How has society changed since the 70s--your opinion

[Pagesbow]

^

Thank you

I feel as though adults go on and on about how bad teenagers are, but they're the ones that raised us

Same as when some women moan about blokes. It's like, well - unless I am mistaken - women are jointly responsible for raising men and in a lost of cases solely responsible - so whose fault is it?

One thing I especially feel sorry for in regards to teenagers today, is that you will most likely have a lot of video footage of you being young, dumb and thinking you know everything (posted on the internet) It's bad enough having embarrassing photographic evidence....

[slave to zep]

Yep, it's always noticable and disappointing when young ones are swearing loudly in public but so many of their parents also exhibit behavior that leaves me shaking my head in dismay. It's not just the public swearing either. It's their conduct towards people in general and their " all about me" attitude that get's me. It's no wonder so many of their kids think it's okay to do the same

^

Thank you

I feel as though adults go on and on about how bad teenagers are, but they're the ones that raised us

i believe it is because of all the political correctness that has engulfed the world. it's everywhere ... can't say this, can't do this .... kids aren't taught discipline, and they have no SELF discipline. it's all about ME, how I feel. you can't say that to ME, i will SUE you. kids don't have boundaries anymore.

and look where it's got us.

my adult son swears in the company of his mates, but NEVER in front of strangers, family or in public.

[slave to zep]

wow, just posted the above, and then read this in another thread.

THIS!!!!

This obituary was printed in The Times (London) newspaper some time ago. It concerns the passing of an old friend of many of us - 'Common Sense'

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense , who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the ...early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I'm A Victim
- Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing

[kenog]

Hi STZ,

When I posted the item in the 'Ramble On' section, I was in two minds whether to put it here instead because I thought it was certainly relevant to the discussion going on in this thread.

What has surprised me is that members from different parts of the world are saying similar things about lack of manners, bad behaviour etc. I thought that it was going to be mainly a British problem because we have a comprehensive, generous benefits system here which has created a feeling of entitlement, and lack of responsibility amongst our population.

I would love to shake the hand of the journalist who wrote the piece.

wow, just posted the above, and then read this in another thread.

THIS!!!!

This obituary was printed in The Times (London) newspaper some time ago. It concerns the passing of an old friend of many of us - 'Common Sense'.

[slave to zep]

Hi STZ,

When I posted the item in the 'Ramble On' section, I was in two minds whether to put it here instead because I thought it was certainly relevant to the discussion going on in this thread.

What has surprised me is that members from different parts of the world are saying similar things about lack of manners, bad behaviour etc. I thought that it was going to be mainly a British problem because we have a comprehensive, generous benefits system here which has created a feeling of entitlement, and lack of responsibility amongst our population.

I would love to shake the hand of the journalist who wrote the piece.

ah, sadly you brits don't have a monopoly on this, i'd say it's pretty much world wide ( maybe not in the remoter parts, maybe they have more common sense than all of us ).

in oz it's called being on the dole .... which i don't have problem with when it's used properly. some people make a career out of it, though ....

[ally]

Same as when some women moan about blokes. It's like, well - unless I am mistaken - women are jointly responsible for raising men and in a lost of cases solely responsible - so whose fault is it?

Anyone and everyone can be at fault but , I feel our society's overall lack of ability to accept fault , has led to nothing but a load of finger pointing in the wrong direction.

[Sunshine woman]

I think teenagers acting the way that they do happens because of socialising agents such as the media and all other pedgogical functions of parenthood and having friends etc.

We probably act the way we do and fulfil every teenage stereotype because it's expected of us. Being a teenger is just another phase, the drugs, the alcohol, the recalcitrance and the attitude all comes with what society expects of being a teenager.

[ally]

I think teenagers acting the way that they do happens because of socialising agents such as the media and all other pedgogical functions of parenthood and having friends etc.

We probably act the way we do and fulfil every teenage stereotype because it's expected of us. Being a teenger is just another phase, the drugs, the alcohol, the recalcitrance and the attitude all comes with what society expects of being a teenager.

