Is work ethic gone among young people?

It's a fair question.

So many young people don't see the value in hard work.

Part of the problem is that for a decade, yes before the lockdowns, the focus of modern psychology has been "quality of life" "loving your job", work-life balance", whatever that is supposed to mean.

Instead of teaching kids that hard work results in rewards and relaxation that are earned, kids are taught to get as much as they can for as little investment of time and effort as possible.

Helena Lopes via Unsplash

Before I got into TV and radio, I managed teams in real estate and call centers.

I loved hiring young people. The energy, ambition, and work ethic made the atmosphere of the office super positive.

We had so many applicants that it was easy to screen for attitude very quickly.

The candidates who were only interested in benefits instead of opportunities were not a good fit for our aggressive teams.

Seems that the energy and ambition of the current 20-something generation are a thing of the past.

Vanilla Bear Films via Unsplash

I had an experience that sadly captures the current attitude of too many young workers today.

We hired a 25-year-old production assistant for my latest movie being filmed in Myrtle Beach.

On the second day of work, she was asked to pick up an actor at the airport flying in from LA.

She complained about the fact that it was a 45-minute trip. Then simply said in a calm voice that the job was simply "too hard" and quit!

Just walked off the set and got in her car.

The question I asked this morning was if I'm just cranky and reacting to my own situation or is there a cultural problem among young people today?

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