Posted on 12/01/2012 4:57:43 AM PST by Kaslin
Back in the 1950s, "Little Joe Cartwright" starred in a movie called "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." That's right, after seeing a full moon, Michael Landon ran around a public high school foaming at the mouth and pretty much out of control. Since there was little difference between his behavior and that of the normal students, he got away with it for two semesters.
As I watched the film, I remember thinking that it was going to be tough for Landon to get into college with that on his resume. But then the 1960s happened, so that was that.
This brings me to the present. My life these days is largely confronting political and social madness on television and then going home to deal with teenage drama from an almost-14-year-old girl. I vaguely remember being 14, because I was ensconced in a Catholic high school that gave out homework assignments like they were M&M's. Believe me, I had plenty of angst. But nobody paid much attention to it.
Like today, many teenagers back then brooded full time. Check out James Dean, an outstandingly cloudy guy. But now teens have two things that embolden their disenchantment: the Internet and permissive parents.
Earlier this week, I was encouraging my urchins to speed it up because the bus was coming.
"I can't go faster 'cause you're staring at me," the teen wailed.
"I'm not staring at you. I just came into the room."
"But I can see you!"
You get the idea. My daughter also did not want to wear anything that covered her legs -- even though it was 39 degrees outside. She wanted to wear shorts. At that point, I started wishing she'd turn into a werewolf. At least the fur would keep her warm.
But it is the Internet that is truly changing the teenage dynamic in America.
It used to be that teenagers would hang out together and swap stories of woe. I remember seeing Billy Joel and his crew at stores on Levittown Parkway. They were just slouching around the same as my guys were. Just being with other teenagers was comforting, but we actually had to leave our houses to do that. Now, teens can gang-brood from their rooms on the Net.
Because nearly every awful occurrence is highlighted on various Facebook pages, teenagers now find it easier to justify their own craziness. "How can you criticize me for getting a C when Shelley got all F's and crashed her dad's car?" That kind of thing.
Nothing is private anymore. Teenagers are subjected to (and some participate in) incredibly destructive behavior online.
And parents have few options. Even if you ban home computers, handheld devices are all over the place. You'd have to put a full-time bodyguard on the child in order to provide complete protection.
In the end, all parents can do is try their best to impose a sense of responsibility on their kids. But don't expect any appreciation, and be watchful at all times. Kids today are growing up at warp speed; the machines march them into adulthood way before they're ready.
Dear Bill O’Reilly,
I have advice for you. Move to the country, way out far. No television, no cell phones, get some critters to keep your kids busy, and home school. Reading the classics will help, though they will moan endlessly.
You, on the other hand, will keep your sanity and your kids will grow up right.
With regards, Satin Doll
And in the winter, non-stop skiing on weekends or snowshoeing after school, checking out all the tracks of the critters around our house......The biggest complaint my mom had was that I was never home ........Life was good.
:) my stepfathers first wife played the school teacher in this movie.
I was the same way (and was fortunate enough to live around a lot of other kids who were); home video games were making their debut (Atari, Odyssey), but kids still loved to do things outside. If it wasn’t sports it was fishing or hiking in the NJ Meadowlands; at night it was manhunt or run-of-the-mill mischief (”ring-and-run”, pool-hopping, etc.).
If my teenagers were werewolves, they could go out at night and hunt squirrels and rabbits. Then we’d save some grocery money.
As a side note, I was probably the perfect child for my mom. In the winter on weekends or snow days or Christmas holidays, she’d drive me to the local ski slope and drop me off at 8:30 a.m., give me change for lunch then pick me up at 5:00 p.m......I wasn’t at home to bug her and she knew where I was all day...
We had a large cemetery a block away (overlooking the meadows, with a view of the NYC skyline); when our cousins would visit and the house was filling up with kids my father would literally tell us to “go play in the cemetery”. I don’t think fathers do that anymore. Like you, my mother had to come looking for us to get us home; we would have stayed out as long as could see to play. When we were younger and played much closer to home, she actually got a dinner bell; after a few embarrassing moments infront of the neighborhood my older siblings made sure she couldn’t find it again.
