
30) extracurricular a. 业余的，课外的