Personally, I don't think teenagers themselves are any different than they've ever been. Like every generation, they tend to be curious, take advantage of all the fun , stupidity they can and rebel against what the previous generation considered the norm. For my money, all that's changed is what they have access to and for some, it can be a bit too much to handle. Every generation has had it's share of those with the difference being that the law said we might have to answer for our bad mistakes. In Canada,back in the 80's, the Young Offenders Act was designed with the idea that maybe too many young people below the age of 18 were answering too harshly for committing a crime. That was probably true but, what that act has also done, is create an enviroment where teens can commit crimes with relative impunity. That brings me back to a lack of accountability. I happen to believe that it breeds leadership which probably explains why we're seeing so litttle of it in our world at the moment

[fishhead]

Personally, I don't think teenagers themselves are any different than they've ever been. Like every generation, they tend to be curious, take advantage of all the fun , stupidity they can and rebel against what the previous generation considered the norm. For my money, all that's changed is what they have access to and for some, it can be a bit too much to handle. Every generation has had it's share of those with the difference being that the law said we might have to answer for our bad mistakes. In Canada,back in the 80's, the Young Offenders Act was designed with the idea that maybe too many young people below the age of 18 were answering too harshly for committing a crime. That was probably true but, what that act has also done, is create an enviroment where teens can commit crimes with relative impunity. That brings me back to a lack of accountability. I happen to believe that it breeds leadership which probably explains why we're seeing so litttle of it in our world at the moment

I think we as adults really forget what we were really like when we were teenagers...."Selective memory" possibly lol

I heard some scientists on the radio talking about the teenage brain develoement and it basically reiterated this....

... "It;s sort of unfair to expect teens to have adult levels of organizational skills or decision-making before their brains are finished being built......The frontal lobe is often called the CEO, or the executive of the brain. It's involved in things like planning and strategizing and organizing, initiating attention and stopping and starting and shifting attention. It's a part of the brain that most separates man from beast, if you will......I think that [in the teen years, this] part of the brain that is helping organization, planning and strategizing is not done being built yet ... [it's] not that the teens are stupid or incapable of [things]. It's sort of unfair to expect them to have adult levels of organizational skills or decision making before their brain is finished being built". ...

The teens that do get into trouble or don't live up to an adults expectations, may be incapable at this point in their life. However, I've had interaction with a lot of teenagers either in recreation or in the classroom, and I think for the most part they are great! Yeah, there is a percentage that screw up and grab the headlines, but take a look behind that stuff and you'll find some teens really doing good stuff for themselves and others....

[ScarletMacaw]

I'm not sure about teenagers, but one thing I've noticed lately is that young children, say 6-10 years old, say rude things to their parents that I was taught you never say to anyone and saying such things to my parents would have been unthinkable; it never would have happened--and in the two instances of this I saw lately, there were no consequences at all except the kids were asked to "apologize" which is a concept that a six-year-old doesn't even understand. Telling the child no TV or you have to go to bed an hour earlier would have been a more appropriate response. Kids understand consequences, not "apologies" which require a mature sense of responsibility and guilt. I think parents now think of their children as little adults. Same as the way they let them play "Mature" rated video games and watch movies and tv shows that first frighten them them desensitize them to violence or make them unable to determine between real and fantasy violence. And yes, I think that this is a factor in the school shootings that have been going on since the 90s. I think a lot of parents are living vicariously through their kids, continuing the Baby Boom youth rebellion by giving their kids no rules (while as the same time giving them more pressure to do well in school, etc.)

[ally]

I think we as adults really forget what we were really like when we were teenagers...."Selective memory" possibly lol

I heard some scientists on the radio talking about the teenage brain develoement and it basically reiterated this....

... "It;s sort of unfair to expect teens to have adult levels of organizational skills or decision-making before their brains are finished being built......The frontal lobe is often called the CEO, or the executive of the brain. It's involved in things like planning and strategizing and organizing, initiating attention and stopping and starting and shifting attention. It's a part of the brain that most separates man from beast, if you will......I think that [in the teen years, this] part of the brain that is helping organization, planning and strategizing is not done being built yet ... [it's] not that the teens are stupid or incapable of [things]. It's sort of unfair to expect them to have adult levels of organizational skills or decision making before their brain is finished being built". ...

The teens that do get into trouble or don't live up to an adults expectations, may be incapable at this point in their life. However, I've had interaction with a lot of teenagers either in recreation or in the classroom, and I think for the most part they are great! Yeah, there is a percentage that screw up and grab the headlines, but take a look behind that stuff and you'll find some teens really doing good stuff for themselves and others....

