[akumushi]

Originally Posted by Wanger

I notice it as a change from about my brother's age, as far as how the kids behave (he's 32 and I'm 37). It was kids that were about that age that things started to change. And guess what, it was at about the time that Nintendo came on the scene. Coincidence? I think not. Seems that more and more kids are turning their brains to mush playing these ridiculous games. Playing these fluff-ass games, and the violent ones. Our 12 yr old had to be FORCED to go outside in the summer. She said there wasn't anything to do outside. WHAT?!?! Nothing to do outside?!?! WTF!?!?!?!? I nearly had an aneurysm the first time I heard that. My parents had to DRAG me inside in the summer. I had permanent dirt lines that didn't come off until spring, I was outside so much.

My take on things is this...kids somewhere got the idea that they are in charge. That THEY call the shots. If you do something they don't like, or make them do or eat something they don't want, they cry abuse. WTF? Someone, somewhere gave them the power and took it from the parents. Parents are somewhat forced to placate their kids, and not actually discipline them. "If you don't get me this, then I'm going to..." "You have to..." or one of my favorites I've heard: "That's illegal." Give me a break. Parents are in charge. The home is not a democracy, it's a benevolent dictatorship. There is far too much pandering to the whims of a child, to make them happy and "support their self esteem and help them become well adjusted adults". I see very few well adjusted adults coming out of this generation of kids. They have HUGE sense of entitlement, which I really can't stand. I don't roll that way. They want hand outs, not a hand up.

Here's another example of how bad things are: In our 10 yr old's class, they have spelling tests on Fridays. The number of words they have to know for that test on Friday is dependent on how well they do on a pretest on Monday. They more they get wrong on Monday, the less they are required to know on Friday? Are you f'ing kidding me??? I was dumbfounded when I saw that. And this school is supposedly one of the best elementary schools in the state. Wow...has our education system gone in the tank, or what?

As for Shawn's issue...there are punks everywhere, and I agree that a lot of it has come from parents disinterest in being a part of their kids lives. They let the school and TV and video games raise them. They are raising a generation of entitled idiots, and I fear for our society if this continues much longer. I have a feeling that if the parents found out about their kids breaking into your car (or any car, for that matter), they'd say "kids will be kids" and simply pay for what was stolen (or demand receipts from you and proof it was your stuff first) with no consequences for the delinquent.

OK...I need to step off the soap box...I'm giving myself a nosebleed.