Generation Me:Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean M. Twenge points out everything that’s wrong with Gen-X and Y. Born between 1970 and the late 1990’s, these adults and young adults have been given opportunities and technology that former generations could only dream of, and have been told they can be anything they want to be to boot. They are also one of the most miserable generations in American history. Twenge—herself a part of ‘Generation Me’—discusses why the most privileged generation in American history is also the one most likely to be depressed, commit suicide, or have shallow, unfulfilling relationships.

With excellent research and a distinctive, often cynical, voice, Twenge dissects the major characteristics of Generation Me—the group of teens, 20-somethings and 30-somethings that seem to have everything. While at first glance the adults and young adults of Generation Me do indeed seem to have everything (and more), Twenge shows that those belonging to Gen-X and Y aren’t as lucky as everyone thinks. Individuals that belong to Generation Me have been brought up with the idea that they are entitled to a lifestyle that not only matches—but exceeds—the lifestyle of their parents. The reality, however, is that they will have little chance of ever reaching this goal in their lifetime as good jobs, affordable healthcare, and manageable mortgages become harder to obtain.

Part of the problem, according to Twenge, is that members of Generation Me grew up in a bubble of self-absorbed awareness, only to enter the real world and have their expectation of life irrevocably crushed. They reach the workplace to find that not only will they make less than half of what they were raised to expect, but that no one in their workplace cares about their happiness or fulfillment. This is a hard blow for those who have had their every action—whether right or wrong—defended by their parents since birth. Read the full story