I agree with that scientist and you. I should have clarified my accountability statement to include, both parents and kids . It's not always easy but then, my experiences have taught me that not much in life that's worthy... is

[fishhead]

I agree with that scientist and you. I should have clarified my accountability statement to include, both parents and kids . It's not always easy but then, my experiences have taught me that not much in life that's worthy... is

ally, no need for clarification for me, I was trying to fortify the first part of what your thoughts were when you talked about "teenagers are pretty much the same as they always have been".....I agree!....I was just trying to add that as adults, some of us forget where we've come from, and that our middle-late aged brains/decision making have always been there for us even when we were teens. But I think a lot of adults have either forgotten or don;t admit to the f-ups of their past. Hence the "selective memory".....ciao Fishy

[Pagesbow]

I think parents now think of their children as little adults. I think a lot of parents are living vicariously through their kids

Kind of like this?

[ally]

ally, no need for clarification for me, I was trying to fortify the first part of what your thoughts were when you talked about "teenagers are pretty much the same as they always have been".....I agree!....I was just trying to add that as adults, some of us forget where we've come from, and that our middle-late aged brains/decision making have always been there for us even when we were teens. But I think a lot of adults have either forgotten or don;t admit to the f-ups of their past. Hence the "selective memory".....ciao Fishy

[slave to zep]

I'm not sure about teenagers, but one thing I've noticed lately is that young children, say 6-10 years old, say rude things to their parents that I was taught you never say to anyone and saying such things to my parents would have been unthinkable; it never would have happened--and in the two instances of this I saw lately, there were no consequences at all except the kids were asked to "apologize" which is a concept that a six-year-old doesn't even understand. Telling the child no TV or you have to go to bed an hour earlier would have been a more appropriate response. Kids understand consequences, not "apologies" which require a mature sense of responsibility and guilt. I think parents now think of their children as little adults. Same as the way they let them play "Mature" rated video games and watch movies and tv shows that first frighten them them desensitize them to violence or make them unable to determine between real and fantasy violence. And yes, I think that this is a factor in the school shootings that have been going on since the 90s. I think a lot of parents are living vicariously through their kids, continuing the Baby Boom youth rebellion by giving their kids no rules (while as the same time giving them more pressure to do well in school, etc.)

fully agree!

i believe it's because of parents being hammered with all the pc garbage about discipline. these kids know they can get away with anything, and their only consequence is to have to say " sorry " ... they are growing up as brats, that turn into egotistical tyrants.

[missguitar]

This is a topic that has always fascinated me. I dont own a cell phone, I refrain from smoking, drinking, and other promiscuous activities, anything that requires a pill to recover from I substitute a good diet, with lots of fluids and plenty of rest!

I have always done things the old fashioned way and people tell me I was born in the wrong decade,blah blah and insert the rest of the cliches here

The one thing that I really wish I could experience was a concert back in the day, can you imagine seeing zeppelin on a good night in 77?

i totally agree with u, don't listen to people's b.......t ! if everyone could be like u, it would be heaven!!! and u're right, a travel back in time to see led zep in live, that's my dream !

[The Queen of Light]

I've seen some discussion of this on other threads and was wondering about different people's opinions...here's what I think:

Drugs: The 70s were more lax about drug use (both recreational and prescription), but there seem to be just as many drug addicts today, despite our laws and occasional hysteria. On the other hand, people today are more informed about drug addiction and are more likely to seek help/encourage others to get help when needed...unbelievable as it is today I had a prescription for barbiturates when I was 16 and my parents allowed me and my brother to drink wine and beer at home and my father even used to make me whiskey sours. Yet, I never developed a problem with any of these things Perhaps in addition to not being predisposed to be an addict, I learned to drink responsibly BEFORE college.

Sex: I had a 19-year-old boyfriend when I was 15 and this was considered normal. I even dated some men older than that. What was different is neither I nor any of the girls I knew who dated older guys (or guys our age) were pressured for sex. It seems to me that today girls are pressured for sex. Not that there was no sex among teens in the 70s, but in my high school at least it was usually only the serious couples and not usually before age 16. Also when there was sex it was just as likely to be the girls who initiated it. Among adults, there were a lot of one-night stands in the disco scene, but these were seen as being something totally different from relationships and were often anonymous. Some couples were into "swinging" but this was something that was in addition to but not a substitute for a relationship. I don't recall the term "friends with benefits."

