Semi-Rant: Why all this criticism of young people?

[UrbScotty]

Not on DU so much as in the "real world."

I hear a lot of people blaming young people for society's ills: "Kids are so fat," "Kids are so stupid," yadda, yadda, yadda.

As a man of 25 years, I want to know why we "young'uns" get a bad reputation. I mean, there are some good people my age (and younger), and some not. But why do all of us young Americans have to be given blame for almost everything bad that goes on with America?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. It really is shit.

I know lots of young people and find them to be no different than anyone else.

Assholes come in every age, from every state, every religion, race and every walk of life.

[alexwcovington]

2. Young people are an easy target

Most tend to learn to accept blame from an early age. Most are eventually able to learn that it is shit and ignore the blame, but before that happens, they are an easy target.

Young people are not given any respect under the laws either; juvenile court is merely an extension of this culture of accepting the blame... and it is done in secret behind closed doors "so no one else has to know about it."

If younger people were allowed to vote, perhaps the political tides would change, and the cultural tides would be dragged with it... just like during the old civil rights movement of the 60s.

Would you be willing to join a new one?

http://www.youthrights.org/

[UrbScotty]

10. Good website!

And thanks to all of you for making me realize that I'm not alone.

[7th_Sephiroth]

12. if you dropped the voting age

to 13, no republican would EVER be elected

[Skittles]

3. You won't hear it from me

but you are not exclusive; the younger generation has always been blamed for society's ills.

[madrchsod]

4. don`t feel bad

they said the same crap about my generation 40 yrs ago. and the generation of the 50`s...i think the greeks were bitching about their kids....

[BlackVelvetElvis]

5. This is not a sweeping endictment: my minor rant

I teach college level. Alot of the younger people I encounter; 18-21, feel they have a sense of entitlement. An entitlement to make good grades even for not doing their homework, turning in their assignments in on time, following directions, etc. Most teachers of teenagers/young adults that I know feel this way. They even fight me on this. You can't really blame them, because that's the way it's been: with parents, with other teachers. My job is to prepare young people for the workforce; and I see so much laziness, apathy, and waste of talent that it makes me sick. I don't understand this. If you have an idea, let me know. I want to reach everyone and help them succeed, but they have to play a major part in it. Real life is WORK. Real life is NOT FAIR sometimes. The grades and degree take work; they are not entitled to it because they enroll in school. You have no idea about how many people come into college with this attitude. Probably about 50%.
The great part about my job is not all young people are like that; but alot are. The young people that show me what they are made of, demonstrate applied knowledge and intellegence, and actually want to learn are a joy. I will knock myself out for them because they care.

[MSchreader]

15. That's usually a class issue

My roommate also teaches college level (sociology and statistics), and she has seen similar things from some students. However, she sees it more as a difference of social class, not age. According to her, the students from working class backgrounds are the ones who bust their arse getting their assignments done. On the other hand, the students from a privileged/yuppie/bourgie background want it all handed to them.

This is not to say, of course, that all students from working class backgrounds are studious. On the contrary, many of them have given up on learning anything because ... well ... society gave up on them ages ago. Malign neglect and apathy walk hand-in-hand.

Martin

[VermontDem2004]

17. There is plenty of laziness all around

Not just young people.

[yankeedem]

19. I also teach many at that age

And I see many of the same behaviors. I believe that it is a result of what is put into them, their families have not placed a high value on education, and their child suffers.

I also find that these students think everything is negotiable, if the assignment is due on Tuesday, they want to move it to Thursday. If they don't get what they want, they complain to others higher in the hierarchy. Where do you think they are taught that? Family, most likely.

And its frustrating for sure to us, but maybe their ambivalence is rebellion. Look, most work has no meaning, just making money for people that will fire you on a whim, for companies which don't give their employees and sense of equity and belonging. They know that from seeing their parents go through this. Can we blame them for not caring?

