That's a first: older Australians reckon they had it easy

Sun-Herald ^ | July 27 2003 | Sean Berry

[gd124]

Despite having lived through difficult war years and the Depression, older Australians feel sorry for today's children, a survey has found.

The results of the McNair Ingenuity survey contradict the stereotypical grandparent lecturing the grandchildren about how hard things were "in the old days".

Most of the 1065 people involved, aged from 18 years up, said they thought children today were doing it tougher than when they grew up.

McNair Ingenuity managing director Matt Balogh said the results were surprising: "Particularly because they were very consistent across age groups.

"We thought some people might say it was more difficult now for kids, while others, particularly those not much older themselves, would think differently.

"However, even people in their 20s said it was now harder, which suggests that things are getting tougher and tougher, and people don't look at kids and think they have it easy."

The report says the results reflect the different types of hardships younger people now face.

These include pressure to perform academically, more social pressures such as over drugs, greater uncertainty about the future and unpredictability of the workforce.

As national manager of Wesley Mission's LifeForce suicide prevention program, Cate Sydes deals with these issues daily.

"Kids are splattered with images of how they should look and they don't realise that it is often unachievable," Ms Sydes said. "And the HSC adds a lot of pressure, with fewer people leaving school in year 10."

She said technology was also proving a danger to youth development.

"Young people are given such a large amount of information but they don't necessarily have the cognitive ability to process it properly," she said.

Even enthusiastic parents piled pressure on their children, Ms Sydes said.

When presented with the statement, "Life is harder for children today than when I was growing up", 55 per cent of those aged 18 to 29 agreed, as did 47 per cent of 30- to 39-year-olds, 57 per cent of 40- to 49-year-olds, 67 per cent of 50- to 59-year-olds and 63 per cent of those older than 60.

National Seniors Association joint chief executive David Deans said: "It is difficult to compare, but when we were young it was more relaxed."

The study found poorer people and single parents were more likely than university graduates to think children had it tougher today .

[fortunecookie]

Sure, they might have had the depression, and it was a while until the outer territories became technologically friendly. Let's not forget the poisonous snakes, kangaroos, employment issues and droughts.

But at least they didn't have roving bands of young, angry, unemployed/unemployable men - dare I profile them? - who kidnap and rape unsuspecting young Aussie women of most nationalities.

[Welsh Rabbit]

I guess they can't ever give them the "twelve miles through ten feet of snow" speech.

[Woodman]

If fewer children are leaving school in 4th Form, what percentage are actually passing the HSC's in 6th Form?

[cyborg]

Go ahead profile away... Freepmail me with your profile of crime. I think it's not safe for a woman of any sort in Paris after 11 pm. I've never been to Australia. However, I was already warned about SA after dark,especially where I may be going to school.

[cyborg]

It snows in Australia?? :D

I got that speech from my parents who lived in Brooklyn, New York when it REALLY used to snow.

[cyborg]

I don't know... I have relatives from Trinidad who just rave about Australia, the jobs, the quality of life,etc. I know more a few Americans who have resettled in Australia and wouldn't come back. Their children are excelling in their subjects and socially with their Australian counterparts. I don't know... is it quite possible some people do not look around and realize what they have (in their society)? I see the same thing here in America. Kids will moan and groan about life, and I wonder if they'd survive things like slavery, civil war, depression,etc.

[fortunecookie]

The papers and alphabet news dance around any description of these gangs (so I thought I might too). They are Muslim immigrants, unemployed, young, poor. And they attack any non-burqa wearing Aussie women. Women usually alone or befriended by one in their group. Cowards, they befriend a lone women and attack like a pack of dogs. I guess Paris (I better visit soon) and the rest of Europe can look forward to the same, if it isn't already an issue. But yeah, a religion of peace.

[Ruth A.]

Life is different now than even when I grew up, to be sure. I tell my kids that when I was young I rode in the bed of a pick up, rode my bike without a helmet, walked to school with no worries, etc. They are amazed and wish they had experienced those things.

Further, I tell them that when I grew up the saying was: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Now, I feel the saying should be: all play and no work makes Jack a lazy boy. I am trying to be sure that my boys are neither dull nor lazy.

[gd124]

By SA, do you mean South Australia? If you do, it is much safer than in Sydney or Melbourne.

[cyborg]

I travelled 'across the pond' for the first time this year. It was quite exciting to see the 'mother country'. We took a trip to Paris, and wow!. It was fun then... I found myself walking alone after dark. Many Parisians were freaking my mom out about the North Africans who kidnap foreign girls (all in a group just like you said!). I was grabbed once but I wasn't far from my hotel.

Even so, the West Africans selling trinkets by the Eiffel Tower were friendly and didn't grab me. I'm used to West African street vendors in NYC too. However, I can see what Falacci was referring to. For some reason, I didn't notice this in England (the overwhelming rudeness of muslims) but maybe I was too busy being jetlagged.

[cyborg]

South Africa... I want to go to school there. My mother cried shame and so I started looking at Australia. I am absolutely not familiar with the country except for some brief history learned in Trinidad. Also, I saw a movie called Rabbit Proof Fence, and my fav talk show hostess Trisha lived there. I would like to learn more about Australia other than British empire history though.