The Spoiled Generation(s)?

Question

Now, my friends and I were talking somewhere, and somehow, the discussion swerved toward today's children. While we were talking, one of us realized that it seems the next generation of kids always seem to be more spoiled. Now, we realize that we are only children as well, but even then, the 'spoiled-ness' of people seem to differ only by a year or two. For example, my friend's little brother, only a few years younger than him, seems to get more, argue more, and yell more than this friend of mine. Normally, my friend doesn't complain unless he REALLY wants something, and it seems that he doesn't really want anything that bad. However, his brother complains constantly, whether it is about how hot it is, how cold it is, how he doesn't have the latest Game Boy, etc. etc. Now, when I compare myself to my parents and grandparents, I am a lazy bum. My grandparents used to have to farm all day long for most of their life until they moved in with me and my parents. My parents farmed for the summer before they got back to school, which they studied extremely hard for. As for me, I stay at home during the summer doing nothing, while only getting B's and low A's. I know that, when we grow up, humans become more mature. (Pronounced muh-chure [some people pronounce it ma-too-er, believe it or not]) Even if we become more mature when we grow, what if we, the children, start growing too late?

Basically, I am asking what you (the public) think(s) about this predicament. Share your experiences and why/when you believe this trend began. Where do you see this in fifty or so years? How do you think we can stop this from turning our nation into a country filled with lazy children? How can the children start maturing earlier, so that they become more responsible at an earlier age? Should this be an issue addressed by the future President?

Answer 1

Like Kessie said earlier, I do think technology has a lot to do with this predicament. Although technology has really helped our society in some ways, it has really hindered us too. Most kids today spend all of their time either glued to the internet, the T.V., or a video game of some sort. Kids today are looking up to the people they see in their favorite T.V. show, and they are starting to see their favorite movie stars as their role models. I think parents have gotten lazy right here and are expecting the T.V. to parent their children, which I think is horrible. In some ways, technology has really dumbed down kids and has made them cease to think for themselves.

It also seems like parents spoil and indulge their kids more, whether it be with video games, the latest iPod, cell phone, or electronic gadget. It seems like parents do everything for their kids, or they help them when really, the kid should be doing it by him/herself. Sociologists and other researchers have called those who were born in 1982 - on the "Helicopter Generation" because the parents of these people always feel the need to swoop in and protect their children, and do everything for them. In fact, there have even been cases of parents calling their child's university and asking them to give their child a better roomate, or college professor. Heck, there are even parents who call their child's college professors for a parent teacher conference!

The main problem, I think, is that parents always feel the need to rescue their children, when in reality, they should be teaching more and doing less for them. Most kids today don't even know how to manage money responsibly. Most kids today don't need to work for what they want. Kids today are spoiled because they haven't learned responsibility, and it seems like their parents are trying to shift the responsibility to someone else, to unrealistic role models. Its horrible, because by doing this, parents are really setting their children up to fail in life.

Hope this helps.  

Answer 2

I think technology has contributed to our lazy thinkers - computers or calculators do our thinking for us and technology tends to keep most folks on the sofa staring at a tv (hi def and wide screen of course).  When you enter someone's home for the first time, notice where the tv is and what the seating faces.  Is it all designed around the almighty tv?

I remember hearing that once upon a time one could determine the most important element in a town by its tallest building (church, bank, school).  I think this is true today except replace building with gadgets.

I also think the dumbing down of our students began a few decades ago and hasn't recovered yet.  Problem is, our expectations went down too.

Answer 3

Wow, alexis, you read FOUR?? I don't know if I got all the way through sentence one, no offence to the asker, I just thought, as a mother, that I was more interested in this topic than I actually was. Anyway, the only way the children will do well is if we as parents can teach them right, it's just lazy parenting making a bunch of future a******s that I personally don't want my own daughter to have to deal with, so it's just that as parents, we need to realize how important it is to raise our children with POSITIVE character traits rather than negative ones. Easier said than done I'm sure./

Answer 4

Yes or No. Take your pick. I didn't get past the first four sentences.