reset generation

(REE.set jen.uh.ray.shun)

n.

Young people who, when a situation becomes difficult or burdensome, quit and start over again in a different situation.

Example Citations:

"Hey coach! Two strikes...two outs...last inning...we're down by five, can I just reset it? Heck, that's what I do when I fall too far behind in a video game." Is your son or daughter from what I coined "the reset generation." The reset button on video games makes quitting easy. Quitting is a habit — it doesn't matter where you pick it up.

The reset button has become the "no regret button." The accountability to oneself, as well as the sense of responsibility to the game is non-existent. Quitting, tabbed "unacceptable" in the sporting life, is rehearsed on a daily basis in homes everywhere.

— Gary Simmons, "Set an example in sports for your child," Scripps Howard News Service, June 27, 2003

Once Melson returned, Watkins' playing time dwindled. With Melson back next year for his senior season, sophomore Thomas Hope seemingly entrenched at the other forward spot and forwards Braden Bushman and Michael Doles arriving as top recruits, there seemed to be no where for Watkins to go but out.

"He saw what we had at his position," Schilling said. "He decided this isn't going to be a great place to get minutes. That's just how it works. This is the reset generation. If it doesn't work out at one school, you move on."

— Sean McClelland, "Watkins leaves Raiders," Dayton Daily News, March 31, 2000

Earliest Citation:

Not so long ago, Spa! did a feature on clubbers in their early 20s who assert their hidden creative talents by coining a new expression, kura-baka (clubbing fools). Discovering similar over-confident people in the workplace, the magazine decides to describe them in another feature. This time, Spa! names the odd new breed the "reset generation." The magazine uses the word "reset" to mean that these young people simply choose to "reset" their "play" buttons by changing jobs, partners or friends, instead of trying to cope with and learn from their difficulties — a standard pattern for older generations.

— "Reset generation' quick to wipe the slate clean," Mainichi Daily News, June 23, 1996

Notes:

As the example citation points out, this phrase was inspired by the "reset" feature that comes with most video or computer games. Choosing this feature gives the player a fresh start and is most often employed when the player gets into a mess from which he or she can't or won't escape.

Related Words:

Generation 9-11

Generation D

Generation XL

Generation Y

Millennial Generation

therapy generation

Category:

Demographics