This generation of teens is doing quite well

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**Ensis Ferrae**

KingCracker wrote:
Ma55ter_fett wrote:Personally I would like to see some studys about how good parents are these days.

That would be bad. I cant stand the modern parenting method TBH. My parents raised us in the ol fashioned "you messed up Im kicking your ass" and all 3 of us turned out really good and well rounded. Its how I raise my children and my son is the student of the month at his school, and my daughter is tracking incredibly well, even though she finds fart jokes a little too funny

But to compare, my brothers, brother/sister in law. Neither of them discipline thier children and they are little gaks to put it mildly. They go through peoples bedrooms and dressers at get togethers, they steal things, they are brats and throw toys and COMPLETELY ignore their parents. My kids know that Ill let them goof off and ignore me once...but if I get the stern voice out, its time to cut it.

Modern parents are all about EVERYONE is equal and even if you fail, youll get a nice little ribbon for trying. I say, thats BS. There WILL be someone smarter and there CANNOT BE 15 1st place winners. Its ok to not be the best. As long as you showed up and showed everyone that you did the very best you can, thats what really matters. Not making sure the childrens feelings arnt hurt.

I second this, only difference is, most of my extended family was all "old fashioned" so, if one of us, my brother, cousins or myself acted too far out of line for a get together, any number of relatives could be whipping a belt off and onto one, or all of our backsides.. of course, now I'm in the army, have a kid of my own, and I can see first hand the effects of parents who don't discipline their children.

**Melissia**

Funny, I see plenty of dysfunctional "old fashioned" families.

Actually most of the families I see which are dysfunctional follow that mindset.

**KingCracker**

Pffff, I doubt that very much. You were either not raised that way and dont get the rationale, or you WERE but extremely bad and therefore hate the idea of disciplining a child

**biccat**

RustyKnight wrote:
biccat wrote:Our youth now love luxury.
Who doesn't? Why is this a bad thing?

I'll let you figure this one out on your own.

**LordofHats**

Guitardian wrote:Knowledge as a personal reservoir has been made obsolete because and Iphone can just look up information on the internet when you need it. I see this in the cellphone generation, and the basic level of broad topics just doesn't exist like it did to the pre-internet/internet revolution generation - its as if its just taken for granted.

Not just that, but the ability of people to read something critically and understand it has become near non-existent. I've met only a few people in my own classes who are capable of reading between the lines as it were. Anyone can tell you what a section of a piece is about and what it means at face value. I find few people are capable of exploring the deeper concepts or why they matter.

The newer generations have become generations of knowing facts and are less capable of using reason to solve problems.

And I agree with ArtcllyFlvrd to an extent. I wouldn't call these things superficial. They're important, but I think that claiming these things make the new generation "better" is a little bit of a logical leap depending on how we're defining better.

**Melissia**

I never said it made the generation better, only that they're doing better behaviorally...

**LordofHats**

Melissia wrote:I never said it made the generation better, only that they're doing better behaviorally...

I still say the same thing. At best, all the article really concludes is that teens are being killed by bad choices in lower numbers and are getting knocked up less. Better in those areas yes. Better behaviorally no because behavior extends beyond drunk driving, shooting each other(or themselves), doing drugs, and getting knocked up.

**Melissia**

But those are still the biggest objective indicators that can be recorded, unless you have something else in mind?

**LordofHats**

Melissia wrote:But those are still the biggest objective indicators that can be recorded, unless you have something else in mind?

You can objectively record any human behavior. It's just a matter of how troublesome it will be to record it. The numbers given in the above article just cover the hot button topics all the parent's groups seem to enjoy complaining about and the ones everyone keeps an eye on.

Just because there's improvement on hot button topics doesn't make you're behavior better. You can still be a lazy, undisciplined, disrespectful brat. You're just a lazy, undisciplined, disrespectful brat who isn't driving drunk, getting shot, or getting pregnant. Improvement in some areas can go along with being worse in others. Lots of fuss about bullying these days for example, is that worse than it used to be? Not that I know how these things stack up one generation to another. I disagree with the conclusion that these five things can be determined to make one generation better behaviorally or otherwise. That I think my generation is a crappy generation is another matter entirely. As you can probably guess by now, I have a rather low opinion of my peers

.

