Poll: Are the generation of kids getting worse and worse over time?

[EvilPicnic]

Nope.

Just as every generation thinks it invented sex and swearing, kids as a whole group aren't getting any worse than you were at that age. When you were a kid, those things didn't annoy you; but now as an adult they do, therefore kids are worse.

I am also of the opinion that as you get older every adult develops an amount of paedophobia toward the younger generation: a fear of being threatened and overtaken by the future, and this affects society's attitude towards them.

That's not to say that some children aren't little shits. They are. But I think if they are any different it's more likely that they're becoming more intelligent and knowledgable in our information age.

 

[Vrach]

Nope, the people who pass into adulthood have just been consistently stupid for the past few thousand years. The statement of "youth sucks" dates back to Aristotle and we still haven't figured out the pattern.

 

[EvilPicnic]

That's the adults of today for you...

 

[shasjas]

the youth are being more disrespectful? ask your self, are you deserving of their respect (not saying you arent)?
i dont respect my elders, i respect people who deserve to be respected. generally most elders are deserving though.
maybe thats just me.

 

[Nazulu]

No. Technically Yes and No. When they are raised properly they are an improvement, but when they waste too much time on frivolous things like Facebook and Games (no disrespect to either of those) or just brought up poorly, then they turn out to be scum or very unmotivated.

Hope I don't offend anyone.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Well I would say that seeing as you just made a judgement based on a few people, then I can easily say Adult's are getting worse because I have seen a few examples. A teacher in my school shouted at a kid who has a bad stammer, his reasons were that he was "trying to get attention" and "he was acting up". That guy was a twat, but it doesn't mean that all adults are twats. I think we should apply that logic to children too.

 

[SuccessAndBiscuts]

SNIP

"The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for
authority, they show disrespect to their elders.... 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 are tyrants over their teachers."


"The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have
no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all
restraint. They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes
for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for girls, they are
forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress."

Attrib. by Socrates, to Plato.

I'm also a fan of this one:

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on
frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond
words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and
respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise
[disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" (Hesiod, 8th century BC).

and this:

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." (Mark Twain)

Animosity between age groups is nothing new, its just how we are wired.

I do think there are some things to be worried about though, some people I know at uni have been genuinely freaked out when they discover I have carried a penknife or multi-tool regularly since I was about 12. Its a tool I know how to use and would never try and use in anger, mostly because it would be worse than useless in a fight. Yet when they find out about it intelligent open minded people freak because "Your carrying a knife OMG!" I'm from a rural area, I ride my motorbike solo in places with no phone signal, if something goes wrong out there the only person saving my life is me ergo I take precautions and carry equipment.

My younger brother almost lost fingers once because he didn't have his knife handy, these are skills everyone should at least be slightly introduced to, because you never know when things will go crazy and no one will know how to deal with it.

 

[I Have No Idea]

I don't think it's that they're getting dumber, but that more and more kids are making dumb choices. It's easy to say "No" if one person offers you a blunt, but it's way harder when that person is your friend and he's/she's surrounded by more of your friends. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, trust me. Plus, with the media glorifying stuff like that (ie: drugs, sex, etc.) it's easier to justify doing it ("Hey, well, everyone else is doing it.")

But yeah, as another poster said, teenagers are very immature people, but most of them grow out of it. Sure, they'll be a few who stay 17 their whole life, but once they get into the real world for a couple years and get their butts kicked, they'll grow up.

 

[retyopy]

As part of (or at least very close to) the generation you're talking about... It's all very diffirent depending on where you are, but its never that bad. Some kids I know are loud, and a bit rude at times, but as to what I observe, they're no worse than adults. Adults can just get away with it because you're older.

 

[Nudu]

In The Republic by Plato, written about 2400 years ago, Socrates talks about how kids these days are getting ruder.

People look back on their past more fondly than it really was. Our brain is wired in a way that makes us save the good memories. That's why the people who grew up in the 30s and 40s talked to their grandchildren about the good 'ol days when children respected their elders, the music was good and the holocaust was going on.

