What do you think is the biggest factor in the decline of society?

Question

Something went wrong either in my generation or my parent's generation. I am 27 and am horrified by alot of what I see and hear today. The way kids and teenagers (and even some of my generation) behave. The way they dress (and the parents let them). I personally would never let my daughter out of the house in some of that junk. Heck, it's hard to find 'normal' jeans anymore, even for a six year old girl. Everywhere you look, kids have their butts hanging out of their pants. It's disgusting. Are parents just afraid to take control of their kids or is there something bigger going on?

Answer 1

Divorce. People enter into what is supposed to be a holy union, they have kids, then when the sex gets old and the money gets tight, they splt up. I can't speak for girls, but boys need a strong father in the home. Even if the father is a man of strong character, just his absence from the son's everyday life is crippling in every aspect of their development. Boys grow up without seeing what a man is supposed to to act like, so they have no clue themselves. So they act like punk gangstas, mutilate their bodies with silly tattoos and piercings, and turn to alcohol & drugs. Then they enter into what is supposed to be a holy union, they have kids, then when the sex gets old and the money gets tight, they splt up. The cycle begins again. I'm a parole officer, and over 98% of my caseload (76 total) comes from broken homes. About that same percentage have stupid ink on their skin or holes in their bodies (other than the ones they were born with), and 100% (that's ONE HUNDRED PERCENT) confess to having an alcohol and/or drug problem. The national statistics (if I recall correctly, www.doj.gov is a good place to start) are just staggering and sad. Everyone in every community, regardless of how big or small, should be deathly concerned about how to save the traditional family unit.

Answer 2

I think time's are changing for the better in most cases. People say, "the good ole' days", but really if you look back in time, there was slavery, sexism, and cruelty. I thinksome of the ways girls dress is not becoming or smart, but I believe that it is their right nonetheless to learn and develop. As an adult, they may look back at photos of themselves with apprehension, and teach their children to avoid doing the same things.
I have a bigger problem with hate than kids dressing inappropriately. Parents need to teach their children, above all, to love people for who they are. This may sound cliche - but the widening gap between liberals and conservatives, rich and poor, young and old - is growing to the point of America being more divided than it was during the Civil War.
Trends come and go, but when kids are taught disrespect and hate for others (because of their race, religion, income, gender, body, or sexual orientation) - the gap grows dangerously immense.

Answer 3

Generally speaking, it would be the media's fault. The media controls our brains, if you think about it. Fashion, dietary habits, religion, politics, corporate sponsorship, etc. is all fed into our brains through the media.

Parents have no control over their kids anymore, I agree with you. The American culture is degrading, where negative influences are becoming positive things (one example of this is the need for everyone to be 'gangsta').

It IS disgusting, and we as a society should be ashamed, not proud, of ourselves. It's no wonder the whole world hates us.

Answer 4

The decline in morals and character. In some places of India younger generation still obey their parents, bow before them to take their blessings, help old ones, love animals. But mostly the urban youth has got more exploitation towards drugs, wine and women, which ultimately resulted in the decline of the society.

Answer 5

a. The government- which has made it possible for single women who can't keep their legs closed to raise a family and be as promiscuous as they please. (Due to welfare and other forms of public aid. The need for families in a society has been blown away, so that boys grow up without fathers to discipline them and so that girls grow up thinking their only purpose in life is to reproduce for $$$$$.)
b. The media- which preaches that people act the way they do because of someone else.
c. The government (again)- which has caused forced integration in schools. Whites, East Asians, and Jews DO have higher GPAs. Schools should have various standards (all areas should have three schools: one for intelligent kids, one for average kids, and another one for slower kids), and they should not be forced to welcome in kids who get lower scores because of their race. Since schools are integrated by race, though, the bar has been lowered to a point where slower kids have trouble and smarter kids are not challenged as much as they should be. Sad- and what some of you will see as a racist issue-but true. Schools should be integrated by GPA- NOTHING ELSE!

Answer 6

Mobility and lack of permanence. An economic system that has failed to adapt to that mobility by replacing traditional family values with societal values, and support structures, now that so few people live their entire lives within 20 miles of their extended traditional families and childhood friends, or hold the same job for more than 5 years.

Answer 7

Its because tv and popular psychiatrists ane therapists tell us that we are stunting out children't growth by punishing them for their bad actions. We have been told that we have to be our children's friends, not their parents. I never did it with my kids, and they aren't doing it with their kids, either. Kids need a parent, not another friend, and many people don't realize that.

Answer 8

globalisation --> greater pressure on parents to provide for the family --> latchkey kids with no parental supervision --> unwholesome movies and songs from the media --> lead to waywardness of impressionable youngsters --> further degradation to family life --> whole cycle repeats itself

Answer 9

I'm 51 and I have the same question. They act like they were never raised properly; never heard the word "no".

Answer 10

Lack of compassion.