Our generation and attitude, is it getting worse? Options

[Brneydgrl]

i thought this would be interesting, because i know there are a lot of people here that are younger teenagers.


let me start off by saying i'm 20. i work at a resturant that is open 24 hours, so we have to deal with the mall crowd. now, we all know how the younger generation can dress, that was already discussed the other day.

what i'm concerned about is just attitude, drug use, and swearing. these kids that come in have to be 16, 14, younger, and swear at me, or swear at their friends. they are rude to their waitresses. the mall is even worse, these young kids call ppl bitches and say little rude comments to ppl.

another problem in my community is drug use. heroin namely. my sister is 17, and she told me that 3 ppl, all 15, were arrested at the highschool for drug use. but this is just one case, there are several other ones of young kids smoking weed.

granted i am only 20, it's not that much of a generation gap, but still, i'm apalled sometimes. when i was 15, i would never swear. i would be shocked if someone said these sexual terms they used, and i was never rude to the adults.

another thing, briefly, is rudness to teachers. i'm in college (sophmore), and these students talk while the teacher is, make fun of them, etc. highschool stuff. and this isn't just one class, but all.

is it just the generation is getting worse because of media? or are the parents to blame? was i just well sheltered as a kid? for those of you who would like to known what area i come from, i'm from bethel park, pennsylvania. it's middle class with some wealthy ppl. is it just these kids are spoiled?

[Spirited Away]

Society is partly to blame because it has so many temptations, but the individual is responsible for his/her own actions.

Someone gives you a cookie, but you don't have to accept it.

[Lenn]

The media plays a huge part in children's lives, considering the amount of time a kid can spend on the television and the internet. Not forgetting music.

Nearly every popular song today suggests graphic sexual scenes and situations that leave nothing to the imagination. Vulgarity is taken as the norm. In movies, the bad, weapon-wielding guys are made out to be so much "cooler" than the good ones. Labels are applied to people without any thought of the consequences.

Pornography is so easily accessible online, and really, the language which people use in their blogs and chatrooms and such becomes filthier and filthier. You had to be willing to spout vulgarities like it is the best of your vocabulary (and more often than not, it is the extent of their pitiable vocab as well)

So I stand by my view that media has influenced the my generation - I'm 15, in Singapore, so I hear a hybrid of vulgarities in no less than 2 languages and 4 dialects everyday.

However, as uninspiredfae has pointed out, it is a personal choice to either conform or not conform to the society's perception of "ok"-ness. Still.. I don't see how it justifies being just so uncouth and all.

People don't seem to be as shocked when they pass by kids being so ugly, as compared to, say, years before when I was still young. When I was 12 I remember how pristine my school's language was. Now I look at the kids even *below* 12 and all they can go is "-insert ugleh language-".

Society's standards are slipping, like the way the hem of girls' skirts are rising.

[yukichan]

i agree...^^
the media influences a lot...

[perfectxflaw23]

is it just the generation is getting worse because of media? or are the parents to blame? was i just well sheltered as a kid? for those of you who would like to known what area i come from, i'm from bethel park, pennsylvania. it's middle class with some wealthy ppl. is it just these kids are spoiled?

I also live in Pennsylvania, right across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg. CDHS (a school near mine) has a huge heroin problem. It has been nicknamed "Central Detox Heroin High". It used to be "Central Daupin HS". But yeah. I am part of this generation, but I'm not really included. The media does have something to do with it, but it's more wanting to rebel. I blame the parents often times. But sometime the kids are just out of control. Drugs are becoming more easily accessible. That really doesn't help. As for the cursing- I've seen THIRD graders curse. I barely every curse (when I hurt myself or am frustrated.. sometimes), it's just not something I really do. Where I live is middle class/wealthy. They are very spoiled.

[xXYouMeBedNowXx]

Media
I could turn on the TV right now and point out why all of this is hapenning by staying on one channel. I'd say because the eh "Gangster" fad that is sweeping the entire world. Swearing: People have sworn everywhere. Since, FOREVER. The music we listen to (dominantly rap) has swearing almost EVERYWHERE. The movies have this more than ever. People idolise these artists and the actors in these movies, and therefore, swear and do the things they do. Drug use: Same thing, you can turn on the channel and still see what it suggests. Disrespect toward others: the fad seems to also induce a strong rebellious side of people or a notorious era! KABOOM. There's your generation for you.

[innovation]

does media influence society or does society influence the media? doesn't the media just give society what it wants?

to answer your question, faith in the unreasonable man (or woman) is stronger than ever. people, especially teens at their stage of social/emotional/moral development, want to be different; they want to rebel. of course, with so many divorce/family problems nowadays, teens need social support, they tend to influence and rely on each other, too.

[Amer]

I guess it depends on who you are. When I was 11ish, I cussed alot. Wasn't movies or anything, just did it.

