Today's Youth

Everyone's heard people say something along the lines of "I pray for the teenagers of today." Pitying our generation for whatever reasons they might have. What I've seen, however, is that most of the people that pity our generation are our age.

I'm going to assume most of us are part of generation Y -- people born sometime between the late '70s and late '90s, though there's no precise age range for generations -- and ask what you guys think. Do you think we're a 'doomed' generation?

My response? What did you think your parents were doing when they were in their late teens and early twenties? Because mine certainly weren't curing cancer or world hunger. They were doing drugs, listening to rock and roll, and going against their more conservative parents.

I wasn't sure if this should go in culture or world, so I went out on a limb and put it here. If there's something like this already out, feel free to discard it.

I think it's always up to the last generation to look down on the new generation. I don't think our generation is doomed. Our generation is so different from the past generations though. Using a cell phone instead of snail mail is seen as laziness sometimes, which is bull. And then there's the sex thing, but I'm the child of a teen parent so I don't buy the stigma that our generation is just a bunch of sluts.

dru's in the dark.:

And then there's the sex thing, but I'm the child of a teen parent so I don't buy the stigma that our generation is just a bunch of sluts.

I can understand the view that we may have been sluttier than previous generations, but I don't think that's the fault of todays youth, I think that's natural social/cultural change.
It's become way less of a taboo, but that's been a process that's been happening for decades. I mean, a hundred years ago you couldn't lift your skirt above your ankles or whatever.

The next generation will probably have sex on the street and then my grandchildren will all be have orgies in school. It's just the way it goes

sunflowers.:

The next generation will probably have sex on the street and then my grandchildren will all be have orgies in school. It's just the way it goes

And we're going to be the ones looking at them, shaking our heads and going 'what's happened to kids these days?' It's just the natural progression of society.

The past always looks more rosy (or distressing, depending on the situation) what else can be said?

I really hate the generation vs. generation thing. Sex, drugs, promiscuity, underage drinking, STDs, flunking school... our generation didn't invent these things. We didn't invent rebelling or 'bad' behaviour. They've been happening for time immemorial, just in a different time, and possibly different context(s).

Every time and older person goes on and on about how awful today's youth are, I just say, 'Who do you think raised us? Who invented the Internet and violent video games and pornography and mobile phones, all those things you think are impacting awfully on today's youth? Certainly wasn't our generation.'

^
Our generation invented some of it. But I think that says good things about our generation. We're productive obviously.

dru's in the dark.:

^
Our generation invented some of it.

Like what? I'm genuinely curious. When most of gen y was little or not even conceived, most of those things were either already invented or in the process of being invented.

^
I see articles at least once a month about someone under the age of 18 who's sold a best-seller or created an online business or designed an ap downloaded by millions of people.

But the only specific example I can think of now is Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. He was in his early twenties when he invented the site. (20 or 21.)

^Isn't "Top 20 Under 20" something recent that's come with our generation?

As well, we're the age of technology. We're the generation that, as we age, will keep apace with technology (none of this "How to use MS Word" for us).

I never bought into the 'Today's Youth' thing, because as far as I'm concerned, the problems did't just spring out of nowhere.
Every single generation and era had their trouble makers. My dad was born in 1964, so he experienced the punk culture and lifestyle and off he went doing all those stereotypical punk things.
Every generation had the murderers, the bullies, every generation had sex in public. Just look a the film Grease, they sing songs hinting towards sex on a beach.
It's nothing new, it's just we're experiencing it, so we speak of it.

dru's in the dark.:

^
I see articles at least once a month about someone under the age of 18 who's sold a best-seller or created an online business or designed an ap downloaded by millions of people.

But the only specific example I can think of now is Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. He was in his early twenties when he invented the site. (20 or 21.)

Well, I was talking about inventing things like the Internet or mobile phones or the first ever video game. Obviously people from our generation have invented things and have been innovative, but the people who invented the Internet (for Facebook to actually be a thing) was not the doing of our generation. That was my main gist, sorry for the confusion.

veronika:

Well, I was talking about inventing things like the Internet or mobile phones or the first ever video game. Obviously people from our generation have invented things and have been innovative, but the people who invented the Internet (for Facebook to actually be a thing) was not the doing of our generation. That was my main gist, sorry for the confusion.

