Another thing I've noticed is that many younger people don't seem to yearn for independence the way my generation and other generations did. I find it shocking that my nieces expect my sister to pay for everything, even though the youngest is now 20. By the time I was 20, I had moved across the country and had my own place. I believe it's the influence of the 'entertainment' industry and the mainstream media. I think at least part of that is because many of the parents have given everything they could and more to their children, were told by society not to discipline them, and many parents are also very enmeshed with the children, even when they're grown. It's shocking when I see parents simpering over their children and trying to be included in their activities. One television ad that really irks me is where the woman is talking about 'our sleepover' as if she and her young daughter and friends are all the same age, and are snuggled up together watching movies and talking about boys. I don't know if the parents have no social lives, weren't popular when they were young or what, but they seem to have an overwhelming need to live through their children. We used to call them stage mothers, but these seem to take it a step further, and not only want to attain some sort of social status through their children, but also want to actually be their friends, rather than functioning as parents. That leaves undeveloped and immature children in control of the household, without rules and structure, which is one reason we have so many narcissistic young adults without a clue as to how the real world functions, and unable to cope with being told no, or not receiving the constant praise they're used to getting. Back to the entertainment industry. I think they have become dependent on mommy and daddy's money for the goods they advertise, and know the only way to get that is to continue targeting the now older or adult children, who continue to turn to their parents for financial support.
We learned independence a little at a time too. I'm sure it differed in various parts of the country but, even as a young child, I could go out in the woods by myself, camp out in the woods with my cousins, and travel for miles on bicycle. Today, parents don't even let their kids cross the street to the park alone and, if they do, they are likely to have child protective services knocking at their door. Parents arrange play dates, sign them up for government or school sponsored activities, and then drive them there and back, usually staying to supervise. While my parents bought me stuff when they could afford to, I had to earn the money for most of the stuff that I wanted, and that's not the case anymore. In school, even college, they're not allowed to think for themselves, so when they become young adults, they don't know the first thing about doing anything for themselves.
Yes, great point, @Ken Anderson. My sister and I were a bit tamer, even though we would walk on our own, go to stores, school, church, the local parks, girl scouts, and friends houses. My brother would just wander off and come back when he got hungry, I guess. That was from a young age, too. The world certainly was a different place back then. I realize there are more dangers these days, but I don't agree with the increase in government, nor the increase in governmental interference in our lives. I think more people are starting to wake up to the fact of just how much the government has inserted itself into our private lives, and are realizing that may not be a good thing.
Ah yes, there's that sense of entitlement again. I wonder what they think they've done in life to deserve entitlement even if that *would* be a good idea? Clean the entire house top to bottom every Saturday? Sure then, there could be a little entitlement that would be valid. Drive mom or dad or sibling to work every day for a year... yeah, maybe a little entitlement reward... but that's not the way it is at all. There *IS* no reason, they just expect it all for doing nothing at all but texting friends and being glued to their technology. I was out on my own two weeks after I turned 21. My own apartment in the city. Yeah, it sure was different back then. I have to say, though... and this has bugged me forever. I personally wish that my parents had kept a tighter rein on me. Probably sounds odd... but they trusted me, so there were no curfews and no questions. When I got home, I got home, and they knew I'd get home without being drunk or pregnant. They trusted me. It was often misplaced. But the point in saying that is because I wondered why most of my friends "weren't allowed" to do this or that while I never had a problem or needed to ask permission... I just needed to announce where I was going and with whom. It has always bugged me. My friends wanted *that* but I wanted someone to say "No, you may certainly NOT go out at 8 p.m.!" Oh well, water under the ol' bridge now, and I'd never in a million years bring it up to my parents now. They are, and have always been the dearest people on earth. Maybe they were right.... I *did* grow up just fine, after all.
