I wish people would stop dissing my generation

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	11 Jul 2002
Over here in England, in our local newspapers, we have a Letters to the Editor page, where people write in with their letters about an issue. It cna get pretty heated at times, when people respond to those letters... Anyway, I alway read the letter's page and I was sooo angry at seeing yet another letter complaining about 'the youth of today' and how horrible we all are, and how we are all delinquents and criminals and trouble makers.... I have never seen any letters praising people my age for the god that thy do for the community.... This one particular letter was saying, in a rather sarcastic tone, that us 'youngsters' should play a new game: Behaving, which would be even more shcking to adults than committing crimes would. So, I decided that for once, us teenagers should have a say in this, so I wote a letter back and emailed it to the Editor just now. Here it is: "With reference to J. Wright's letter, 'A New Game- Behaving!' of July 11th, I have a few points to raise. It is a sad and deplorable fact that newspapers and magazines are inundated with letters complaining about the youth of today, and the majority of these letters assume that all 'youngsters' (Young people aged 11-18) are criminals, drug addicts, and troublemakers with nothing better to do on a Saturday night than set fire to a few cars and terrorise the elderly. Yet I have seen only a few letters from people praising youngsters of this age, who achieve so many things and who are model citizens. I regularly come into contact with youngsters who are working hard at school, who raise money for charity, and do worthwhile volunteer work for organisations such as St John Ambulance and the Girl Guides. Where is the praise for these hardworking and deserving teenagers from the Advertiser's readers? As one of these teenagers, I can say from experience that the praise is left unsung, and the crimes of the minority are left to tarnish the majority. Maybe instead of blaming the minority for their actions and consistently complaining about them, we should look at the reasons why they do these things. It is safe to say that Christchurch is not the most teen-friendly town around, and whilst there are activities available such as those run at Leisure Centres, and a couple of youth clubs, these activities are either too expensive, too young, or too old for teenagers, who are left with nothing to do. Along with the labels these teens are given by society, and the boredom they face, it is not surprising that they resort to the things J Wright mentioned. However, the crimes so abhorred by Wright are not the sole property of teenagers alone: Adults do these things too. And since teenagers are so impressionable, maybe adults should start thinking about what their own actions exemplify? I agree with Wright that good behaviour would be something worth reporting, and, as the letter which followed Wright's (Example in Team Spirit) shows, such good behaviour does occur. But the disturbing fact is that still hardly anybody bothers to praise it. Until our attitudes towards teenagers, and how much praise is worth, change, teenagers like me, a nine-year member of St John Ambulance, who has given over 1000 hours of her own free time to providing first aid and care for the public, will be put off from giving such time and help to our community. The good behaviour amongst teenagers does exist, but it is harder to see due to its very nature: Often silent and unnoticeable. Look closer at the teenage community, and you will find yourself welling with pride for the adults of tomorrow." Yeah baby! Nobody disses my generation and gets away with it! I am just so angry that people still think that all teenagers are delinquents... Its as if they ave their eyes closed to all the good we do for the community. So, that's my rant... Kiama

wavebreaker	11 Jul 2002
Good on you, Kiama, that's a great letter! I do think, though, that complaining about "the younger generation" is something that has always existed and will always exist; it was exactly the same when I was a teenager (tjeez, I'm sounding really old now!! ;) ). And bad behaviour is news, good behaviour isn't, so you only read about the bad things in the newspaper. Still, it's very good of you to point that out by writing this letter!

Dark Inquisitor	11 Jul 2002
Well Kiama, You must realize that the middle-aged generation of today was one of the filthiest, degenrate , sociopathic bunches ever to come up. They have polluted the earth, exploited the weak, robbed the poor, violated childhood, made the guilty innocent & the innocent guilty, made the world unsafe for you at any speed, --and then glorified it all on televison and sold it back to you.. And they must live with the fruits of their labors - and they are getting too old to be cool- AND THEY ARE JEALOUS. Tarotphelia

Maan	11 Jul 2002
Great !!! I consider myself still of your generation ( 22 years old) and i get really angree when people who think this generation is not a good one! Just look arround the forum! So many young people already thinking about themself and exploring there spirituality!

wavebreaker	11 Jul 2002
Hm, tarotphelia, that sounds a lot like dissing the middle-aged generation and judging them by the behaviour of some of them... :D

RedWood	11 Jul 2002
Good for you Kiama..I also consider myself in that young generation still (I am 21) and im my town we have the same problems..There is absolutely nothing in my town for young people..you have to drive 15-30 minutes away if not more to do anything...I will say some peopole have complained but they keep pushing out the kid business..I hope it gets printed..let us know..

Dark Inquisitor	11 Jul 2002
Those of us who are Older Than Dirt and have had the misfortune to be stuck with the results of the actions of our peers do not often get the opportunity to present the other side. I have taken no pledge of impartiality, and I am not running for office, so I can still have an opinion based on experience and observation. Until the Taliban comes and puts a bag over me. Tarotphelia

wavebreaker	11 Jul 2002
Wow, I didn't say you can't have an opinion, of course you can!! It's just that I think that everyone should stop generalising, no matter what generation, or whatever other group we're talking about, because I think it's never fair to judge a whole group by the deeds of some of its members. But that's my opinion, you obviously don't have to agree with it. ;)

Emily	11 Jul 2002
Hi Kiama, Bet you blew them away with that lol - great letter :)

Hush	11 Jul 2002
whoo! go kiama! *does a little dance* you show em :D

cricket	11 Jul 2002
This is just a random thought, but hasn't EVERY one of the 'younger generations' been accused of being delinquents? Weren't our parents, grandparents, etc. considered to be trouble when they were teens?

zorya	11 Jul 2002
kiama, you might try a little experiment. look up letters to the editor from some old papers, ten years ago, twenty-five, a hundred, two hundred! i bet you'll find the same old song! i'm pretty sure our prehistoric ancestors probably rolled their eyes and complained about "young people today" as well! besides, we here at aeclectic know that YOU are something very special!

