Metropol

First there was Generation X. Then there was Generation Y. Now a new breed of twentysomethings want to be like their parents, get their kicks out of binge drinking and live in fear of an expansionist America. Meet "Generation Blah!"

"They are frankly dull and our only hope is that they will grow up to be something more interesting," said William Maughan, one half of creative consultancy Martin Firrell and William Maughan.

"They are slaves to the free market and would never dream of doing anything as rebellious as punk. They think that being successful is more important than being sexy, and believe the only way to win the game is to play it."

Firrell and Maughan were commissioned by publishing giant Emap to research the lifestyle and habits of modern twentysomething men.

Among the research techniques involved, the consultancy sent out a team of researchers on speed dating to quiz men about their hopes and aspirations. "Nowhere are men more honest than in the first three minutes of a speed date," explained Firrell.

The research revealed that young men in Britain want to be like their parents rather than rebel against them, and wanted "instant gratification for absolutely everything".

"Being a sexy virile man is less important than being successful [at your job]," said Firrell. "They are so busy fitting in with the free market system that they give no thought to trying to change it.

"There is a genuine loss of edge among Generation Blah! Something like punk today would be absolutely inconceivable. Wearing your jeans around your bum is about as edgy as it gets."

Full story available at Media Guardian

For the younger members of this forum, is this true, in your experience?

I hope not, but I think my 'generation' started to exhibit these signs. Myself, I am very politically motivated and aware, and I have met a few like me in my time, but the vast majority of my friends are fantastic, but conformist and not very interested in anything outside their own existence.

A little while ago, Dr Siggy and I rued the fact that no-one spoke out anymore - we were becoming a vanilla society which relied on ideas and concepts being fed to us, rather than speaking out and agreeing with them.

In your opinion, does society needs its rebels and a politically restless younger generation?

society must always have those who dare to be different, who dare to piss on authority from a great height, and those who want to rebel for no other reason that just to be awkward, but it seems those are a dying breed.

the whole social landscape has changed within the last few years, i can remember it was only four years ago we had the petrol blockades, which in my view, were one of the best examples of people power i have in living memory.

'people' are stupid. they moan and groan almost constantly about taxes, crime, asylum etc etc, but do they do anything about it? do they f*ck. but the blame for this can't totally be put on the robotic-avoid-independent-thinking-at-all-costs public, i actually put most of the blame on the media (which is becoming far to close to the establishment for my liking). i can blame the public for letting it happen in the first place.

it is becoming increasingly difficult to speak out against governments nowadays, democratic freedoms are slowly being eroded in the name of 'terrorism', and people let it happen. the government used this to try and control us, and they have won.