Our Young Adults -- Lost or Found?

[Madeline]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWSYPDh7O5Q]YouTube - Lost Generation Poem (with people)[/ame]

How do you see today's young adults? Personally, I see many of the same qualities that made my generation so fine when we were aflame at 19.

On the whole, I am very proud of today's young Americans. Are you?

 

[Madeline]

We have two wars raging, and yet we need no draft because so many fine young men and women volunteer to fight for us.

I say today's young people are a bumper crop we as adults did not expect and for the most part don't deserve. Us baby boomers, by and large, have been fuck ups as parents. And yet still....we have a terrific gang of young people. It's some sort of miracle considering so many of us parents took "Look out for Number One" as our ethical diving rod.

 

[syrenn]

I see them as lazy, live in the moment, instant over the top gratification is not fast enough,rude, spoiled, the world owes me entitlement mindset, idiots.

 

[JW Frogen]

I have never met a teenager I did not want to beat the shit out of.

But then I remember I was one once.

I just did not have the same weapons available.

 

[Madeline]

I see them as lazy, live in the moment, instant over the top gratification is not fast enough,rude, spoiled, the world owes me entitlement mindset, idiots.

Some are syrenn. One feature of youth is the inability to take the long view. "Later today" is what passes among them for the 1,000 mile stare. But nonetheless, I think we have great young American adults on the whole.

No generation of humans ever failed to include a goodly number of assholes, including mine.

 

[Madeline]

I have never met a teenager I did not want to beat the shit out of.

But then I remember I was one once.

I just did not have the same weapons available.

Well JW, I hear ya. They can certainly be annoying. But they can also be charming, exciting and kind. It is certainly true that I was an annoying teenager once.

But then, I am now an annoying older lady in the mind of some folks. Maybe annoying behavior is not age-dependent, eh?

 

[JW Frogen]

I think you have a point with annoying behavior being age indifferent thing Ms. Madaline.

After all, the way things are going in my life I am planning for a retirement home on a park bench yelling out biblical prophecies to passers by.

 

[JW Frogen]

I hope I will still be sane enough to yell out Song of Solomon stuff rather than Revelations.

You know you are far gone when you do Revelations.

 

[Madeline]

You cannot both annoy people and delight them at the same time, JW.

*Winks*

 

[JW Frogen]

I don't know about that, Lady Gaga is pulling it off.

 

[Madeline]

Point taken.

I stand corrected, LOL.

 

[Conspiracist]

We have two wars raging, and yet we need no draft because so many fine young men and women volunteer to fight for us.

I say today's young people are a bumper crop we as adults did not expect and for the most part don't deserve. Us baby boomers, by and large, have been fuck ups as parents. And yet still....we have a terrific gang of young people. It's some sort of miracle considering so many of us parents took "Look out for Number One" as our ethical diving rod.

The children of today are not the baby boomer's children. They are the children of my generation. And those of us that had hippy parents just simply figured out that mom and dad are really fucked up and tried to mimick our grandparents and figure out what good parenting is.

Unfortunately, not as many parents are as attentive to their duties these days as past generations. I attribute that to the hippy culture.

 

[Madeline]

We have two wars raging, and yet we need no draft because so many fine young men and women volunteer to fight for us.

I say today's young people are a bumper crop we as adults did not expect and for the most part don't deserve. Us baby boomers, by and large, have been fuck ups as parents. And yet still....we have a terrific gang of young people. It's some sort of miracle considering so many of us parents took "Look out for Number One" as our ethical diving rod.

The children of today are not the baby boomer's children. They are the children of my generation. And those of us that had hippy parents just simply figured out that mom and dad are really fucked up and tried to mimick our grandparents and figure out what good parenting is.

Unfortunately, not as many parents are as attentive to their duties these days as past generations. I attribute that to the hippy culture.

Conspiracist, I am all too aware Life Owes Me Grandchildren and yet, I have none so far. Please, everyone, join me in mentally shoving my offspring down the aisle so we can FINALLY get this show on the road?

LOL.

 

[Zoom-boing]

My young adult is a bright, common sensed, responsible individual. Good parenting? Genetics? Both? <--- Likely. She always seemed to be the exception to the rule to us, even as a little kid. Some of her friends are so self-centered and oblivious. Is it due to youth? Generational? Both? < ---Likely.

I agree with Conspiracist --- too many parents today have shirked their parental responsibilities in lieu of material things, activities, being 'friends' with their kids, etc. Being a parent means your kids aren't going to like you .... a lot of the time ... as it should be. I tell my kids all the time I"m not here to be liked I'm here to be your parent and you will thank me later on. They just roll their eyes at me and sigh. Mission accomplished!

 

[Madeline]

My young adult is a bright, common sensed, responsible individual. Good parenting? Genetics? Both? <--- Likely. She always seemed to be the exception to the rule to us, even as a little kid. Some of her friends are so self-centered and oblivious. Is it due to youth? Generational? Both? < ---Likely.

I agree with Conspiracist --- too many parents today have shirked their parental responsibilities in lieu of material things, activities, being 'friends' with their kids, etc. Being a parent means your kids aren't going to like you .... a lot of the time ... as it should be. I tell my kids all the time I"m not here to be liked I'm here to be your parent and you will thank me later on. They just roll their eyes at me and sigh. Mission accomplished!

Mine is also One Of The Finest Humans To Ever Live, but it's a nine days' wonder, Zoom-boing. I did so much wrong, especially the sort of permissiveness I NOW know enough to condemn. I think sometimes we catch a break in Life for No Good Reason....I know I've gotten several.

 

[Conspiracist]

Maybe I should kinda rephrase a bit too. My parents are not horrible people. They are good people just had backwards priorities. It's funny now to see my mom with the grandchildren and her stance on things if she feels I did not punish them enough! ROFL Whatta 180 degree flip! My father has passed away and my mom lives with us and I am grateful for time to spend with her. Her "hippiness", for lack of better wording, was not and is not all negative. I owe my open mindedness to her.

 

[Ringel05]

I have never met a teenager I did not want to beat the shit out of.

But then I remember I was one once.

I just did not have the same weapons available.

It's their emotive (hormonally induced) thinking. Whats sad is many never emotionally mature past that stage. We have a fair sampling here on the USMB.

 

[Madeline]

It's called "arrested development" and I completely agree, Ringel.

The sad thing is that if you are 19 year old asshole, there is hope for you. But if you are a 49 year old asshole, not so much.

 

[Ringel05]

It's called "arrested development" and I completely agree, Ringel.

The sad thing is that if you are 19 year old asshole, there is hope for you. But if you are a 49 year old asshole, not so much.

I'll have to look for it later but physiologists have shown conclusively the vast majority of people in this country stop emotionally maturing between (if I remember correctly) the ages of 17 and 23.

 

[Truthmatters]

I see them as lazy, live in the moment, instant over the top gratification is not fast enough,rude, spoiled, the world owes me entitlement mindset, idiots.

Matches the right leaning kids Ive met.