The Twenties BeatDown™ is mentioned twice in the revised and updated edition of Generation Me (2014) by researcher and author Jean Twenge PhD.
“Drew Lichtenberger…called the pervasive malaise of his generation “the twenties beatdown”—and that was before the late 2000 recession. When he was starting his first job in business and his then girlfriend was in law school, they talked frequently about how their 20s were turning out to be much more challenging than they’d expected. Even his friends who were successful wondered about fulfillment, asking, “Is this was I want to do with my life? Is this meaningful enough?” His summary of his friends’ 20s experience was “they used to be supersuccesful people and now they’re just freshman in life.” (p. 160).
Then she mentions the book:
“A few chapters ago I mentioned Drew Lichtenberger, who is now working on a book titled The Twenties BeatDown. Like many young people, Drew had a great job in business but then realized it wasn’t fulfilling. He went back to working at his alma mater, Virginia Tech helping prepare college students for their transition into the professional world. One of his main messages is that volunteering and helping others is one of the best ways to be fulfilled and gain meaning. …Someone once told him, “The only way you’ll ever feel good about yourself is by helping other people,” and he passes this advice on to young people who are looking for meaning and fulfillment. “Individualism and serving yourself are dead ends,” Drew says. “Service to others and leaving a lasting legacy is really at the core of the deepest human needs. Strong relationships and community keep us true to who we are and help us see what our lives are meant to be.” (p. 316-317)
Though the excerpts above were similar to what appeared in the 2006, it didn’t say I was writing a book before. Thanks to Dr. Twenge for the kind references to my work.
Dr. Twenge will be featured in The Twenties BeatDown from an interview I had with her about a year ago. She has been a controversial figure in her work on studying generational differences, yet her strong data reveal some interesting trends about our American culture.
Lastly, for my Northwestern Mutual friends, she even made mention of my intern management days in the new edition [click here to read].
Twenge, J. M. (2014). Generation Me: Why today’s Young American’s Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled–and More Miserable Than Ever Before. New York: Simon and Schuster.