I wish I'd caught the show. I don't watch it nearly as regularly as I used to.
This is one of my pet peeves too. And I think it really starts with the parents.
I worked for years in the computer gaming industry while I was raising teen sons. So I saw it from so many sides.... how my sons behaved, how others did, etc.
I was always so pleased to hear from adult friends and neighbors (often elderly) how polite my sons were to them when they met up with them. I hear that to this day. And my younger son still is an avid gamer and could give lessons on how to treat others within games. (And no, he's not just behaving one way in front of me and another when I'm not around.)
My sons hate smoking and would NEVER have behaved the way you describe. I'm also appalled at the lessons those parents are teaching their kids by letting them get away with that.
Ugh.
I am not sure that people ARE getting ruder though. At least I can't blame it on the younger generation. The rudest people I have ever encountered have been adults, not teens. I think they're more casual in how they talk but that doesn't necessarily equate to rudeness.
I still hear wonderful stories from adults about teens who went out of their way to be kind.
We're the ones doing them a disservice if we're not exhibiting and teaching common courtesy in day to day life.
Lisa
· 3 years ago
Ugh, I go through this with my students every year, who really are very nice and well-raised kids. They are just part of a culture that thinks that if you think it, you should say it (as loud as possible) and that you "deserve" to get exactly what you want, when you want it.
Example: I provide a nice assortment of food and games for a class party, and a kid partakes of everything before complaining that real parties have soda, and we didn't have any.
Or: the principal hands out little pencils or ribbons for a special occasion, and kids go "That's it??" or the items end up on the floor.
So every year we go through it. "Here are your choices - 'Yes, thank you' or 'No, thank you'." And the inevitable day where I lose my patience with a whiner and exclaim, "That kind of talk makes me not want to give you anything!" Eventually, we get to a point in the year where a kid opens his mouth to complain, and other kids quickly snap, "Just be grateful you got something! Geez!" but it takes a whole year to get there.
Then there's the general insatiability and inability to wait inherent in the culture (the whole highway phenomenon). In school, you can almost see the skid marks when kids are trying to get done with assignments. A kid feels totally justified in calling out, "I'm done!" or worse, "I'm bored!" while his classmates are still working on/enjoying an activity. This is true regardless of whether it's a phonics worksheet, a science project, or even an open ended drawing assignment. Certain kids feel the need to get it over with (why are we always rushing to the next thing, anyway?) and need to interrupt everyone else. That one is harder to get rid of. Especially because we have this ethic in education that children should never be "bored".
Well, I happen to disagree. I think, within reason, children need to learn to find their own challenges and ways of entertaining themselves. Half the time, kids hand stuff in that could have been worked on longer, that could have been examined more deeply. Instead of expecting someone else to drop everything and give them more, more, more, they should be learning to explore and add to what they're given. But our society is a consumer model. So it's an uphill battle.
God, this turned into a long vent. Sorry!
drumsnwhistles
· 3 years ago
Swamphag, I totally agree and hope that came through in what I wrote. The issue for me isn't the KIDS, it's the parents and what they either overlook or intentionally ignore. Why aren't they expecting more from their kids? I'm always amazed at what parents will teach their kids to tolerate while letting them get away with blatantly rude behavior in other areas. It's up to the parents to give their kids the tools -- the life lessons -- so they can function.
Lisa Welcome and rant away! I enjoyed reading the teacher's perspective on it, and love the analogy of the rushers in the classroom and the highway. :) I'm enjoying your blog as well...I laugh and then cringe at some of the stories you tell.
swamphag
· 3 years ago
Yup, it came through in what you wrote. :-) My last part was addressed more to what you describe as to how 20/20 reported the story.
All Comments
This is one of my pet peeves too. And I think it really starts with the parents.
I worked for years in the computer gaming industry while I was raising teen sons. So I saw it from so many sides.... how my sons behaved, how others did, etc.
I was always so pleased to hear from adult friends and neighbors (often elderly) how polite my sons were to them when they met up with them. I hear that to this day. And my younger son still is an avid gamer and could give lessons on how to treat others within games. (And no, he's not just behaving one way in front of me and another when I'm not around.)
My sons hate smoking and would NEVER have behaved the way you describe. I'm also appalled at the lessons those parents are teaching their kids by letting them get away with that.
Ugh.
I am not sure that people ARE getting ruder though. At least I can't blame it on the younger generation. The rudest people I have ever encountered have been adults, not teens. I think they're more casual in how they talk but that doesn't necessarily equate to rudeness.
I still hear wonderful stories from adults about teens who went out of their way to be kind.
We're the ones doing them a disservice if we're not exhibiting and teaching common courtesy in day to day life.
Example: I provide a nice assortment of food and games for a class party, and a kid partakes of everything before complaining that real parties have soda, and we didn't have any.
Or: the principal hands out little pencils or ribbons for a special occasion, and kids go "That's it??" or the items end up on the floor.
So every year we go through it. "Here are your choices - 'Yes, thank you' or 'No, thank you'." And the inevitable day where I lose my patience with a whiner and exclaim, "That kind of talk makes me not want to give you anything!" Eventually, we get to a point in the year where a kid opens his mouth to complain, and other kids quickly snap, "Just be grateful you got something! Geez!" but it takes a whole year to get there.
Then there's the general insatiability and inability to wait inherent in the culture (the whole highway phenomenon). In school, you can almost see the skid marks when kids are trying to get done with assignments. A kid feels totally justified in calling out, "I'm done!" or worse, "I'm bored!" while his classmates are still working on/enjoying an activity. This is true regardless of whether it's a phonics worksheet, a science project, or even an open ended drawing assignment. Certain kids feel the need to get it over with (why are we always rushing to the next thing, anyway?) and need to interrupt everyone else. That one is harder to get rid of. Especially because we have this ethic in education that children should never be "bored".
Well, I happen to disagree. I think, within reason, children need to learn to find their own challenges and ways of entertaining themselves. Half the time, kids hand stuff in that could have been worked on longer, that could have been examined more deeply. Instead of expecting someone else to drop everything and give them more, more, more, they should be learning to explore and add to what they're given. But our society is a consumer model. So it's an uphill battle.
God, this turned into a long vent. Sorry!
Lisa Welcome and rant away! I enjoyed reading the teacher's perspective on it, and love the analogy of the rushers in the classroom and the highway. :) I'm enjoying your blog as well...I laugh and then cringe at some of the stories you tell.