I still think it shows that our generation is productive. One of the comments I hear about the "younger generation" is how lazy they are with technology, but there are so many young people doing so much with technology that I think it shows we're productive.

^^^
I agree. I think people often confuse laziness with sitting around all day. But you can be an IT guy and sit in a corporate office and be incredibly hardworking and productive.

dru's in the dark.:

I still think it shows that our generation is productive. One of the comments I hear about the "younger generation" is how lazy they are with technology, but there are so many young people doing so much with technology that I think it shows we're productive.

I agree that our generation is productive, never said it wasn't.

In my original comment I was talking about replying to an older person who was generalising about my generation because apparently according to this person we only play violent video games and go on the internet 24/7 instead of working etc. And I was replying to her, well who invented the internet and the first video game? I think my comment was misconstrued

I was born in the early 90's and grew up in a happyish childhood.
I've experienced hardship, like alot of people from that era and we just get on with it.
I've taken drugs, I drink and smoke, I make my own choices.

Just because I experience different things doesn't make me a doomed person. It's the same with this generation. Too many people are getting tarred with the same brush as those who constantly get into trouble with the police, get high and drunk all the time and steal to feed their habits. I think our generation is the way it is because that's the way it is.

People will always condemn people for their age group. It's not fair and it's not right. Not all of us sit around playing video games and doing nothing. People need to learn and accept that society provokes negative thoughts about future generations.

I was at the bus stop one day after work, and this woman who we all know is religious and crazy. She told me I was going to hell because I was smoking a cigarette. I ignored her. She started ranting and raving that my generation was doomed to hell.
so I told her this " You expect me to buy your crap? I mean seriously. You blame my generation for everything that's socially unacceptable and your the one who is standing here, harassing people. People will always make their own choices."
so she said this in reply to that "You's are all drug addicts and theifs and God does not want that kind of person in his kingdom"
So i said "Fine. Nobody asked me if I wanted to go to heaven anyway. I've heard that hell is kind of cosy at this time of year and I'll welcome whatever my fate is. You blame people for things that happen in this world which are not in our control, but you believe God is good and great, but what about the children dying in Africa. What about the holocaust. Where was your God when those people prayed for help? Where is your God when little old ladies are being mugged out on the street by violent criminals, and where is your God when a child molestor is freed by someone of your generation to reoffend and a child suffers. Tell me, where is your God"

After that, she leaves me alone.

I fail to see how our generation is so different from past generations just my two cents. There are successes and failures in every generation, along with drinking, sex, and plenty of rebellion. It's nothing new.

My parents?
My father grew up on a farm - sheep farm to be exact [insert jokes here]. Hemet my mum at 18 and was out of home and working full time at that stage. did not do drugs from what i know and didn't have until wedding night.
My mother didn't have a boyfriend until by father - did not have a house phone until she was 17 and did not move out of home/have sex or ANYTHING until she was married to my father.

So? my parents were not me. There was nothing bad about them - my problem with them and relating to them? They think I'm still a virgin and how do I go to advice to my mother about situations that i KNOW she has not been into?

Apart from the obvious reasons (stated above) yes agree with Cereal Killer there isn't much different with out generations per say.

Cereal Killer:

I fail to see how our generation is so different from past generations just my two cents. There are successes and failures in every generation, along with drinking, sex, and plenty of rebellion. It's nothing new.

I agree with you.

I think the reason this generation is deemed worse than others is because it's more publicized by the media because we have connections past generations didn't (Internet, cell phone, etc.), and also we tend to be more open about our sexualities, but, really, that had been coming since the 60's and the free love movement came about.

As far as the clothing goes...I agree, it's slightly shocking, but I can't say anything because I dress like that, but I think it's all just a fad.

I have not read the views of the others, but I will say this, this will be going on long after we are gone as it has been going on up until now. The adults and elderly will forever believe that the latest batch of teens are doomed and will never amount to anything. It's a never ending cycle.