What's wrong with our youth? Is it a psychosocial disorder? Is it the parents?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

By speaking in such broad general terms -- things such as titles asking "What's wrong with our youth," as though something's wrong with all of them.

Kids! What's that matter with all these kids today?!

Now there's an awfully broad brush -- "it's far worse than it's ever been." Sure about that? I'm not at all.

I do, however, think that we hear a lot more about some things than we ever did, given that we now have news 24/7 on TV and the web. I'm not convinced that it's that much more prevelant now than it ever has been in history.

Thank you for answering in my absence. You have said it all perfectly!

[Glitter650]

I don't think violence is any more "common" now than before, but I do think parents don't hold their kids accountable anymore.
I mean I was reading an article about the cheerleader beating and the parents of the beaters make it sound like it was no big deal. I believe even one of the parent's said "if she was shoved so hard into the wall, why didn't she leave a dent in it ?!!!!" I mean

[PhiGam]

Honestly you have to put some blame on the media. They make events like the one mentioned earlier seem much more common than they actually are.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

No, I don't. Cartoons geared to adults have been around for years (the Flintstones was originally shown in prime time and for adults).

I never heard of the Flinstones using language that kids shouldn't hear, or showing blood, sex and gore. Do you even know what "Adult Swim" is? Seriously.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

By speaking in such broad general terms -- things such as titles asking "What's wrong with our youth," as though something's wrong with all of them.

Kids! What's that matter with all these kids today?!

I think it was a great title for the thread, because I totally think kids are out of control now. I see it all the time when I go grocery shopping.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I think it was a great title for the thread, because I totally think kids are out of control now. I see it all the time when I go grocery shopping.

So do I. My point is that people 50 years ago said pretty much the same thing. Adults throughout history have said the same thing.

BTW, I also see lots and lots of kids who are well-behaved and off to a good start being good citizens. So I think that the blanket statement "What's wrong with our youth" is way too hyperbolic.

Besides, the only thing wrong with my youth is that it's 30 years in the past.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I never heard of the Flinstones using language that kids shouldn't hear, or showing blood, sex and gore. Do you even know what "Adult Swim" is? Seriously.

Yes Mensa, I know what adult swim is. And you obviously never saw when the Flintstones were sponsored by Winston cigarettes. The prime time live action shows in the 60s also never had cursing, or showed naked butts, or had nearly as much violence. So there are cartoons geared to adults? So what?

Your saying "now there's Adult Swim" had absolutely ZERO to do with my comment that the amount of TV programming for children has increased hundredfold. It would have made as much (or as little) sense if you would have said "now there's NYPD Blue."

[epchick]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I never heard of the Flinstones using language that kids shouldn't hear, or showing blood, sex and gore. Do you even know what "Adult Swim" is? Seriously.

Really, you are COMPLETELY missing 33's point.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I agree a little, but you have to look at the big picture. Look at what's being sold in stores. You see tabloids and most of what you see is negative. It shows celebs doing illegal things and getting away with it, or serving little or no time in jail for their actions. The gun laws have also changed in some states which is also a problem. The respect level for parents from their kids now is much lower than it was years ago. I totally disagree with you when you said it's not any different. The graphs that I looked at showed a steady rise in crime from adults who were at one time problem children. A lot of teenagers are also doing serious crime now.

It's really not that hard to see. It really doens't take science, statistics and graphs to figure it out. My opinion was pretty much right on, and I didn't need to look at any graphs or statistics to make that determination.

Actually, yes, you do. You can't just say, "Well, in 1940 there were x amount of people in prison and now there's 3x that." What about the population boom? Even besides that, there are TONS of contributing factors - like ones I already mentioned - that DO make a difference. Your opinion is not completely, if at all, correct, and you should not present it as fact.

[lillady85]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yes Mensa, I know what adult swim is. And you obviously never saw when the Flintstones were sponsored by Winston cigarettes.

