What Do You Think Of America's Youth?

It seems the paradigm shift of youth in the United States has taken lots of boomers and flower children by suprise. What do you think of our American youth today? Have the fostered ideals of yesteryear festered into a decaying society, or is America's future secure in the fat oily hands of our obese kids. You decide.

What do you think of America's Youth?
Are they:

I saw it all the time.

Their superfical"ness" and gullability are what is causing them to fall on their faces at everything they do.

Because that's all they're taught in school anymore.

And they have the fastest thumbs and reaction times of any creature on Earth. Too bad only a select few will be able to make a living at Gaming...

Some kids do break out of the mold Coprorate Murka tries to stuff them into, though.

personally know any 'youts'? I have several in my home every week as my son is 15. All youth are idealistic and entertain superficial understanding of the world around... that's almost the main definition of 'youth', isn't it?

But this crowd is aware and smart and attentive to what's going on. The hypocrisy is not lost on them and they do take stands that are somewhat unpopular with the status quo. For instance: youths from a local high school in our area staged a day where they didn't come in to school in protest against the war. Local officials are slapping truancy charges on each kid. It's being talked up a lot in the media and the 'Sound off' section in our paper is riddled with discussion about the incident and the war.

These are smart kids - I trust them more than my own selfish generation who started out as hippies and social revolutionaries and are now heading the Repug ranks.

This will be the "who cares" generation. Not selfish, but not giving. Not Republican or Dem. Not revolutionary but not sheep. I think my generation truly is burnt out. I doubt we'll be as stuff-happy as our parents, 'cause we already have the stuff. Unlike our parents, I see us starting out Republican, but as the enviormental and economic consequences of the post war generation come to pass, I see a more Blue generation.


Overall, our generation will be more like the "Greatest Generation" than like the "Boomers". More responsible, more stern. And since things go in cycyles, more Blue (No one ever notices how the Greatest Generation was "Blue", not red). A new FDR perhaps? Hopefully.

Be afraid DU, be very afraid. Young folks like this are the future of our country.

Yet, as our young friend here clearly points out, despite our best efforts to be self-centered, and striving to loathe this country and this world as it is and our very own offspring, they will be stuck with the mess we left behind. No matter how much we berate their activity in public places, it'll be theirs when we're gone.

Welcome to DU, hope springs eternal :hi: great handle

Great post too :thumbsup:

Who's had the opportunity to go back to school full-time at the local

comm coll where there 33% of the students are foreign born. In

fact, the college advertises there are over 100 countries

represented. There are the 'born againers' but as a vocal group they

are underrepresented. 6 months ago I was in an English class and

they were 50% conservative. In my current Biology class,it

is 100% anti-bush. That includes 3 ex-military types who are the

most vocal in their anti-establishment anger. How time flies!

Bright, intelligent and capable to boot, though there are always exceptions. Adults have thought the same things about younger generations for eons. Even when I was younger, some kids were still getting cars for their 16th birthdays, and doing their best to keep up appearances by seeking out designer clothes, by tagging the best looking boyfriend, etc. Their maturity level may be lower than ours at their age, but that doesn't mean they won't grow up.

The question isn't whether they are capable, but will there be any job left for them to show their capablities? How can a person show their intelligence and make something of themselves when the only jobs out there involve flipping burgers and working at Walmart? All of our good jobs have disappeared. Goodness, these are jobs that teenagers did and now adults are being forced to take these jobs because there is nothing else.

I, at least, had a chance to get a good job right out of high school back in the early 80's (even during a recession). These kids are not going to have the same opportunities as I did and that was only 20 years ago. I am not looking forward to what my son will face as an adult.

Just some random thoughts I figured I'd throw out there.

that we're really quite gullible.

Schools don't teach us to think anymore. They teach us to do as we are told and pass standardized tests. Too bad standardized tests don't seem to mean SHIT in the actual world. We are taught to be the most apathetic lot of people.... Too many kids JUST DON'T CARE.

I'm one of those "Honors" kids, and the general standard of G&T programs is going way down. All of a sudden it's just BAD to be smart. NCLB leaves the GIFTED kids behind.

Get the Repugs out of the WH NOW. Every day they FUCK us harder and harder. They are going to screw us all, for good. They are going to be the end of our education system.

as cannon fodder anyway" if things continue the way they are.

IMHO if you can keep them somewhat insulated from popular culture and commercialism. Then, as a parent, examine the influences that do come thru together.

It's tough, you can't shield them completely, but you can run interference so the kids can sort it out on their own, without being overwhelmed.

The corporate brainwashing of our children is not an accident, It's a cynical, calculated, coordinated effort to subvert their rational minds.

I don't blame the kids at all, parents are responsible for protecting them from predatory entities, just as if they were protecting them from cougars in the wild.

Of course, Parents are not immune from corporate subversion either. I miss my grandparents, they knew.

and have the most unfair portrayl in the the media of anyone.

trust me, I'm around 13 year olds all the time.

They know what's going on.