Other social behavior: I don't remember "bullying" past elementary school. By high school we were almost like adults. Most people had part-time jobs, even if they didn't need them, so they could have their own money. I don't remember "mean girls." I do, however, remember some actual fights, although not on school grounds. My brother got his teeth knocked out in a fight. Overall, conflict was more rare, but more serious when it did happen.

What do you remember?

Drugs - The medical industry is the pusher now. That is the difference.

Sex - How much has sex changed since Rome?

Social Behavior - We're puppets on a string whom have lost all sense of civil duty and compassion for our fellow man.

[kipper]

there are more fuckers than ever before in history just watch the news.

[badgeholder]

If it's been mentioned already, I apologize - but I just remembered a good one - you'd go to a club, and on each table there'd be a little sign: "3 DRINK MINIMUM"

Ha! Those were the days

[Sagittarius Rising]

For a brief time, post-WWII until the early 80's America was the place where you could be just about anything through hard work and an education (unless you were a woman or a minority, but for white guys...HUZZAH!!!). Major disillusionment began to set in around 84' and by the early 2000's anyone with a brain realized the deck was stacked and with few exceptions, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class just gets screwed.

I think that is the main difference between the 70's & now, not only was there hope then, success and change was a real possibility through initiative. Now, we all know better and the world has become a sadder, colder place in the process.

[ScarletMacaw]

For a brief time, post-WWII until the early 80's America was the place where you could be just about anything through hard work and an education (unless you were a woman or a minority, but for white guys...HUZZAH!!!). Major disillusionment began to set in around 84' and by the early 2000's anyone with a brain realized the deck was stacked and with few exceptions, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class just gets screwed.

I think that is the main difference between the 70's & now, not only was there hope then, success and change was a real possibility through initiative. Now, we all know better and the world has become a sadder, colder place in the process.

Right, someone could rent an apartment on a minimum wage full-time job in the 70s.

I bought my Manhattan apartment as a young social worker in 1993, and today only investment bankers, corporate lawyers, bond traders and venture capitalists can afford to buy in my neighborhood...I went to graduate school at a private university and had less than $8,000 in loans when I left...today people have $40,000 to $150,000 worth of loans for grad school, depending on what they studied...disastrous national policies from the gutting of tuition aid during the Reagan years, the end of Glass-Steagall during Clinton's administration, so-called "free" trade based on slave labor in totalitarian countries in the 90s and continuing today, financial deregulation during the Reagan, Clinton, and GW Bush years leading to wild speculation and economic disaster in '08, and a lessening of participation in political life by our citizenry who is distracted by bogus journalism...more and more I just try to stick my head in the sand and pretend I don't know what's happening..

[Anjin-san]

I miss the 70's,...

[pottedplant]

You nailed it Scarlet. So many things are so very, very wrong. This is certainly not the American of the '70s or even less the America we all grew up in.

[Disco Duck]

One major change (and not for the good) is the cost of higher education. When I graduated from college in 1981, I owed less than $5,000 in student loans. My nephew owed $30,000 in student loans when he graduated in 2007. He attended a public university and he's not a spendthrift. However, most financial aid for college students is in the form of loans today. When I was in college BEOG grants (remember them?), scholarships and College Work Study jobs covered a greater portion of students' tuition, room and board. I worked at a university for over twenty years, yet I don't fully understand why college tuition has risen at a higher rate than inflation during the past two decades.

[ally]

One major change (and not for the good) is the cost of higher education. When I graduated from college in 1981, I owed less than $5,000 in student loans. My nephew owed $30,000 in student loans when he graduated in 2007. He attended a public university and he's not a spendthrift. However, most financial aid for college students is in the form of loans today. When I was in college BEOG grants (remember them?), scholarships and College Work Study jobs covered a greater portion of students' tuition, room and board. I worked at a university for over twenty years, yet I don't fully understand why college tuition has risen at a higher rate than inflation during the past two decades.

It's called gouging DD