Hahaha... you called her mensa.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yes Mensa, I know what adult swim is. And you obviously never saw when the Flintstones were sponsored by Winston cigarettes. The prime time live action shows in the 60s also never had cursing, or showed naked butts, or had nearly as much violence. So there are cartoons geared to adults? So what?

Your saying "now there's Adult Swim" had absolutely ZERO to do with my comment that the amount of TV programming for children has increased hundredfold. It would have made as much (or as little) sense if you would have said "now there's NYPD Blue."

Oh dear God, have a cow already! So I misunderstood you. I was responding to the post about how kids have a ton of things to watch on tv now. That's why I mentioned "Adult Swim".

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Actually, yes, you do. You can't just say, "Well, in 1940 there were x amount of people in prison and now there's 3x that." What about the population boom? Even besides that, there are TONS of contributing factors - like ones I already mentioned - that DO make a difference. Your opinion is not completely, if at all, correct, and you should not present it as fact.

Whether you believe it or not, children have gotten much worse than they've ever been. The school shootings I mentioned earlier are proof of that. Of course they don't happen all of the time. In fact they're rare. They're an unprecedented kind of adolescent violence. I don't have a complete understanding of why they happen and I've barely begun to consider their long term consequences. I do have an opinion on the problem though. It could be from mental illness to lack of discipline, from violent media to the availability of guns. Do these theories hold water? I think they do. I'm not saying school shootings never occured in the past, but I do know they began to increase in the early 90s, peaking in the late 90s, then falling back to zero in the early part of the 21st century. Also, they only dropped off because school officials caught the problem before it got started.

Is violence publicized more now? Yes, and I think media coverage does contribute to school violence panic and by far aggravates the difficulties for communities in which rampage episodes have occured. Also, youth violence itself, not just the shootings, increased dramatically in the late 1980s and early 90s, a period in which rates of crime and violence among other age groups actually went down. I don't think kids and guns mix well, because the increase in homicides committed by youths came ENTIRELY in the form of murders involving firearms.

Yes, there are other factors, but we have to start by looking at which youths are violent. I'm not being biased, but I think boys are more likely to commit violent acts than girls. I also think that almost all violent offenders first manifest their tendencies between the age of 14 and 18, based on patterns that I've seen. Beyond age, race or whatever, other risk factors for violence among youths include domestic violence and abuse, weak family bonding and ineffective supervision, lack of opportunities for education and employment, peers who engage in or accept violence, drug and alcohol use, gun possession and individual temperament. Kids have always looked to elevate their status among peers, to have a permanent identity so they can acquire power over others, or find justice or retribution. Now, they use firearms to do it.

I think the increase in violence comes from violent video games, availability of guns, the crack cocaine epidemic, and a culture of violence, but I don't think any of these factors work entirely by themselves. It starts with the deteriorating social and economic conditions of inner city neighborhoods. On top of the drug epidemic, when they're unavailable, kids find other resources to get high off of. Now you have to be 18 to purchase spray paint, glue and/or Robitussin. That's ridiculous. I totally can't see how some of you can't see that kids are far worse than they've ever been. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[RU OX Alum]

school shootings started happening back in the 60's or 70's though, didn't they?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

school shootings started happening back in the 60's or 70's though, didn't they?

The University of Texas shootings were in 1966.

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Whether you believe it or not, children have gotten much worse than they've ever been. The school shootings I mentioned earlier are proof of that.

How are school shootings, which you admit are rare, proof that children have gotten much worse than they've ever been? Oh, I forgot . . . the proof is in school shootings and the grocery store behavior of children.

Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but I've yet to see anything in your posts that actually supports your opinion.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Oh dear God, have a cow already! So I misunderstood you. I was responding to the post about how kids have a ton of things to watch on tv now. That's why I mentioned "Adult Swim".

But Adult Swim is not for kids to watch (hence its name). So why mention it?