It has often been said that our youth is the future. If that is true, it would explain why the future seems so depressing these days. Now, every single generation has moaned and groaned and complained about the next generation's problems. How they 'just don't know anything', and all that. However, it would seem that this generation is dealing with that more than any before it. Though they had their fair share of problems and idiosyncracies, the youth of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s could generally be depended upon to become upstanding members of society. Today though...There are so MANY things wrong with today's youth, that I barely know where to begin. So, let me begin at the place where my thoughts on this matter began: A school dance. Not my school, no, I passed beyond there some time ago. The parents of a young relation of mine were out of town or otherwise engaged, so I was called upon to chaperone for a school dance. Being that this was a Grade 8 dance, a sockhop as it would've once been called, I expected generally reserved, quiet behavior, as the young boys and girls would still be somewhat shy of each other. At least, that was the way it was when I was their age. The evening was divided into shifts of an hour or two for the parents, and I took one of the middle shifts, thus I arrived sometime after the dance had gotten into the swing of things.
Swing of things indeed! What a horror I saw there. Even to my socially liberal eyes, that dance floor appeared as a modern day Sodom or Gommorah to me. Boys and girls, on 12 or 13 years old, grinding together as frantically as the 20-somethings in any nightclub. Grabbing and groping and caressing each other like people twice or even three times their age. I stepped out into the hallway for some air, only to find a few sallow youths drinking vodka that I assume they had stolen from their parents. And the things that were coming out of their mouths! Cussing and language such as to make the saltiest sergeant-major blush. One of the sallow youths and a young girl, painted like a harlot akin to Paris Hilton, walked hand-in-hand into the men's washroom. Being the chaperone, I followed them in (after confiscating the vodka from the others, and sternly told them to stay put), and found them with their tongues down each other's throats, apparently intending to fornicate like rabbits. I quickly put an end to that and called the parents of all the children involved, to get them taken home. I then returned to the gymnasium, to watch the boys and girls continue to grind to the thumping beats of "I Gotta Feeling", a piece by a band named after some kind of pea if I recall correctly.
Even today, days after that unfortunate dance, I'm still disgusted by the conduct of today's youth. What has happened to us? I went to church when I was young (still do). Sex, Drugs and Alcohol are the Holy Trinity for these teenagers, Apathy is their Messiah, Kanye West and Lady Gaga are their Prophets. They have no reverence for anything, not their parents, nor their elders, nor their teachers, nor their country. They are interested only in themselves, and their hedonistic pleasures. These teenagers have been presented everything on a silver platter, and so they have no work ethic, they devote themselves only to fun. Who's dating whom? Who's fornicating with whom on the side? Who has gotten pregnant? What party was the best this weekend? These are the things they concern themselves with. Previous generations fought economic depression, and great wars, and social revolutions. What does this have? They have parties, that is all.
To paraphrase Cromwell: Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst them? Is there one vice they do not possess?
These are the times when I think of simply ignoring the world and its troubles. For if these youth are our futures, then the future is bleak indeed.
To think, Waugh complained about the Age of Hooper.
ReplyDelete"To paraphrase Cromwell: Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst them? Is there one vice they do not possess?"
Which remains me of....
'You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"
Being somewhat young myself (well, I'm almost 22, five yeas out of school), I think I can speak somewhat as to the mindset of these people.
ReplyDeleteIndeed they don't seek anything approaching fulfillment in terms of their spiritual needs. They seek immediate pleasure. They have never been denied; they come out with a sense of entitlement, and are genuinely shocked when people don't actually see them as entitled.
To them, getting smashed to the point of vomiting is considered good fun (passing out even better), and combined with the genuine recklessness of youth (to which I must confess to being, though I probably am more cautious than most of my peers) it can lead to genuine tragedy, misfortune and grave errors of judgement.
The good news is that we're not all like that. Certainly among my schoolmates, we are happier doing something more fulfilling (for a friend of mine, he wants to be a doctor, but doesn't want to treat people with lifestyle problems (as seems to be the case in much of the West), and for me personally, I want to find out about new and interesting things through my scientific inquiries, and write about imaginary worlds). Though I don't want to claim that we are the majority, I can assure you, better youth do exist.
The future's not lost yet.
Well, at least they recycle!
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Gladstone. Some of the souls on this list were pretty damn young. The Cadet Wing at RMC looks almost indecently young to these eyes. My son and daughter are young, as are the fine kids they play sports with, they attend school with, they socialize with. There have been punks, thugs, and bullies in every generation. Some have simply been tested earlier and had to grow up sooner.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not agree with the way 'youth' (I'm only 24 myself) behave, it is worth remembering that their behaviour today stems from the dismantlement of an ordered society in the 60s. It amuses me no end to hear ex-hippy baby boomers* complain about their children and grand not doing what they are told, swearing and being promiscuous. What goes around, and whatnot.
ReplyDeleteThe younger generation will always push the boundaries of what was allowed, when those boundaries all but dissapeared, well, you see the results.
*I'm not referring to anyone on this blog, certainly not Gladstone.
Oh, I'm not a baby boomer, Lord Best, don't you worry. I am in fact a lot closer to the age of the youth than I would like to admit. In fact, if all goes well, I might be joining the RMC Cadet Wing soon. I am, however, old enough to see the sins of the youth following in my foot steps through secondary education.
ReplyDeleteBabbling Brooks: The difference is that those youths work hard and apply themselves to everything they pursue. And in my opinion, those young men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan are the finest that this generation has to offer. I am talking about the unwashed masses back at home in Canada, who have no appreciation for what their finest members go off and do in Afghanistan, and think only of themselves.
"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient of restraint"
ReplyDeleteHesriod Circa 800BC