Kyrie Blue	11 Jul 2002
This is perhaps a classic example of judging entire groups of people by looking at only a handful of representatives. One word: stereotypes. This leads to all those evil "isms"....ageism, racism,..and so on.

cherrywind	11 Jul 2002
*Claps* Good job Kiama!

RedWood	11 Jul 2002
I think that is a good idea Zorya..then Kiama you can send those to the editor to get published..

floracove	11 Jul 2002
I give you a standing ovation! And I understand how you feel, though it's been a couple of years (lol) since I stood where you are in age. It is sad that are not things for the young adults to do, and sad that there are some that go wild, but that is life and that is the way it will be in times to come. It's too bad that "they" can not sit down and look past what they are to what they were. The only thing that may help is if we love each other like we love ourselves. Instead of Screaming about how bad they are maybe they should try to find ways to show them that they care, although I realize that some will still follow the wrong paths, at least "they" will know they tried. And the astonishing thing is, even if it takes the young adults a while to realize it THEY will know it also...

Mermaid	12 Jul 2002
Go, Kiama! The problem is not just with the younger generation being picked on though - I think it's all part of a bigger problem with the media. 'They' say that bad news sells newspapers, well look at your paper tommorrow and 90% of the stories will be about something bad: car crashes, political scandels, wars, home invasions, pollution and so on. The 'good' news in the paper is kept for the odd human interest story. No wonder people find it hard to focus on the good things in life when they fed a constant stream of negative stories!

fairyhedgehog	12 Jul 2002
Good for you, Kiama! All the teenagers I know personally are pleasant, polite and helpful. I really don't think that it is helpful to complain about a whole group of people on the basis of a few of that group. So, Go Kiama!

Lightlike	12 Jul 2002
Good work Kiama! Most teenagers (like me--I'm 20) aren't delinquents however those that are really worry me because I worry about the younger ones coming up--just like adults pass on patterns of behavior to teenagers, teenagers pass their patterns of behavior on to the younger kids. I volunteer at a Teen Center located in the "not so privledged" part of town. Most of the kids are 13-17 and are not well-behaved by any standards because they have been tainted by the violence, etc. within their neighborhoods, what's worse is that they are passing on this onto their younger brothers and sisters. I have seen one little boy (aged 5) behave really well until his older brothers and cousins are around and their anger and misbehavior bleeds off onto him. He so wants to be like them and he's learning patterns that I fear will be irreversible and he breaks my heart because he's a sweet kid but he's steadily become more angry and violent over the past several months that I've known him. And there are so many older kids like him at the Teen Center that I do think I'll ever be able to touch. I guess mostly I just wish society would wake up and realize how serious this problem is....one rotten apple can ruin the whole bunch. With TV and music being so uncensored and negative, and there being so much violence in children's homes and neighborhoods, society can only expect (at least some) children and teenagers to turn to negative behavior patterns. Its a vicious cycle--and oftentimes there doesn't seem to enough good to undo the damage. But then perhaps that's because we never hear about the good, only the bad... (Hell, even I'm harping on the bad but its just because it hurts me so much to see it going on in my town)

VGimlet	12 Jul 2002
I think teenagers in every era have been looked on by the preceeding generations as being bad. “Our youth love luxury; they have bad manners; contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love to talk in place of exercise. Children are now the tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.” Written by Socrates in the 5th Century. :D I've always loved that quote.

runehunt	12 Jul 2002
Very good VGimlet. I like that. It has been my opinion for years that the elders do not like youth, because they no longer are part of them, and they miss it, can't do any thing about it. But point a finger and complain.------Youth will have to grinand bear it. Till it is there turn. I have watched it for over fifty years, and it is the same today as it was when I was eight **runehunt**

Rain	14 Jul 2002
Hi, IMO, the reason you have seen such little praise going out to us, is because we do so little for our communities...(not everyone, but the majority) There are alot of delinquents, just like there are alot of good youngins. However, it is a fact that our society tends to focus on the bad part of the world when there is so much good to focus on. It's kind of like 9/11, terrorism always existed, but since that happend, that's all you hear about now, and that was 11 mos. ago! People are going to judge us no matter how good we do. Just focus on your self and make sure your doing your good for the world, cause that's all you can do. I do respect the fact that you had the balls to stand up for us though...keep that **** up, those bastards are so pessimistic! Blessings, Rain

Geenius at Wrok	14 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Rain IMO, the reason you have seen such little praise going out to us, is because we do so little for our communities... What communities? Most Americans don't live in communities anymore, or at any rate aren't encouraged to think of the places where they live as communities. They're just agglomerations of private domains. Kids can hardly be blamed for absorbing the lessons that the adults are drilling into their heads.

Kiama	14 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Geenius at Wrok What communities? Most Americans don't live in communities anymore, or at any rate aren't encouraged to think of the places where they live as communities. They're just agglomerations of private domains. Kids can hardly be blamed for absorbing the lessons that the adults are drilling into their heads. Surely here is an opportunity to work in a Charity shop, or volunteer to help out at a homeless shelter, something like that? Don't you have the Boy Scouts or anything in America? Anyway, the letter got published... My Dad was really proud. :D My Mum thought it was a pretty good letter. And, being the proud parents they are, they've decided to photocopy about 20 copies and end them to everybody they know.... *Sigh* ;) Kiama

The I wish people would stop dissing my generation thread was originally posted on 11 Jul 2002 in the Chat board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Chat, or read more archived threads.