I dont think there have been any major changes in the past 4 years to cause such a big change. You're only four years older, so as these people were growing up they were exposed to the same exact stuff as you. You're just running into different groups.

Also, in your school, I bet that there was still hard drugs when you were there. They just caught some people with it, where before they had no clue.

Also, the groups that goes to the Mall on your shift might be more vulgar than groups that go at different times.

I dont happen to see any real changes from me and my sister (she's 21, im 18), and I dont really see any changes in the 14 year olds.

Guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

[innovation]

i think it has to do with moral development.. people just develop at different speeds, i guess. some skip stages of moral development; some develop further than others.

[Amer]

This goes into a whole thing about ethics and morality.

some skip stages of moral development; some develop further than others.

.
That by itself has your own sense of ethics threaded in. Developing further, means coming closer to your idea of morality or ethics.

I think people are what they are, and sense of morality changes. Fifty years ago, a lot of the stuff we do would not be considered ethical. Things change, and it's only fit that it changes again. Like those 50 years ago, we hold on to our sense of morality, and view it as superior to others.

Sorry, I'm just saying that you cant say someone is more 'morally developed'. In their eyes they are.

[picaso_smile]

I think maybe -slowly- we are... Think about this: Each generation thinks, "Oh, I'm gonna be a cool mom. My kid will like me" (well a lot of people seem to have that plan) So gradually parents ease up on different things. Each child will be a little more leniant than their parents. Things that used to be unheard of are now being accepted.

[innovation]

That by itself has your own sense of ethics threaded in.  Developing further, means coming closer to your idea of morality or ethics.

yes, as described in kohlberg's stages. although they have been criticized, i believe that he has the correct general idea.

edit: sorry, misread. well, "developed" means that one is able to hold a certain value higher. i'm not implying universal morality or anything. it's just the ability to sacrifice pride, reputation, etc. for one's higher value.

[teeners4]

yea its kinda sad to see a 13 year old preteen who dresses in mini skirts thats shorter than their thong and shirts that bare their tummy. and them wearing la senza bras for boobs that they dont have o and did i mention 6 inch pumps?

haha they should ACT THEIR AGE! before its TOO LATE

[Teesa]

yes, as described in kohlberg's stages. although they have been criticized, i believe that he has the correct general idea.

edit: sorry, misread. well, "developed" means that one is able to hold a certain value higher. i'm not implying universal morality or anything. it's just the ability to sacrifice pride, reputation, etc. for one's higher value.

oh yes, we're learning about thoes stages in psych=)
but anyways, I think the people you hang out with has a big factor on how you act and obviously the environment..^yeah, I agree that people should act their own age..

[Amer]

i'm not implying universal morality or anything. it's just the ability to sacrifice pride, reputation, etc. for one's higher value.

Even that is a version of your morality. :)

[innovation]

Even that is a version of your morality.  :)

well, i'm acknowledging that different people have different values. is that safe to say? or are you one of those existentialists who confuse the heck out of me? my friend from a summer program took a philosophy course and all she learned from it was: "nothing exists." $3000 for such a depressing conclusion.

[Amer]

I'm just saying, that your version of morality is just that, yours. Morality isn't universal, but human.

Sort of like the view of whether you think some cultures are savage, or are just culturally different than yours.

lol, and I'm less than an existentialist. They believe that the universe is unordered, and humanity must create order.

I say, why create order when the universe doesnt need it. Only we do ;)

[angel-roh]

It's not the parent's fault. Well it depends what kind of parents they have. If they have a parent who cannot stop cussing or do drugs, their kids can learn from them if their parents get addicted to bad stuff.

So I blame half of the parents out there for not doing the right thing. Also I blame for the media especially the rappers. Not to be rude, but to my opinion, I think the rapper, 50 cent is going too far with violence and stuff. They talk about drugs and violence. Not just him, but some other rappers. There's a lot of music video where they look like they are true gangster or they are the coolest people because they know how to do drugs. I think it's affecting these kids these days especiall ages under 14. I think our generation is getting worse. You know never know babies will smoke hahahaha.

[smile4me]

or maybe its the stereotypes.
this society emphasizes the fact that teenagers are rebellious
maybe its because we put teens into this "rebellious" category that sometimes teens ACT a certain way because they think thats how they're supposed to act.
im not saying that they do this consciously and say to themselves, "oh. my mom says im bad. fine. i WILL be bad. rawr"
ppl begin to think a certain way because it might be that they conform to what society wants them to think.

[Amer]

I dont think it is that :P.

[D4rkf4m3]

yes, I think the younger generation today has bad attitude, granted that I'm only 12...just the other day I saw my friend cuss out the teacher and I was like "OH WHAT THE, who are his parents".... and i dun think its whether you have good or bad parents..becuase hey... i have the best parents EVER...and i still give attitude..