Maybe this is a sign of getting old - when we notice the big difference of the culture from what we used to have. But I have to agree that the younger generation is going to the dogs. First is the tattoo. Who would think that the tattoo which was an exclusive decoration of convicted criminals in jail would be in fashion? With the social media, the silliness of the young people are very evident in their sharing of items for posting like nonsense caricatures or senseless quotations about love and sex. Well, pardon me for being violent on this comment but I'm not really comfortable with them.
I'm right with you on this one, Corie. Social media... it has been an eye opener for me. I'm connected with most of my nieces and nephews... I've had to mark "no notifications" for one of my nephews. My QUIET, often depressed, greatest daddy in the world to his 'lil boy posts things that downright embarrass me. Slimy disgustingly improper locker room stuff. I want to say "Hellllllllllo, did you forget your auntie is here?" or "Did you forget your religious upbringing, young man?!" *MY* aunt is connected to us, so his great aunt is having to see it, too! And then there's my shy, sweet as sugar "little" niece who's loved her auntie for all the 34 years since she's been born. Beautiful-hearted girl. Problem is she's single and not happily so. The desperateness shows in her postings and that, too, is embarrassing. I know she doesn't realize how it's coming across but... well, it is. I want to tell her that the type of man she'd find through desperate-sounding Facebook posts is *NOT* the kind of man she's looking for. But I haven't yet. I think it's up to her parents... or maybe her siblings, but so far I haven't felt that it was in my place. Considering the last loser who broke her heart, maybe I should.
@Mari North, we are now in the social media era where people can shed off all inhibitions and can post their hangups. My old fashioned husband would always say that he had unfriended a relative for posting nonsensical items. And now that it is election year, expect to read political posts every day. There are even polls taking place in social media although I'm sure the numbers are far from accurate because social media cannot be trusted yet.
Well it's certainly a very sad day indeed when you can't teach your children religion and lawfulness at home...it's ridiculous to me when you can't teach your children about the world at home for where are children going to learn about the world but at home? I have noted that very young people are very intelligent and very good people because I read their posts, so parents are doing many things right. Whom ever tried to make such silly laws are crazy to me because we learn our basics at home and practice many things at home. We grow and go to school and learn more, so we learn how to get along with all different kinds of beliefs too. You know what's so ironic in America, ...our "one nation under God"...atheist come to live in America and try to change laws in America, if it weren't for our tolerance we wouldn't allow any atheist to live in America at all, yet when given the liberty to live as they choose they want to change our nation into not having religions. Locall we have a Christian group that goes to campuses to invite children to join or get assistance in any way at the high school level where many turning points can happen and it was very good to have such a religious group to help children. Atheist stepped in and said that it was unconstitutional to have Christianity at school campus and the Christian group was driven out! I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't believe it that here in Hawaii where Missionaries came that Christianity was driven out of school campus. Well Christianity won in Hawaii!
I've heard a lot about both topics in recent years, but the catch is not from young people. Virtually all of the 'legalize drugs' and 'keep religion away from kids' has come from people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Wondering if anyone here can relate to this: when I was a youngster, parents giving their kids a religions was considered almost as important as providing food, shelter, and clothing. While families differed in how they interpreted 'giving' (from attending church to simply answering questions), every kid knew what he and his family was. It was considered so important, in fact, that if a couple adopted a baby they had to be the same religion as the birth mother. Seems to me the modern approach is another example of how so many kids these days lack roots and a sense of belonging.
It was probably about thirty years ago that I first began to hear otherwise sensible parents, who attended church and considered themselves to be Christians, start talking about letting their children decide for themselves whether they wanted to attend church or not, and seemingly taking pride in this stance. Needless to say, most of their kids seldom attended church. I hear even more of that now, even from a deacon and Sunday School teacher at a church that I had been a member of not long ago. I don't get it. If God is real to you, then why would you do this? Do you let your children decide whether or not they go to to school, brush their teeth or take a bath once in awhile? Do we let them decide whether to earn their money or steal it? These are all things that we teach our children when they are young and we still have influence over them, hoping that they will continue it as adults. If the parents are truly believers, then wouldn't church attendance be among the things that we would want to teach our children?