HOW many Gen Ys does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one. But first they need to search via Google for ``How to change a light bulb''.

Yes, because I'm a typically smug and insecure Gen X, I find that joke rather funny.

But as much as I love sinking the slipper into Gen Ys (because I work with an office full of them), I'm also the first to defend them.

Particularly when talkback radio-addicted Baby Boomers rattle on angrily about how lazy and selfish ``most'' Gen Ys are. Bulldust.

Every generation has its minority repeat, minority of idiots. Even Baby Boomers.

If you look back at any copy of our newspaper from the 1950s you'll see various elders throwing their hands up in despair at ``juvenile delinquents'' with their laziness, selfishness and disrespect.

Sound familiar?

The fact is, ``most'' Gen Ys are a credit to our city. We meet a lot of them in our job, and one national statistic that I find very easy to believe is the one that says almost a third of Gen Ys do regular volunteer work.

In fact, many HSC students we interviewed last year seemed to be putting off uni for a year to work in an orphanage or some other good cause.

One of my favourite Gen Ys is 16-year-old Amelia Richards (see adjoining article) who is an award-winning singer.

This same girl also volunteers at the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer, is planning to raise money for firefighters, and before Christmas I bumped into her and her friend, Jemma Beech, entertaining sick patients at the hospital.

Another example of Gen Y generosity is Michelle Fenech, a young person I hired in 2006 as our Picton reporter.

In between raising money for CareFlight and a host of other causes, this big-hearted 26-year-old also happens to be the creator, organiser and ball of energy behind Macarthur's annual Cystic Fibrosis swim, which last year raised a staggering $36,000.

And my officeful of Gen Ys are, as usual, backing her to the hilt. (They even find time in between all these charity events to write some articles).

I like to think they're a true sample of ''most'' Gen Ys not a handful of graffiti morons.

jmcgill@fairfaxme dia .com.au