According to research published by The Journal Of Management, today’s kids are lazy. By kids, the researchers mean Generation Y – which is pretty much anyone born after the mid-eighties.

It basically says that the new graduates who are entering the workforce believe they deserve jobs with big salaries, a fancy title and plenty of leisure time – without having to put in the hours. They want an easy pace and are likely to be unwilling to work overtime.

The study, done in the US, reports that Generation Y is made up of young people who have an unrealistic sense of entitlement. The director of British superstore Tesco, offered the following opinion yesterday, “growing numbers of school leavers have attitude problems and believes the world owes them a living”.

So what is to blame here? Maybe a lack of discipline coupled with the dumbing down of the education system.. so that these kids leave school, thinking that they’re geniuses, having never been put in their place – for fear of “hurting their feelings”.. So the reality that life is tough hits them like a ton of bricks. And then they’re put in the work force.. where they don’t fare too well, because they’re not used to being told what to do, nor were they taught normal etiquette – i.e. standing when someone of a higher position enters the room..

These kids don’t really stand much of a chance. AND they watch their MTV with things like Jersey Shore and The Hills, where these kids are rich and living in beautiful apartments – sure, they work, but they spend most of the day shopping or tanning. So it’s a bit of a shock when you have to go out into the real world and make yourself a budget that includes things like toilet paper and light bulbs.. And you’re living in a dirty little apartment that’s probably the size of Lauren from The Hills’ shoe closet. Real life isn’t a walk in the park for most of us.

AND remember having to dictate and write things down and take notes? Not now.. everything is computer written. You have a homework question? Stick it in Yahoo Answers and see what answers you get.

I’ll be the first to admit to being a bit sloppy when it came to dressing for work, and I’ve done my nails at my desk on a few occasions.. But when it came down to it, I’d put 150% into work.. If something went wrong, I’d lose sleep over it and give myself stomach aches.. I guess I’m more cut out for work like basket weaving – something not too stressful.

I read somewhere yesterday that they are advising teachers to learn “intimidating behaviour” with which to deal with difficult kids in school. They said something like, if you see a group of kids doing something naughty in the hallway, then walk up to them slowly – maybe like a bit of a gangster, staring them down so that they start to feel intimidated.

I don’t know. It seems like you can’t win. Working life is something that you have to “WORK” at. You have to WORK you way up, to EARN a better position and a higher salary. I know that not all kids are like the ones in this study.. and i sincerely hope that respect and a good work ethic aren’t completely lost in this new generation.