Our society has created so many expectations of my generation, and generations to come. Today, it is ideal to balance a healthy school, work, and social life successfully; but how much of this is every kid in my generation actually capable of doing? The worst part is when we fail to do these things we are often told that we're not trying hard enough, or end up being compared to someone who has already found success in these things. We are shown accomplishment, but not the struggle and failure taken to get there. In this essay I will analyze the complex human reality of expectations of my generation and the role it has assumed in my life. .
The expectations, and pressure put on a child can be rough, especially when they are coming from their own parent. A perfect example of this is in the piece, "Why I Went to College", by Martin Espada. This piece is about a father's threat to his child if the child does not go to college. Not only does the father put a lot of pressure on his kid, but he uses an aggressive approach. When the idea of not going to college appears the father's response is, "cause I'm gonna break your jaw" (Espada 577). I can understand that that may be the father's way of motivating his kid to make a better life for himself, but an aggressive approach is not the best way to go about it. And I'm not the only one who has this opinion. Jaime Budzienski, a writer and publisher most know for her numerous parenting articles stated, "Experts warn that this type of intense pressure around school and performance can backfire, leading to social, emotional, and physical stress" (Budzienski). Budzienski goes on to talk about how this type of stress can cause anxiety and eating disorders. Unfortunately, I've witnessed this for myself. .
One of my older sisters was always an excelling student, as a result my parents set some high expectations for her her senior year, and she ended up bombing her SAT.
