1st December - Why 'The Snowflake Generation' are DOOMED

"Got my first job at 16, pulling pints by 18, but I was made in the Royal Navy." But, no, in all seriousness, I did begin working my first job at 16. I was at Sixth Form at the time, studying for my A-Levels Monday-Friday, and on Saturday mornings at 7.30am, I'd cycle to the big supermarket 45 mins away from my house and turn in a shift as a checkout chick between 8am-10pm. On Sundays, it was 8am-5pm, or sometimes 12pm-10pm. 24 hours over the course of a weekend. I then added in 5pm-10pm on Mondays, and Thursdays. So 34 hours per week of employment, in addition to the 30 hours of study, and 4 hours per week of driving lessons when I turned 17. 

Fast forward 4 years, and when I learned I was set to become a Father, through the Summer of 2011 I worked 6 jobs. One in the daytimes at a Tax Audit company in Southampton. I'd rip the shirt and tie off fresh from the office and attend evening shifts in Pizza Hut, before going home and blogging for a motorsports website titled 'Netcars'. Weekends, I'd work in Wetherspoons during the daytimes, flitting between chef work in the kitchen, and pouring pints behind the bar. In the evenings? Working as a waiter at the seafood restaurant 'Loch Fyne', where I'd come home stinking of fish-stained uniform. On Sundays, I worked for a catering company, where I'd work 18 hours shifts between 7am-1am, setting up and clearing away at high-class weddings within Hampshire. I weirdly ended up doing one for Kriss Akabusi's daughter's wedding actually.

Following graduation, I would work 5 days per week in a sales role, and a further 2 per week (Saturdays and Sundays), doing 1pm-11pm in the Daily Telegraph's HQ in central London. So you can imagine my shock when I saw the story of the young Starbucks worker, who broke down and posted a tearful rant online after being asked to work 8 hours, as he/they claimed his/their 25 hour working week was 'too much'. One Twitter user remarked that the problem with the Boomer, and even Millennial generation, is that we 'want Gen Z to have things as bad as we did'. There is, perhaps, a common misconception now that working hard, or striving to achieve things, is somehow 'toxic' and that we should - as a society - be in a constant state of relaxation 24/7. The only issue with such a thought pattern is that we really truly do such a thing, nothing will get done and the entire foundation that our World is built upon, will collapse. What happens when the bin-men start refusing to partake in an 8 hour shift? Uncollected rubbish is spilled into our streets and vermin such as rats feast on the contents. How about if a Nurse or Doctor doesn't fancy it today? Innocent patients are left to die.

Like all things in life, balance is the key to success. I'm not suggesting people burn themselves into the ground with 80 hour weeks, but surely a 40 hour week is the bare minimum, and not something we should be complaining about. I've never worked a job where I've earned over £30k per year, for working anything less than a 45-hour week, and I would imagine for the majority reading this, it is the same. But these days, the 'Zoomers' whinge that even cushy office positions are too tough. My partner works with a guy who is regularly skiving off of his handsomely paid 9-5 role where he works from home 80% of the week, just because he can't face coming in during the other 20%. I think he's had 'COVID' about 4 times per year. Gen Z are WEAK. They'll never amass the ability to pay for their car, driving lessons, insurance, tax, and M.O.T at the age of 17 like myself, they'll never be able to support a newborn baby at the age of 21. Because they don't have the work ethic, and consequently...

... Their entire generation of 'Zoomers' should be known as 'Doomers'.