Re: My Generation

[Simaril]

EskimoJoe started an interesting thread, but it's wandered off the original topic enough that I thought it worthwhile to restart it.

So lemme summarize the part that got me thinking, by quoting the key ideas brought up early on. 'Cause I've got a quote of my own that puts things in a little different perspective.

Just a thought. Most kids today are incompetent, foolish, ignorant, so on.....

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

                                                                -Socrates; c. 469 BC–399 BC

The youth of today is nothing new and nothing special. 

I would strongly argue that things are indeed different than they have been, that criticism of what we see now is not just a bunch of geezers saying, "in MY day..." The best illustration I can think of came from the book No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy has a character say -

I read in papers here a while back some teachers come across a survey that was sent out back in the thirties to a number of schools around the country. Had this questionnaire about what was the problems with teachin in the schools. And they come across these forms, they'd been filled out and sent in from around the country answerin these questions. And the biggest problems they could name was things like talkin in class and runnin in the hallways. Chewin gum. Copyin homework. Things of that nature. So they got one of them forms that was blank and printed up a bunch of em and sent em back out to the same schools. Forty years later. Well, here come the answers back. Rape, arson, murder. Drugs. Suicide. So I think about that. Because a lot of the time ever when I say anything about how the world is goin to hell in a handbasket people will just sort of smile and tell me I'm gettin old. That it's one of the symptoms. But my feelin about that is that anybody that cant tell the difference between rapin and murderin people and chewin gum has got a whole lot bigger of a problem than what I've got.

So what do you folks think?

[Penguin]

The same sob story has gone on for ages.  People hate change.  Furthermore, rape, murder and robbery have always been around; in fact, they're here to stay.  So get ready for the rest of your life!

-Penguin 

[Dichotomy]

Interesting Sim..

Squid has a lot of friends that are a bit on the fringe but they are always respectful around here and, for some unknown reason, they listen to me.  I think people tend to accentuate the negative and ignore the positive in most cases. 

That said there are way too many parents who are allowing both themselves and their children be babysat by the television or the video game.  At what point did your own personal 'happiness' take a back seat to raising a child 'correctly' (quote marks for differing parenting styles).  I'm nobodys hero but I can guarantee you that if Squid or one of his friends knocked on my door and said 'can we talk?' I'd quit whatever I was doing and take an active interest in the discussion.

I think I said it in the other thread.  There are a lot of good young people out there.  I've had discussions with members of this game that I had no clue they were young until they mentioned it in threads.

Perhaps it's time for people to focus on the positives rather than the negatives in the youth of today. Or, better yet, get off your butts and be an example to young people rather than a critic of them. 

But that's just me. 

[Spikes]

When I was GLing and COing scenarios (especially the past couple) I never mentioned my age, and no one ever asked (unless someone got into conversation on TS about it). Everyone was surprised and didn't believe me when I told them I am only 16. Now whether this is because of my voice or maturity I don't have any idea. I've grown up around older friends and maturity excelled because of this...I wish more kids my age would take studies seriously as that will be their lifeline in this modern world. Many of my 'friends' simply don't give a damn about it...but that isn't my problem.

Not trying to toot my own horn but that's how I see it.

[BrownBaron]

Interesting Sim..

Squid has a lot of friends that are a bit on the fringe but they are always respectful around here and, for some unknown reason, they listen to me.  I think people tend to accentuate the negative and ignore the positive in most cases. 

That said there are way too many parents who are allowing both themselves and their children be babysat by the television or the video game.  At what point did your own personal 'happiness' take a back seat to raising a child 'correctly' (quote marks for differing parenting styles).  I'm nobodys hero but I can guarantee you that if Squid or one of his friends knocked on my door and said 'can we talk?' I'd quit whatever I was doing and take an active interest in the discussion.

I think I said it in the other thread.  There are a lot of good young people out there.  I've had discussions with members of this game that I had no clue they were young until they mentioned it in threads.

Perhaps it's time for people to focus on the positives rather than the negatives in the youth of today. Or, better yet, get off your butts and be an example to young people rather than a critic of them. 

But that's just me. 

My classmates are neither repectful nor respectable. See my rant in Joe's thread for an example of a typical day in California's public schools through the eyes of a honour's student.

[BrownBaron]

When I was GLing and COing scenarios (especially the past couple) I never mentioned my age, and no one ever asked (unless someone got into conversation on TS about it). Everyone was surprised and didn't believe me when I told them I am only 16. Now whether this is because of my voice or maturity I don't have any idea. I've grown up around older friends and maturity excelled because of this...I wish more kids my age would take studies seriously as that will be their lifeline in this modern world. Many of my 'friends' simply don't give a damn about it...but that isn't my problem.

Not trying to toot my own horn but that's how I see it.

This. (aside from the GLing, COing, and being 16 years of age part.)

[oneway]

Today's generation is soft and untested...(excepting the finest amongst us who serve the nation)...