As far as a degree program works, we are taught that the goal is important, not the journey. You giving them obstacles is seen as overly burdensome. Let's face it, most schools are cash for credits. The students pay money, and they expect a degree! They don't want to hear about having to study for it.

[Yaoi_Huntress_Earth]

6. My guess is...

The young, especally teenagers, are at a stage where they're no longer cute, but too young to vote. I feel in American society that many teens are viewed as burdens or stupid/immature. Just look at TV and movies; the teens are usually either super-self absorbed, snotty, super perfect or dumb (especally if they're male). It's even worse if the kid is punk, freak, or something that doesn't fit the Saved by the Bell mold because you'll only see them being humiliated on talk shows or potrayed as deviants. Then again, it could just be me.
Love,
Yaoi Huntress Earth

[7th_Sephiroth]

13. yaoi huntress, eh?

so you enjoy guy on guy? go watch some Yuri

[Yaoi_Huntress_Earth]

28. Not my style.

I love my interest after a while.
Love,
Yaoi Huntress Earth

[dofus]

7. The older generations always seem to dump

on the younger ones. I remember this quite clearly from my youth, some forty years ago.

As a perpetual college student, I'm often impressed at the remarkable work ethic of those kids known as Generation X. I also know young people with a truly massive sense of entitlement. There's good and bad in every generation.

For insight into generational characteristics, read "Generations" by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. Children should be seen and not heard.

So go back to your room and KEEP QUIET.

Jeez, kids are just SO mouthy these days... :evilgrin:

[Bluzmann57]

9. I have a 19 year old daughter

who is currently enrolled in college. She is not afraid to work and she is a good kid. Actually, I guess she isn't a kid now, but she always will be to me. Some of her friends are a bit different, as is Kelly(my daughter), but if they weren't, I would be worried. They all seem like young people who will make a contribution to society. So even though I'm an old fart, I can sort of relate to what you are saying about young people getting blamed for an awful lot. This particular group of young people seem just fine to me. It is a lot different growing up today than it was "back in the olden days" and we, as parents should realize that and accept that our kids have to rebel, just as we did. As long as there are no laws being broken, then there is no real problem.

[SOteric]

11. Jealousy.

;-)

No, seriously, I've no idea. Some young people are assholes, some middle-aged and old folks are assholes. Some of my students every year manage to impress me as beings of incredibly depth and sensitivity and profound wisdom. Some just make me think they're doomed to spend their lives never rising above mediocrity. I always hope I'm wrong about the mediocrity.

It's perhaps the same erring reflex that causes waitstaff to ask the family of an elderly person what he or she would like. It's presumptive and limited and not very fair to the individual.

[charlie]

14. Time for that old quote

"Youth today love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, no respect for older people, talk nonsense when they should work. Young people do not stand up any longer when adults enter the room. They contradict their parents, talk too much in company, guzzle their food, lay their legs on the table, and tyrannize their elders."

-- Socrates

T'was ever thus. Youth in any affluent society catch flak for freedoms and indulgences their parents didn't enjoy.

[VermontDem2004]

18. Thanks for painting young people with such a broad brush

[charlie]

20. I'd say you're welcome

except I've done nothing to earn it.

I think that the root of complaints about current youth is usually a contrast to their elder's experience -- "we didn't do it that way, we couldn't get away with that, we had to toe the line and show more respect, we didn't get things handed to us on a plate, yadda, yadda" -- forgetting that they got the same stuff heaped on their heads when they were younger. I did. And I wouldn't be surprised if kids 20 years from now hear the same things from today's young'uns. It's a tired old rap, that was my point.

[VermontDem2004]

16. It's like that for ANY age group

There are about at least 10 DUI arrests everynight and some of them happen to be 40 year olds, now who was the one being stupid?

[Atman]

21. Because most of you young 'uns support Bush, that's why!

That's why.