**Melissia**

As do I, I'm a generation or so behind the one talked about in the article. I actually think that they are behaving better, myself, but maybe that's just me... I remember gang wars in the parking lot of the middle school for example.

**Requia**

biccat wrote:You'll be saying the same things in 20-30 years. Don't worry, your time will come.

Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.

They're doing better than I thought!

**LordofHats**

Melissia wrote:As do I, I'm a generation or so behind the one talked about in the article. I actually think that they are behaving better, myself, but maybe that's just me... I remember gang wars in the parking lot of the middle school for example.

I can happily say I never saw any gang wars. The big problems I've noticed ever since middle school is how poorly groups of kids treat others. Bullying was a huge problem (you can probably guess which end of it I was on

). I have plenty of reservations about my generation besides the lack of respect, discipline, and general laziness, but most of it's really subjective (even those three are probably subjective... except for laziness. I can't imagine anyone thinking laziness is good

). I think it really comes down to defining better and picking which things are to be considered less important than others. I just don't find these five things given in the article definitive of anything other than what they are. Would be interesting to see what the other positives are though.

**Mr. Self Destruct**

Swiftblade wrote:I'm suprised that there is a topic about "Hey, this generation is doing alright!", most threads I see like this are full of "Teenagers are worse than ever!"

Then again, how well a generation is doing is pretty much impossible to measure as a whole. Remember: it only takes one crazy person to do something awful.

This.
It took Columbine to stereotype teenagers as FPS-crazed violence freaks, sexting to stereotype us as sex-crazed voueyrs, etc, etc.
It's going to have to wait until the next generation, to see how we really affected everything.

**micahaphone**

Asherian Command wrote:
Guitardian wrote:Maybe they are more responsible about some things because there's stuff like MTV 'reality' giving role models of teen moms and such and it isn't a hush hush thing to hide any more.

My take on teens is that I notice how DUMB they are though. I don't mean dumb like innately stupid, but the overall level of what I guess you could consider a "knowledge base" just doesn't exist the way it did when I was in high school. An education is no longer for the sake of education, but for the sake of a piece of paper that can be the ticket through the door to different jobs. The concept of a classical education has given way to getting a certificate from your high school that you are a "Web-Master" because you know how to make a webpage, books are only read if they are assigned, and then, just the assigned chapter. Knowledge as a personal reservoir has been made obsolete because and Iphone can just look up information on the internet when you need it. I see this in the cellphone generation, and the basic level of broad topics just doesn't exist like it did to the pre-internet/internet revolution generation - its as if its just taken for granted. Damn. I'm 36 and I sound like a grandpa or something.

I agree with this.
its okay. I don't have a cellphone, or a iphone for that matter. I only use my ipod to listen to music when I am on Runs. And I read on a daily basis, I am a rare breed

A true occurrence that saddens me greatly. 98% of a high school's population will complain about having to go to school and not being able to wait for when they get their "freedom", while millions of children the world over would do anything to get an education. Try to talk to member of the current high school generation about a current event, and they'll either repeat some passionate stance on whatever tragedy/scandal they know of or just say "I don't care about politics/Kenya/Germany/local news". It's sad, to see their apathetic, self-absorbed views. Let's hope life takes 'em for a loop post-high school, and they gain some perspective.

**Lord Scythican**

RustyKnight wrote:

biccat wrote:
tyrannize their teachers.
As much the teacher's fault as the student's. Controlling the class is a core part of being a teacher.

I would agree with you if we could paddle these kids. As is, there isn't much you can do to control a kid these days.

**Asherian Command**

Lord Scythican wrote:
RustyKnight wrote:

biccat wrote:
tyrannize their teachers.
As much the teacher's fault as the student's. Controlling the class is a core part of being a teacher.

I would agree with you if we could paddle these kids. As is, there isn't much you can do to control a kid these days.

