What's changed? What went wrong?

I grew up in 'poverty'. We shared bedrooms, I wore trousers that were too small or too big (hand-me-downs from my brother - or items I would 'grow into'). We never had expensive video games and the govt didn't provide us with 'activities' - all we had was the local park (which we loved!).

Yet we never dreamt of rioting or looting. (Yes we were afraid of our father!).

So what's changed or what's gone wrong?

Is it society? Culture? Or both?

What do you think? Where's it all gone wrong? If the kids think they're entitled to everything WHY do they think that?

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

The biggest difference I can think of is this whole pop/rap culture/lifestyle/bling that's made its way over from the US - and the associated 'cool' and 'must have' brands and gadgets.

We never had anything like that back then - have the marketeers done too good a job? And anyone without now feels 'incomplete' or lacking or less of a person? So much so that they have to go rob others?

Or are these the children of the screwed up people who should never have been parents in the first place? Ticking time-bombs from the start?

Or are they all mind-numbed by all the crap they eat?

Maybe it's a bit of everything...

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

It hasn't happened overnight Azz. More like a snowball gathering momentum through the generations. Times gone by for the older generations and those before us unless you were one of the rich minority life was basic and a constant struggle to make ends meet.You where grateful for anything simply because there wasn't much to have and expectations to have more where low. Since then a supply and desire for material wealth and it's trappings have come to the fore. Family and community life has altered to such a point where family members spend little time together or even sit down and eat a meal together. Recent generations are intolerant of not having it all and expect to have whether they earn it or not.There role models are the much media hyped brash risk taking celebrities. Lacking social conscience the selfish me me me are increasing and will resort to crime to obtain what they want.We are seeing the emerging under currents of a weak family and social structure with very little firm leadership where and when it is needed.

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

It's a big subject Azz, but I do feel that advertising has gone too far, have you noticed how it is now specifically aimed at children and sublimanly teaches them how to get the parents to buy them what they want.

Films and TV programs are constantly highlighting the things other people have and implying that if you don't have it you're not 'cool' (Whatever that means)

Youth and beauty are everything, it doesn't matter if you can't speak correctly, don't dress appropriately, and you're only interested in one person.....yourself.

When I left school I (briefly) considered a career in advertising, I am so glad I decided against it, I can't remember the reason now but I like to think that I didnt want to live my life the way these people do

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

I think it started to go wrong in the 60's.

All the rebels really started then with their challenges against authority, free love, music which incited people to do all sorts of weird things like experimenting with drugs, which caused the downward slope of the Beetles and other groups. The marketing of these groups which was aimed at the youth of the day made the kids idolise the groups and what they did was looked at as the norm.

Then the Unions, seeing a chance to brainwash the younger generations, stepped in and challenged the companies asking for more money and shorter hours so that people could have more free time and as is the norm with people, ' Greed ' came to the fore, quickly followed by Envy, Wrath, Lust and Sloth . The more they got the more they demanded, which gave more power to the unions 'Catch 22 '.

Then the so called do gooders stepped in hoping to make a living from telling people what they all ready knew but still wanted to hear. Hearing what they wanted to, the more it brought out the Seven deadly sins.

I hear a voice crying in the deep, Why did we sacifice our lives for this lot of Morons.

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

I think most of us grew up in impoverished circumstances as we were the first generations after WWII and Korea.
I still remember the austerity of the 50s and then came all the apparent freedom of the sixties, when all the old barriers came down but along with the barriers, traditional values, manners and morals declined too so we've now reached a peak where, to quote Wall Street's Gordon Gekko, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good"
I've also noticed the lemming-like attitude of the younger generations and the decline of the individual; a walk down almost any High Street these days will prove that to you because everyone dresses the same, talks the same, even think the same.
They all watch the same things in the cinema or TV, they all buy the same gadgets and toys, they all know all these so-called celebrities and know almost every detail about them, they all have to have the latest mobile phones, they are all in a hurry (why?), they all want and think they are going to be stars, they all strive to be young and good looking, they all applaud on TV shows for no apparent reason, they all think that because someone "in the know" says that this or that is good or funny then it is, without question and, worst of all, they all think anyone over 50 is depriving them of something but they don't know what! stevmk2

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

I don’t think people have changed much. Yes, the electronic boom has things moving along a lot faster than ever before and the advances and world-wide interconnection of the media has made it so people get to hear and learn a whole lot more about a whole lot more things, but I think what people are inside and the way they react to things is pretty-much the same as it’s always been.