 

[thom_cat_]

No, not really. It depends on what part of the world you're in and what part of society.
But I still voted "I hate kids"

 

[BOOM headshot65]

I would say...yes, unfortuantely.

Heck, I even think MY generation is getting bad (I am 18)

I look back at the 50's. I look at now. I shake my head in disgust, because, excluding then downsizing of racism and sexism, NOTHING I have seen is a positive steep forward.

Granted, I know there will always be exceptions to the rules, and I am a rather a-typical 18'er, my teachers tell me I have the mindset of someone at least 3x my age. (might have something to do with my Aspergers).

But heres how me and the other people of my generation differ:
I treat marriage and relationships as holy, something to be worship...my gen treats it as something to kill time for a week before moving on.

I look with respect toward people in athority and eldership...the people at my school genearlly disrupt class, talk among themselves during lectures, and genearal contempt.

I am still virgin, and NEVER said a cuss word in my life, and am still clean of drugs and non-religious alcohol...at my school, they talk about, IN CLASS, how over the weekend they will be going to a party and getting drunk.

I work as hard as I can, make sure that whatever I work on has a high quality if it is finished, and if all fails, I take full responsibility for whatever happens...my gen is generally lazy, produces low quality work, and when push comes to shove, they pass the buck.

I forage my own path through life, and make my own style, "you dont like it? To bad, I do."...If my 14 year old brother is anything to go by, all they care about is "what will people think of me if I have this on?"

I teach tolerance toward everyone, regardless of race, religion, or gender...my gen...actually, it seems we agree on this one.

When I start a family, I will pass these values on to my childern, and teach them to shun the values of their generation, just as I have mine.

 

[TheGuyWithThatHair]

Their the same as they've always been, it's just that when you're a child yourself, you don't see the flaws you see in them as an adult. And the annoying bratty ones do draw more attention I guess

 

[hawkeye52]

When I was in year 10 the year below were dicks and the year above were dicks but I couldn't say the same for year 7-8. Its very dependent on the overall year mentality and so you can't really generalise for everywhere just for that year in your school.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Every generation feels like the new one's crop of kids has it easier or is largely comprised of slackers. Two hundred years ago, the biggest stab at teenage rebellion was leaving the open country for the forming big cities. Forty years ago, it involved smoking doobies and listening to King Crimson. Now, at 28 years old, I've officially joined the ranks of the premature Mister Wilsons of this world, in how I see Damn Kids (TM) pretty much on every street corner.

And you know what? It's perfectly normal. Time passes, things change, and we all have to come to grips with the fact that we won't always be cool gamer kids who have the benefit of being in the know. At some point, we all have to face obsolescence. Our personal tastes in fashion are going to be left behind at some point, which is why a lot of underage Facebook or Myspace users can come off as being a tad slutty.

My generation was practically born with a controller in hand. The seventeen year-olds of today, however, were. There's no *practically* about it. They're the ones who'll design the next generation of games, and eventually, they'll leave us in the dirt.

So, honestly, kids aren't getting worse. You're just noticing the few sore spots and becoming aware that you won't always be in the spotlight.

 

[Vilcus]

Every generation has some kids that will behave like monsters, and others that are more mature and well mannered than most adults.

Generalizing an entire generation (tens of millions of people) by saying that they're worse than previous generations is a very harsh thing to say. I've met some incredibly mature children with whom I was able to hold an intelligent conversation, without the use of any profanities or harsh language. I can't name the last "adult" I was able to do that with.

 

[DeadProxy]

Once parents stopped being able to properly beat their kids, shit went downhill. Theres no proper way to punish kids these days unless you threaten to take away their tech, and then god do the screams start pouring out.

Look at MTV (for as long as you can until your eyes bleed i mean) and tell me how many of those stupid shits should have had sense smacked into them instead of winding up on 16 and pregnant.

Kids NEED punishment, not abuse obviously, because we all know where the line is and not to cross it, but they still need to know that doing something stupid, annoying, disrespectful and whatever else gets you nothing but a good hand across the face. It'll teach them to stfu instead of becoming one of those kids who screeches for a toy in the middle of a store.