Ok, I may be getting old, but today's young adults DO have issues...

I'm coming to grips with the fact that I'm really not a "young adult" anymore. There's nothing like a basketball court to bring guys like me back to reality - basketball reminds me on a regular basis that I'm not 22 anymore. In light of this realization that I'm really more "middle-aged man" these days has also been accompanied by some interesting observations on those who are actually "young adults." This article in the Dallas Morning News highlights some of the things that I've begun noticing over the last few years and does a good job of defining some of these interesting phenomena. I did not know that there is actually a pet media term, "millennials" for this generation. I had just gone with the older term, "Gen Y" or "Gen Next" to refer to today's twenty-somethings. In any case, the article is a good read and brings to light some of the things that I have noticed about our younger brethren. At the risk of sounding like "grumpy old man," I have noticed that today's young adults seem to struggle with accountability and initiative. I also noted on various occasions that today's younger generations seem to be more self-involved and less world-aware than previous generations. Some of the observations in this article help explain some of these things. Note the following gem:

"We think that our child's success in school is emblematic of our success as a parent. A Harvard decal on the back of your Hummer is a stellar performance review," she says.

But parents of millennials also turned into agents who worried about building self-esteem. Unfortunately, such coddling can lead to workplace meltdowns, Ms. Looney says. "Healthy, resilient people learn life skills from failure and frustration.

"These are kids who have a bunch of participation awards. They think they should be rewarded for showing up at work. You have to say, 'No, no darlin'. You're paid to show up. But you have to do a good job to get a raise.' "

Here's another interesting note on "hovering parents" and their role in raising "millennials." I first heard the term "helicopter parents" in conjunction with college admissions boards who have come to view these "hovering parents" with a jaded eye. I guess "helicopter 'rents" are now following their precious little ones even into the work place.

"These kids are fabulous, but they need to cut the umbilical cord," she says. "Parents are showing up at their kids' work. They call about their kids' reviews or whether they're going to get a raise."

To fend off such parental intervention, Ms. Looney suggests employers write thank-you notes to offending parents: 'Thanks for this great kid. We're really enjoying him or her. Aren't you glad your work's now over?' "

True, I'm being reminded of my age these days, but this article also makes me feel a little better because things that I thought were just due to my age are actually issues more related to the trials and struggles of today's twenty-somethings.