99% of the kids (teens) running around today don't have a single clue on what creates wealth...or what preserves freedom...

We will see how this whole thing shakes out...

Holding out hope...but not holding my breath...

My hunch is that the original dream of American individual self determination and freedom will be preserved despite them...not because of them...

Kids today have no idea how lucky they are...and more importantly, what it cost to get here...

I hope to be proven wrong

Oneway

[SuBWaYCH]

When I was GLing and COing scenarios (especially the past couple) I never mentioned my age, and no one ever asked (unless someone got into conversation on TS about it). Everyone was surprised and didn't believe me when I told them I am only 16. Now whether this is because of my voice or maturity I don't have any idea. I've grown up around older friends and maturity excelled because of this...I wish more kids my age would take studies seriously as that will be their lifeline in this modern world. Many of my 'friends' simply don't give a damn about it...but that isn't my problem.

Not trying to toot my own horn but that's how I see it.

<3333 amen spikes

[1701E]

When I was GLing and COing scenarios (especially the past couple) I never mentioned my age, and no one ever asked (unless someone got into conversation on TS about it). Everyone was surprised and didn't believe me when I told them I am only 16. Now whether this is because of my voice or maturity I don't have any idea. I've grown up around older friends and maturity excelled because of this...I wish more kids my age would take studies seriously as that will be their lifeline in this modern world. Many of my 'friends' simply don't give a damn about it...but that isn't my problem.

Not trying to toot my own horn but that's how I see it.

Your voice sure doesn't sound that young! Sounds more like middle-aged.
Really though the maturity you and others show is top notch, I tend to find the younger players that, while energetic, usually have a true desire to listen and learn the game.  I helped one younger person with a walkthrough of setting up their joystick in WWI and even though it took 25 minutes he never got impatient or mad, he just asked questions politely and followed my advise, once we got it working he thanked me and was on his way. There are always going to be good and bad times and people to match. I'm actually one of the younger ones around here, (although I tend not to tell my age), and it's mostly this game that taught me a lot about respect.

[Ghosth]

From my perspective it seems like 75% of today's youth expect life to walk up to them with a big platter of good stuff. They don't seem to realize that no one is going to just give you what you want. You have to earn it, work for it, or it doesn't mean anything.

Granted the top 25% are just as good as anyone you'd see in any age.
It just seems like most don't have a clue.

When I graduated from HS back in 1970 I had 5,000 $ saved for college and car, and that was all lawn mowing money. Started when I was 12 at a buck an hour, dad provided mower and tools as long as every thursday our lawn was immaculate for the weekend. Course he was a stickler on making me save at least 50% of every dime I made too.

By the time I got married in my 40's that 5k had grown to 45k, enough to buy a house, free and clear.

Seems now days most kids want it all, they want it right away, and they really don't want to have to work or wait for it. I don't guess that part is new. But it does seem to be getting worse.

[Guppy35]

Kids are kids, regardless of generation.  The whines about 'todays kids' sound a lot like was said about the kids in the 70s when I was a teenager.  In our information saturation/voyeurism folks want to hear the worst.  Certainly there are different things that each generation of kids has had to deal with, but they're still kids.

I've worked with 'teens' all my adult life and I'm now 50.  I've raised three to adulthood and have another growing up now.  Folks don't report the 99% of the kids and parents doing their thing.  Watching my kids in High school was just like seeing my High School days. 

It still comes down to parents setting the example and raising their kids in a responsible way.  That's never changed.

So Sim I agree, it's just folks getting old wanting to think somehow it was different back then.

And yes I walked to school, twenty miles in deep snow, barefoot, uphill both ways...and I liked it! 

[Penguin]

My classmates are neither repectful nor respectable. See my rant in Joe's thread for an example of a typical day in California's public schools through the eyes of a honour's student.

Something doesn't add up; if you're from California, why are you spelling 'honor' as 'honour'?

-Penguin

[mechanic]

The major difference between now and back in the thirties is not the crimes themself. The difference is in general public aweness of such crimes. That, and the fact that in the 1930s people didnt talk openly about horrible things. They certainly did not have the balls to write 'rape, murder and drugs' on a form sent round to schools. These days, rape and murder and drugs make a good headline.

[phatzo]

Something doesn't add up; if you're from California, why are you spelling 'honor' as 'honour'?

-Penguin

Some people prefer to use the English language I suppose.

[Penguin]

Some people prefer to use the English language I suppose.

True, but the dialect in which you type reveals where you spend your time, for example:

In southern states, "ya'll" can be an acceptable contraction of "you", or "you all"

In Canada and England (and possibly other countries where English is spoken), "colour" and "honour" are correct spellings

Thus the point I am trying to make is, that I question the truth of his story based on the discrepancy between his dialect and alleged location.  In addition, even if he were from Canada/Britain, in his honors class, foreign spellings would not be tolerated.

Please, however, correct me if I am wrong by explaining the discrepancy.

-Penguin