There’s still the filthy rich and many of them still carry the same stereotypical qualities that have been associated with their social class for the last hundred years. The middle class still trudge along and struggle as my grandparents did raising a family in the depression, as my parents did raising a family post WWII , and as my generation does raising families today. The only difference now is thanks to the 60’s, we’ve learned the power of mass demonstrations and large groups of people banding together to achieve a common goal. I always remember something Tom Baker (Dr. Who) once said: “Humankind, I like. It’s when they get together in groups that they become a problem.” And there’s still the poor and no doubt, there always will be. And each social class still holds the same contempt against the other classes as they have for the last hundred years.

Yes, kids sit home a lot on their Xboxes and other video games and don’t get enough exercise and fresh air, but I can remember long hours with ‘da boys’ in our tree fort, talking about girl’s kooties and thumbing through the underwear ads in the Marks & Spencer catalogues. I don’t remember those hours being too active. But even computer inactivity is just a phase we’re going through because it’s new technology. For isn’t the ultimate goal of current video games to be full physical interactivity? I saw my neighbour’s kids with their new Wii game the other day and they looked quite active to me.

What else ?? ... oh yes, the lack of respect for authority – parental and otherwise – and the rudeness we see in today’s youth. Well ... I don’t remember respecting authority too much wandering around in the late 60’s, butterflies sewn to the legs of my tattered blue jeans, thumbing my nose up to anyone over 30 and doing my best “Yeah, whatever” to my father as he tried to talk to my glazed-over face – no doubt a product of some anti-establishment, ingested substance. And I doubt my mother was showing too much respect for her parents when she announced she was going to hang out with musicians, learn to dance the Charleston and head overseas to help entertain the troops. No, I can’t see how much has changed, really – specifics, maybe ... but not the thought and emotion behind the actions. And to comment on the ‘complaint’ that today’s youth all seem to be ‘sheep’ – all following and looking the same – I only need look back at my own youth and the whole generation of bell-bottom jeans, flowered shirts, headbands, sandals and a bag of pot to see that that hasn’t changed much either.

No ... I don’t see much change in people, really ... maybe some specifics changed to mirror the technological and communication revolutions, but people themselves are pretty-much as they always have been.

cdn guy

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

Respect in general from my experience has definitely gone down the drain.
There was not a "Yeah,what ever" with my father.
He was my guiding parent first not my buddy like today's parents try to be.

Schools have lost it.
In my day we had a healthy respect for teachers unlike today where children seem to show disregard for authority to the extent that teachers do not have sufficient control.

The days when children where sent to their rooms as a punishment used to work but that has a long gone.
It's more like a treat now will all the high tech. gear that's housed in their bedrooms.

As people become more independent in a material world they put less importance on a need for community living.

There is a lot of lonely vulnerable people having a hard time because we are losing the community spirit.

I'm only generalising as there are always exceptions to the rule but I have seen lots of changes in attitude and behaviour through the generations and not necessarily for the better.

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

I havent quite got the flowery words of you posh lot but to put it plainly some of it is the worrying what people think. When we were at school we werent allowed to do anything on the way home from school while wearing our uniforms because it would "bring disgrace " to the school. Believe me, we would not dare risk being caught doing anything that would bring us in front of our headmistress, kids today, swear, fight, shoplift and do all sorts on the way home from school, not that they wear anything that resembles school uniforms, most of the girls look like page three girls.

Also adults, yelling across the street, dropping litter, arguing, spitting, kids running off unsupervised, when I grew up my mum was always saying, what if the neighbours see, she was constantly worried that people would see her standard drop. People now dont care, in fact seem to want everyone see them acting like animals.

When I think back to my teenage years I cant imagine any of my neighbours even the "rough" families behaving as todays families do, it makes even them look well mannered.

I hated the way my parents nagged me when I was young but I am so glad they did now and that I have good manners and will continue to use them as I wade knee deep through Mcdonalds wrappers and dog poop blocking my ears to the swearing as I walk round the town.

Re: What's changed? What went wrong?

I think the lack of Discipline is the reason. Parents and Schools not allowed to Discipline is madness. Kids being kids milk it for all it's worth. They will regret it in the end as I'm sure the world will come to it's senses again and when it does....Fireworks lol.