Well if its a bunch of high school girls throw a signed Twlight book on the ground and then it will cause a fight. Thats just my experience, oh wait calm teenage girls, oh then I don't know. I do know for guys though.
For guys say they will get 10$ for whoever can shut-up and not do anything except act like a good student.
That usually works.
Though it may or maynot sometimes work.
Asherian Command cannot be held responisable if someone actually pulls this off financially

**Kanluwen**

micahaphone wrote:
Asherian Command wrote:
Guitardian wrote:Maybe they are more responsible about some things because there's stuff like MTV 'reality' giving role models of teen moms and such and it isn't a hush hush thing to hide any more.

My take on teens is that I notice how DUMB they are though. I don't mean dumb like innately stupid, but the overall level of what I guess you could consider a "knowledge base" just doesn't exist the way it did when I was in high school. An education is no longer for the sake of education, but for the sake of a piece of paper that can be the ticket through the door to different jobs. The concept of a classical education has given way to getting a certificate from your high school that you are a "Web-Master" because you know how to make a webpage, books are only read if they are assigned, and then, just the assigned chapter. Knowledge as a personal reservoir has been made obsolete because and Iphone can just look up information on the internet when you need it. I see this in the cellphone generation, and the basic level of broad topics just doesn't exist like it did to the pre-internet/internet revolution generation - its as if its just taken for granted. Damn. I'm 36 and I sound like a grandpa or something.

I agree with this.
its okay. I don't have a cellphone, or a iphone for that matter. I only use my ipod to listen to music when I am on Runs. And I read on a daily basis, I am a rare breed

A true occurrence that saddens me greatly. 98% of a high school's population will complain about having to go to school and not being able to wait for when they get their "freedom", while millions of children the world over would do anything to get an education. Try to talk to member of the current high school generation about a current event, and they'll either repeat some passionate stance on whatever tragedy/scandal they know of or just say "I don't care about politics/Kenya/Germany/local news". It's sad, to see their apathetic, self-absorbed views. Let's hope life takes 'em for a loop post-high school, and they gain some perspective.

Is that somehow exclusive to this generation? I'm sure if you'd asked high schoolers from the 1960s onwards, most of them would have parroted very similar answers to what you see now.

Apathy and self-absorption, by the by, are far from being exclusive to teenagers.
I've met plenty of people several decades older than I am who are just as self-absorbed and uncaring about matters that don't directly impact them.

**Monster Rain**

micahaphone wrote:A true occurrence that saddens me greatly. 98% of a high school's population will complain about having to go to school and not being able to wait for when they get their "freedom",

It's also moronic when you consider that the "freedom" they refer to is either more school or a job and bills.

**Requia**

Kanluwen wrote:
micahaphone wrote:
Asherian Command wrote:
Guitardian wrote:Maybe they are more responsible about some things because there's stuff like MTV 'reality' giving role models of teen moms and such and it isn't a hush hush thing to hide any more.

My take on teens is that I notice how DUMB they are though. I don't mean dumb like innately stupid, but the overall level of what I guess you could consider a "knowledge base" just doesn't exist the way it did when I was in high school. An education is no longer for the sake of education, but for the sake of a piece of paper that can be the ticket through the door to different jobs. The concept of a classical education has given way to getting a certificate from your high school that you are a "Web-Master" because you know how to make a webpage, books are only read if they are assigned, and then, just the assigned chapter. Knowledge as a personal reservoir has been made obsolete because and Iphone can just look up information on the internet when you need it. I see this in the cellphone generation, and the basic level of broad topics just doesn't exist like it did to the pre-internet/internet revolution generation - its as if its just taken for granted. Damn. I'm 36 and I sound like a grandpa or something.

I agree with this.
its okay. I don't have a cellphone, or a iphone for that matter. I only use my ipod to listen to music when I am on Runs. And I read on a daily basis, I am a rare breed

A true occurrence that saddens me greatly. 98% of a high school's population will complain about having to go to school and not being able to wait for when they get their "freedom", while millions of children the world over would do anything to get an education. Try to talk to member of the current high school generation about a current event, and they'll either repeat some passionate stance on whatever tragedy/scandal they know of or just say "I don't care about politics/Kenya/Germany/local news". It's sad, to see their apathetic, self-absorbed views. Let's hope life takes 'em for a loop post-high school, and they gain some perspective.

Is that somehow exclusive to this generation? I'm sure if you'd asked high schoolers from the 1960s onwards, most of them would have parroted very similar answers to what you see now.

