Sure, yeah, first world problems are tough. But when about 91% of people aged 20-34 are employed, I don't think things are as terrible as all that.
What don't you agree with the article on? Do you think most don't think "I'm special"? Isn't part of the problem of your "can't get a job with new degree" due to the fact that they were told "follow your passion" and the like? Do you think you aren't special? Do most of your friends think they are, or aren't special?
Sure, there are other factors that the article doesn't describe, but that doesn't make it all "bull shit."
Maybe I agree because it describes nearly everyone I know (FWIW, I'm in my late 20s and fall into the demographic nicely, including majoring in something I love - Philosophy - over something practical), but maybe it doesn't describe the people you know.
Why, exactly, do you disagree with it?
First off, your numbers are wrong. It’s actually 70% of the population aged 20 to 34 that are employed.
The problem I have with this article is that it eschews things like actual facts to put forth a contrived narrative that if only Gen Y’ers stopped feeling special and worked harder everything will work itself out. This is the bullshit that I am talking about.
There are so many assumptions that the author makes about Lucy that have no foundation in reality but are supposed to represent a larger portion of Generation Y.
Here are a few:
Assumption: “She’s probably started off her career perfectly well”
Reality: “Even those lucky enough to be employed are often struggling. Little more than half are working full time—compared with about 80% of the population at large—and 12% earn minimum wage or less. The median weekly wage for young workers has fallen more than 5% since 2007”
WSJ“Part-time work has made up 77 percent of the job growth so far this year.”
HuffpoAssumption: “To be clear, GYPSYs want economic prosperity just like their parents did—they just also want to be fulfilled by their career in a way their parents didn't think about as much.“
Reality: “Respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 were most likely to define the American Dream as being debt-free and least likely to define it as joining the 1% or retiring financially secure at 65.”
Credit.com StudyThis also reflects something I see all of the time. Young adults just want to be able to afford their student loan payments and be able to get an apartment and maybe be able to afford a night out with friends. A fulfilling career comes later.
Assumption: “The current world is bubbling with opportunity for an ambitious person to find flowery, fulfilling success. The specific direction may be unclear, but it'll work itself out—just dive in somewhere.”
Reality: “one in five 25-34 year-old workers is failing to find work that matches his or her education”
Globe and Mail (This is for Canada but still relevant I think.)
Yeah, you can say I am cherry picking stats out of articles but at least I am making an argument that has some kind of evidence to support it instead of making blanket statements with no basis in reality.
The problem as I see it is that it's not an entitlement mindset to think "hey I just spent $100k on an education, I should have a better job than working retail for $10 per hour." Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.