Generation Stupid -- Yep, it is as it appears to be...

[Coito ergo sum]

Boy I tell you, these kids today, with their hair and their clothes...

I try to be mindful of the fact that every generation says the same shit about the newer generations. But, the evidence does seem to be mounting that this latest batch of kids born from, like, the late 1980s on, have been coddled to the extreme and are not well educated or disciplined.

The main point though, is that children are the products of the environment created for them by their parents and by society. If kids are coming out of college ignorant, lazy, and with an inflated notion of themselves, then we can turn and look at their parents for the cause,

Agreed. They aren't materially different than one generation prior, not in a genetic sense. It is certainly cultural. And, I blame their coddling parents!

The kids can't be blamed for it. They are going to experience a few years of "adjustment" as the real world disabuses them of the notions put into them by parents and an idiotic teaching environment.

Yep. I just don't get what happened. I mean - perfectly good, smart, and otherwise common sensical people have gone mad. Like, I have this friend who is in his mid-40s, and he has a few kids. One of them reached college age, and was moving in to his apartment, and I offered to help out since my friend was going to help his son lug some stuff around. What ended up happening was that I and my friend lugged all the heavy stuff around and his 19 year old kid basically watched. Then my friend set up his kid's computer, my friend's mom organized the kid's closet, and then stocked his refrigerator with food.

I was disgusted.

What self-respecting college kid wants their parents hanging around their college apartment, setting up computers and packing away clothes? Mama's boy! When you start your sophomore year in college you tell your parents you're good (but could use some money), you show up at your apartment with your own friends to help you "move in," you throw your clothes and belongings in your room, leave the computer for later, and go out and get some beer!

What the heck is with these young people today!

[Coito ergo sum]

doop!

[MrJonno]

The problem with saving economy/unemployment for the end is that the economy is what pays for all things you listed previously.

True but as Churchill said when asked why he was increasing the arts budget on the brink of being invaded, said to remind people of what we are actually fighting for

Shouldn't the UK just have capitulated anyway? Agreeing to fascist rule would have save hundreds of thousands of lives, and avoided a war, and then all the people would have been taken care of by the State. Seems like that would have been the easiest and least bloody way out. If nobody resisted, and everyone just followed instructions, the Germans would have let the British people go on living much the way they had before....

That wasnt really the choice was it, it was end the war and stay unoccupied (and with 6 months to rebuild make invasion impossible) or fight to the end with no obvious way of wining, obviously with hindsight the right decision was had been made but thats hindsight for you. The cabinet was split at the time and I wouldnt have described as stupid the people who wanted to end the war

[Cormac]

Boy I tell you, these kids today, with their hair and their clothes...

I try to be mindful of the fact that every generation says the same shit about the newer generations. But, the evidence does seem to be mounting that this latest batch of kids born from, like, the late 1980s on, have been coddled to the extreme and are not well educated or disciplined.

The main point though, is that children are the products of the environment created for them by their parents and by society. If kids are coming out of college ignorant, lazy, and with an inflated notion of themselves, then we can turn and look at their parents for the cause,

Agreed. They aren't materially different than one generation prior, not in a genetic sense. It is certainly cultural. And, I blame their coddling parents!

The kids can't be blamed for it. They are going to experience a few years of "adjustment" as the real world disabuses them of the notions put into them by parents and an idiotic teaching environment.

Yep. I just don't get what happened. I mean - perfectly good, smart, and otherwise common sensical people have gone mad. Like, I have this friend who is in his mid-40s, and he has a few kids. One of them reached college age, and was moving in to his apartment, and I offered to help out since my friend was going to help his son lug some stuff around. What ended up happening was that I and my friend lugged all the heavy stuff around and his 19 year old kid basically watched. Then my friend set up his kid's computer, my friend's mom organized the kid's closet, and then stocked his refrigerator with food.

I was disgusted.

What self-respecting college kid wants their parents hanging around their college apartment, setting up computers and packing away clothes? Mama's boy! When you start your sophomore year in college you tell your parents you're good (but could use some money), you show up at your apartment with your own friends to help you "move in," you throw your clothes and belongings in your room, leave the computer for later, and go out and get some beer!

What the heck is with these young people today!

If I was his parents I'd be mortified with embarrassment.

[Audley Strange]

Actually, from your descriptions it seems the problem may well be that their parents are not letting them grow up CES. Still nothing Gen X does surprises me.

[JimC]

Actually, from your descriptions it seems the problem may well be that their parents are not letting them grow up CES. Still nothing Gen X does surprises me.

I think there's some truth in that; the whole "helicopter parenting" thing...