Apathy and self-absorption, by the by, are far from being exclusive to teenagers.
I've met plenty of people several decades older than I am who are just as self-absorbed and uncaring about matters that don't directly impact them.

Back in the 60s kids were quite passionate about global politics, as I recall this culminated in much of a highschool getting suspended for wearing black armbands (a sign of Vietnam protest). Which probably has something to do with why kids stopped caring.

**Kanluwen**

Requia wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
micahaphone wrote:
Asherian Command wrote:
Guitardian wrote:Maybe they are more responsible about some things because there's stuff like MTV 'reality' giving role models of teen moms and such and it isn't a hush hush thing to hide any more.

My take on teens is that I notice how DUMB they are though. I don't mean dumb like innately stupid, but the overall level of what I guess you could consider a "knowledge base" just doesn't exist the way it did when I was in high school. An education is no longer for the sake of education, but for the sake of a piece of paper that can be the ticket through the door to different jobs. The concept of a classical education has given way to getting a certificate from your high school that you are a "Web-Master" because you know how to make a webpage, books are only read if they are assigned, and then, just the assigned chapter. Knowledge as a personal reservoir has been made obsolete because and Iphone can just look up information on the internet when you need it. I see this in the cellphone generation, and the basic level of broad topics just doesn't exist like it did to the pre-internet/internet revolution generation - its as if its just taken for granted. Damn. I'm 36 and I sound like a grandpa or something.

I agree with this.
its okay. I don't have a cellphone, or a iphone for that matter. I only use my ipod to listen to music when I am on Runs. And I read on a daily basis, I am a rare breed

A true occurrence that saddens me greatly. 98% of a high school's population will complain about having to go to school and not being able to wait for when they get their "freedom", while millions of children the world over would do anything to get an education. Try to talk to member of the current high school generation about a current event, and they'll either repeat some passionate stance on whatever tragedy/scandal they know of or just say "I don't care about politics/Kenya/Germany/local news". It's sad, to see their apathetic, self-absorbed views. Let's hope life takes 'em for a loop post-high school, and they gain some perspective.

Is that somehow exclusive to this generation? I'm sure if you'd asked high schoolers from the 1960s onwards, most of them would have parroted very similar answers to what you see now.

Apathy and self-absorption, by the by, are far from being exclusive to teenagers.
I've met plenty of people several decades older than I am who are just as self-absorbed and uncaring about matters that don't directly impact them.

Back in the 60s kids were quite passionate about global politics, as I recall this culminated in much of a highschool getting suspended for wearing black armbands (a sign of Vietnam protest). Which probably has something to do with why kids stopped caring.

You're referring to Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, right?

That was three kids, all from the same family.

With Vietnam, many of the protests can easily be tied to self-absorption. Who would have wanted to be drafted?

**micahaphone**

Kanluwen wrote:Apathy and self-absorption, by the by, are far from being exclusive to teenagers.
I've met plenty of people several decades older than I am who are just as self-absorbed and uncaring about matters that don't directly impact them.

so... the moral is that humans are fundamentally donkey caves?

**Kanluwen**

Now you're getting it!

**micahaphone**

So Hobbes was right! Yay!

I liked the tiger version better than the human version...

**biccat**

micahaphone wrote:So Hobbes was right! Yay!

I liked the tiger version better than the human version...

Talkin' about these guys?

**Kid_Kyoto**

Did anyone click on this expecting a link to barely legal?

Just me then?

Oh, never mind.

**micahaphone**

biccat wrote:
micahaphone wrote:So Hobbes was right! Yay!

I liked the tiger version better than the human version...

Talkin' about these guys?

So... Much... Win!

**Asherian Command**

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Did anyone click on this expecting a link to barely legal?

Just me then?

Oh, never mind.

Its okay, I thought it was fake. But I read then I remembered its fox news.

**micahaphone**

Kid_Kyoto, I thought it was Cannerus' job to be creepy!

**Asherian Command**

micahaphone wrote:Kid_Kyoto, I thought it was Cannerus' job to be creepy!

Yeah I thought so too.

**Coolyo294**

HAH! A victory for my generation. You old people can suck it.