I’ve never been skiing, but it looks like fun (we have some small slopes in northern NJ near the NY border). Some friends that did it regularly in high school stopped soon after; they complained about problems with their knees (which I nver really thought about).
“Teenagers are subjected to (and some participate in) incredibly destructive behavior online.”
Their offline behavior isn’t much different.
What is it with kids wearing shorts and flip-flops in the winter now? No one EVER did this when I was a kid...you bundled up to keep warm. Can they not go a few months without showing skin?
Come to think of it, I see adults doing it, too.
What is it with kids wearing shorts and flip-flops in the winter now? No one EVER did this when I was a kid...you bundled up to keep warm. Can they not go a few months without showing skin?
Come to think of it, I see adults doing it, too.
“Kids today are growing up at warp speed”
Kids are growing, but not up. I fear the internet complusion/addictiob/obsession (Beware the FOMO syndrome: fear of missing out) retards development on all levels.
Bill:
Those ‘hand-held’ devices those teenagers are carrying are bought for them by their PARENTS!!! Surprise!!
Parents won’t tell their little darlings NO at any time from their emergence out of the birth canal to college graduation. NOT GOOD.
They are creating monsters—who think they are so self-important that they have to be talking every single minute of every single day and telling others what they ate for breakfast!!!
This is totally insane!!
I have 3 brothers. Since I left the family home at 18-—55 years ago, I don’t have a clue what they eat—for any single meal of the day. If you asked me to prepare a menu for them for one month, I couldn’t do that. I just don’t know their preferences. AND THEY DON”T KNOW MINE!!!!
NOR SHOULD THEY!!!
The trivia and tripe that the holders of those electronic devices seem to think is so damn important is just plain garbage...
You could do yourself and your daughter a big favor~~~~
Get rid of all those electronic umbilical cords. She only gets to keep the computer for school and you can block many websites she shouldn’t be experimenting with!!!
Spend some real time with her.
Go to a working cattle ranch for a vacation for at least 2 weeks & find out where your food comes from and how hard those ranchers work to put that steak on your restaurant plate.
Hike down to the bottom and back out of the Grand Canyon. Smell some fresh air and SEE parts of this country—from up close & NOT from the window of a 747.
Have her spend a summer at a farm owned & run by a relative or a good friend.
When is the last time you and she volunteered at a soup kitchen in the poorer parts of NYC??? HOw about helping some of the people who lost everything in the hurricane??? Pick one family or 2—stand up and purchase some of the basics they lost- blankets, sheets-towels-toothbrushes-soap-jeans-coats for them as a Christmas gift and make her use some of her own money to do this.
Hell- I live on less than $13,000 a year, but every time I make soup with a turkey carcass, I give one quart container to the retired man across the street. That is 3 meals for him, with bread. Not much, but something.
I certainly am not crying about not being able to be attached to a dozen or so electronic umbilical cords.
Get out of the rare air of New York City or Washington and actually learn how this country operates!!!
Meanwhile—stand up and BE A PARENT!!! Quit letting those teenagers guilt you into anything!!! It is YOUR job to be a parent and grow her into a responsible adult. We already have enough ‘Occupy Protestors” who are trust fund recipients.
You both will benefit from the experience!!!
I don’t think they’re wearing flip-flops to show off their feet, but you never know ;-). We stopped at Petsmart on Thursday evening to get crickets, and the lady in front of me in the line was wearing flip-flops. It was 40 degrees outside.
Maybe people don’t feel the cold like we used to ... something in the modern diet?
Something must be happening. I tend to think people are just becoming increasingly stupid automatons.
BTW, as an aside, ladies----there are all kinds of cute and fashionable sandals that show off your pedicure. Can we leave flip-flops on the beach?
Forgive me for temporarily hijacking this into a fashion thread...I had to say it. /rant off
*EXACTLY* what I was about to say!
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