Young people today are lazy dumbasses. That is what I get out of a poll CNN ran yesterday. As a group, college aged kids are much more likely to support pResident Bush. The comments they were giving the reporter yesterday made my skin crawl.

"He is doing a good job protecting us."

"He may not be the best president, but he is trying hard."

I am fearful that a big recruiting drive of college kids will have a negative impact for dems. College kids seem to love Bush. Another demonstration of the failure of the US education system.

[VermontDem2004]

23. Bill Clinton got a 65% approval rating from the 18-30 group

There are lazy bastards in all age groups but somehow the young ones are the only ones to get tagged with that label. College Kids loved Clinton, I am sure if a democart was our President they would love him too. Plus I didn't know the job of the education system was to make kids Democrats, even brilliant mathematicians think Bush is doing a great job.

[Loonman]

22. Young people have hope

Hope is crap.

[VermontDem2004]

24. Ok?

[DrGonzoLives]

25. Oh, it happens on DU as well

One poster saying, for instance, in another forum that you're not an "adult" until you turn 30, then *poof* magically you are one. Not to mention threads that pop up from time to time bitching about how there are no young people at protests, or doing things like that. Never mind that we have college, jobs, etc., no, it's FAR more important that we stand around and yell for three hours.

Rant complete. nsma is right, assholes come from every walk of life.

[JVS]

26. Good post

[Norbert]

27. This has been going on since J. Ceasar was an adolescent

Don't sweat the small stuff. Kids get blamed for everything because sometimes adults see kids do crazy things i.e.Jackass and always assume the worst. Young people are learning what adults assume sometimes and adults have trouble figuring that out.

It's been a while since I've been in my youth and I can tell you, as God as my witness, that many adults are extremely jealous of young people. I know I am. If I, for example, fall off a skateboard now I will probably know I did for a few days, that is if I don't break something. Still other adults have short memories and maybe are trying to block out the insane things they did as a youth.

My advice is get used to it. You are going to hear it for a while longer and when you finally stop being the target of blame you will finally be on the other side of the coin and some of your peers will be the ones spouting off at "todays kids".

[LuLu550]

29. it's what "old people" do

complain, complain, complain. They never want anything to change, the only things that are good are things they like...blah blah blah.
I should know I "are" one!
:hippie:

[YuNgWuN]

30. I am 17 but I picked up on this somewhat

but I have a habit of missunderstanding people. (i did twice on my first day here) Even in the 60's, 80's, or 40's the older groups basically critize young people (not all) for liking trash or whatever and to me it never changes. I know grandmothers and parents at these times who critize young ones for liking rap, video games, violent movies, the clothes they wear, etc because the stuff they liked when they were younger were so different. But I am sure it was the same in the 1960's, They probaly critized the younger generation for protesting, hippie music, drug abusers, etc. I know it doesn't make sense but I tried to explain it the best way possible. :hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. It's funny, as I passed into my thirties, I caught myself starting

to judge young people in the way my parents did my generation. I don't know if our brains shift our what. Happily, I have curbed it and waited for a really good reason to raise my eyebrows at the antics of anyone....the elderly included.

[YuNgWuN]

32. That was the point I was trying to make in my post

Older people have been critizing the younger generation for decades, like my mother and grandparents are critizing me and the younger for the stuff that we like, and my mother's parents have critized for her for the her hobbies when she was being raised through the 60's.

[regularguy]

33. Blame, Blame, Blame

It's the minorities, it's the young people, it's the liberals, blah, blah, blah. When I'm doing everything I can do to make the world/country better I'll start goin' after the youngin's!

But check this out: when I was in school (1970s) the kids I hung around with were so much worse in every way (vandalism, anti-social behavior, disrespect for adults) than most of the kids/young adults that I meet today. When people my age (40) start saying shit like "Oh when we were coming up, we would never do this or that" I ask them what fucking planet they're coming from. I think that they just feel that once you reach a certain age you're entitled to say this crap.