I came across something last week that piqued my interest and got me to thinking. If you ask me where I saw it, I’ll tell you. I don’t like linking to other blogs because it tends to bring extra traffic I don’t necessarily want at this blog. I’m still amazed I have any subscribers for that reason. Anyhow…
*Note* that, yes, I can use Google. And yes, this term has been used before (though not extensively to my knowledge). I’ve never had an original thought in my life that I am aware of.
I read an article that said something to the effect that Millennials don’t want to get married and have kids because they can’t have a Beta version first.
But, actually, marriage-Beta is a pretty big thing these days I would say. Co-habitation, yes?
I read a while back about a celebrity who made his girlfriend sign a ‘co-habitation agreement’ before he allowed her to move into his house. It pretty much said that if either of them decided to terminate the relationship, she couldn’t take any of his stuff and she had to vacate the premises, and all rights to anything therein, within so many hours. So Beta. Pre-nup practice.
I thought it was a sign of the time; even more so in some ways than other controversial issues surrounding marriage in our culture. We don’t like the fact that some people (not going there in this post) are fighting to get married while we’re ignoring the fact that others are refusing to get married. By we I mean so-called culturally conservative Christians. Of course I’ve been accused of being somewhat liberal before. I listen to NPR! Hiss. But I digress. I got married at 21. Best decision of my life (because I have a good wife). But I digress again.
I’m still fresh off reading Douglas Coupland’s Generation A (I highly recommend it!). It was, I think, his attempt to give the Millennials a name that was more promising than his ‘Generation X’ for the previous generation and perhaps more symbolic than the bland term ‘Millennial’.
I wonder if Generation Beta wouldn’t be a better name in some ways (?). Perhaps the up-and-coming ‘Generation Like‘ will fit the bill of Generation Beta to a greater degree. I don’t know.
But the idea of Beta seems fitting for modern folks who are always testing, experimenting, and browsing without any type of finality or definitiveness. It goes along pretty well with Chesterton’s term I like so much: the Muddle Ages. It’s just a thought. Now I need one of my writing readers to come up with some appealing fiction.
I should also add that technically I am a Millennial (and Amillennial! – but that’s another post altogether), if that makes any difference.
Uh-oh! You’ve gone too far. You mentioned that you are an amillenial… the post-mill’s will be dying to convert you. 🙂
I might have to institute a ‘no eschatology debates’ policy on the blog…unless you want to be my official spokesman and answerer of questions. I knew somebody would notice my little amil reference.
And the pre-mills will be dying to stone you. 🙂
I think many people are like this, both young and old, they don’t fully commit to anything without a test run. And it’s not just marriage. If things they choose to do don’t seem just right they change course with no thought of how it effects their reputation, no thought of how if effects others, and no thought of building up the character of perseverance. They’ll try something out and if they don’t like it, they feel free to leave. Hanging in there with something unpleasant isn’t an option for these folks.
I agree. Good observation.