Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials by Malcolm Harris
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This book regurgitates much of what is known about the millennial generation. There is no new insights, except the painting of a doomsday scenario, which hardly qualifies as an insight.
This is not surprising. Harris is no researcher, and when he tries to assemble and comment on research in child rearing, education, human capital, technological changes, criminal justice, pop culture, amongst other things, he oversimplifies the conclusions.
The irony is that in attempting to deconstruct the popular stereotypes about millennial slackers, the author ended up relying on stereotypes about parents to make sweeping statements. At times, this makes it sound like parents are in a situation of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. In doing so, he inadvertently epitomises the ranting generation.
Unfortunately, the way Harris went about his “analyses” just reinforces the common perception that millennials are a generation with whiny, self-entitled attitudes.
Overall, this book proves the point that every generation blames the one before it.
If you want to read Malcolm stuff, read Gladwell instead.
