The New Greatest Generation Analysis

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In Joel Stein’s article, The New Greatest Generation, Stein addresses the controversy of the effectiveness of Millennials by conveying that the “Millennials’ self-involvement is more a continuation of a trend than a revolutionary break from earlier generations. They’re not a new species; they’ve just mutated to adapt to their environment” (Stein 31). He reveals to the readers that this new generation does not have a separate mindset than the one of past generations, but have actually modified it to fit the modern world. Stein sets the grounds for this suggestion by foremost using logos to advance his claim, while developing it with sentence variety and a conversational, but changing, tone. It is his use and application of these writing skills that displays the effectiveness of Stein as a writer. Also, the fact that Stein sees and addresses the problem of accepting and valuing the new change of Millennial thought-processes further proves that Stein is a productive writer. Primarily, Stein’s use of logos …show more content…
Stein uses different tones to establish a connection with the reader. He first talks with a negative, conversational tone about how Millennials are “lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow” (Stein 28). This helps relate to the feelings that older generations reading the article have, hooking them and convincing them to keep reading the article. About halfway through the article, though, Stein reveals that the “Millennials’ perceived entitlement… is an adaptation to a world of abundance” (Stein 31). He then changes his writing style to an optimistic tone as he explains how the Millennials’ actions are actually adaptations to the modern world. This helps the audience view Millennials from another angle: one that presents how Stein’s claim is