Posted on 06/21/2006 5:22:41 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
SAN DIEGO (UPI) -- A California psychologist says young people have become increasingly indifferent to the impression they make on others.
Jean Twenge, the author of "Generation Me," teaches at San Diego State University. She gathered data from surveys taken between 1958 and 2001 by more than 40,000 youngsters. They featured questions aimed at whether the respondents always said "please" and "thank you" or were careful to dress appropriately.
Twenge says that 76 percent of children aged 8 to 12 in 1999 were indifferent to social approval, up from 57 percent in 1970. Among those who were already in college in 2001, who are now young adults, 62 percent were indifferent, up from 56 percent in 1970.
Other psychologists and people who work with youngsters told USA Today that their experience matches Twenge's data. Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and sociologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, blamed the increased use of cell phones and similar devices.
"They're tuned out in some ways to the social graces around them and the people in their lives, in their physical realm, and tuned in to the people they're with virtually," she said.
Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Based on how I behaved as a young'un, I don't buy the assertion that kids today are any less rude than they were a generation ago. :)
How about the assertion that kids today are any MORE rude than they were a generation ago?
I'd bet we'd see a similar profile for people up to age 45 or so, not just teenagers. Recall the riotous "Coffee Shop Owner's Sign: 'Please Control Your Children'" threads.
Guess it depends on what kind of teenagers. Most of the teenagers I know are really nice and easy to talk to when it's a couple of them. Last weekend I had about three teenagers having a great conversation. Then, I a large crowd of people came through and I walked off to see my husband. Suddenly, the teenagers didn't know me. They can be so funny.
I volunteer for a Little League which has it's own park. We are required to supervise the park as part of our volunteer hours.
I pulled a teenager's earbuds out of his ears because he was so tuned-out he almost knocked over a very pregnant woman.
He got lippy with me and told me I couldn't do that; I informed him I just had . . . I also informed him he had to leave the park for violating the rules and that I would be calling his parents that night (I knew of him from being in my child's school).
He stormed off and later on I called his mother who thought the pregnant woman should have moved out of the way . . . . the apple doesn't fall far from that tree.
Haha, there's a good side to those droopy drawers, after all. They showed a little clip on the local news tonight of several recent perps who were caught when they tried to run away from cops because they couldn't run in their pants without them falling down around their ankles and tripping them up, lol.
One of them just shed his pants and kept on running in his boxers that he was so proud of. LOL, his wallet with his ID in it was in his pants.
The cop just picked up the pants, went to the perp's house and waited on his porch. Pretty soon the kid came walking up in his boxers - he even said "OK, ya got me."
I think it's hilarious.
But the problem is the 'Music Industry'. You will listen to what we want you to listen to, and you will buy it, and you will like it.
There is very little actual music anymore. There is a lot of manufactured product.
That's pretty cool about Anita! And I wholeheartedly agree with your current music assessment. A quick scan of my CDs also reveals:
Sinatra (of course!)
Dinah Shore (Cocktail Hour)
Art Tatum
Stan Getz
Oscar Peterson
Mandy Patinkin
Joe Sample
Sarah Vaughan
Johnny Cash
Ella Fitzgerald
Elvis (though he was "manufactured" just a little)
And more "old" Country, Bluegrass and Musical Soundtracks than I'll admit to! :)
lotta truth in that... but since i'm geting burned, i won't have to make that decision.
Perhaps this explains my experience at the dentist this morning.
I arrived at the dentist's office at 7:45, and the girl at the desk (who couldn't have been 21 yet) informed me that they gave my appointment away.
I asked why.
She said because I didn't call to confirm.
I said, "But I had an appointment."
She said that I never called to confirm, so they gave my appointment to someone else.
I replied, "So tell me again why I made an appointment."
She said, "Well, you need to confirm the appointment, or we're gonna give it away."
I stand there for a few seconds, thinking, "Surely now she'll offer to reschedule me, or try to work me in, or even let me speak to someone else."
Silence.
So I said, "Well, looks like I'm late to work for nuthin' . . . thank you," and leave.
It was such the Seinfeld moment. "I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to TAKE the reservation - you just don't know how to HOLD the reservation, and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them."
Oh, man, don't even get me started.
My husband's oldest nephew got married last summer. Everyone over 30 was appropriately dressed, like me - a nice pantsuit or dress.
The under-30s were in tank tops, halter tops, jeans, shorts, and flip-flops of the rubber shower variety. I was appalled.
Was that my dentist's office by any chance? All of a sudden this year they started demanding a confirmation in their reminder phone messages. What's up with that?
Oh, they're definitely ruder in Texas.
When I was growing up - I'm 37 - not saying "please" or "thank you" or "yes sir" or "no ma'am" was grounds for punishment.
This point was driven home to me today when I was interacting with the new summer crop of interns. Self-centered. Talking about their party prowess and the amount of booze they drink. Many won't look you in the eye.
Our foreign interns were 180 degrees off from our US interns. Polite. Straightforward. Interesting and anxious to learn.
We're doomed!
I'm with you on that! And Johnny Cash too. I don't care for any 'modern' (last 20 years or so) country. Otherwise, everything else is classical.
What a pity. While I plan on cremation, I would still want to go in something I would always wear.
Yes, they are. Parents are to blame for this but the kids are really that clueless.
There's a word for that: "sociopath."
List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits
Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others; Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning; Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible; Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible
There's another word with the same meaning: "liberal."
Why is anybody surprised? We've been teaching the brats to have "self-esteem" regardless of their behavior. We've also successfully killed "shame" of any behavior thanks to our "tolerence" to just about any behavior.
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