To adults: What do you think of teenagers these days?

Question

Do you think they are spoiled, disrespectful, hard-working, smart, ect? I don't want an "it depends on the person" answer, I'm asking for generalities.

Answer 1

One of the Greek philosphers over 2000 years ago lamented how the younger generation was disrespectful, had no morals, were lazy, had no intelligence, no ambition and only thought about themselves. Every generation since has had the same rap and yet the kids seem to grow up and take over the responsibility of running the Nations the same as their parents and grandparets did before them. We always feel we had it harder and were better than our kids. However, every generation has it's share of good and bad and the good far outweigh the bad.

Answer 2

That is almost too hard to just generalize. I was a teen the 80s. What I recall the most was the music, boy problems and questions, general angst and the almost never ending question of who was I and where was I going. Today there is more technology, a current war overseas,more parents are split up, and more media. Teens are only as good as their parents teach them to be. It's not an easy world for anyone and teens are caught in the middle. Generally, I think they are all good kids - or at least I'd like to hope so..

Answer 3

OKAY well I'm a teen, but not to sound conceited (because I know plenty of teens who are conceited) I tend to act a bit more mature than most... I always notice that girls (I go to an all girls school) are always hugging eachother and saying "i love you" and then the next day they absolutely hate the other person's guts, and spread nasty rumors about them... A lot of them use the teachers and their parents to get by on stuff (but the teachers/parents never punish them for it) A majority of them are spoiled rotten (new cars, designer clothes, curfews past 2 am, and they hold no paying job...) Many of them are very disrespectful to their parents and I sometimes hope that karma comes and just kicks the girl's butts to show them how rude they really are...

Although there are PLENTY of girls (and guys) out there who are completely fake/plastic, there are also a good amout of hardworking honest teens out there too who want to do something good in there lives like going to college...

I do dislike a lot of teens out there, but at the same time I enjoy being one (I like/respect my parents, I try hard in school, I've never done drugs or smoked or got drunk, and I have great two great friends who, although I do tell them that I love them... I truely mean that I love them and would NEVER do anything to hurt them)

Answer 4

Its hard to give generalities because every person is different. I am 19, will be 20 in June, so I guess I am still a teenager. Sorry. Anyway, as a member of this generation, I find that people only focus on what is wrong with our generation. They dont focus on those of us who hold jobs and earn everything we get, those of us that go to school and try to make something of ourselves. Everyone wants to focus on the spoiled rich kids or the idiots living in their parents basement whose lives are headed no where fast. And its sad because those people are in the minority.

Answer 5

I respect my mom and dad very well, although I know how OH so many teenagers and preteenagers don't, which I think is really very rude. Even when some people are embarrassed to be seen with their parents, I think that's ridiculous! I love my parents and don't mind if my friends see me with them. In fact, I prefer it that way to let them know that it's fine to be seen with your parents! You know how teens used to be in the (way) older days? So respectful; those were the days. Many parents are just less strict now with their children, not that my parents are so angelic are anything. All of the things you're describing are things my sister does often; she's 15. Being two years younger than her, I pray that I don't fall into the same trap. (Oops- After all that, I don't even think I answered the question. Oh well...)

Answer 6

They have been completely betrayed by their parents and society. They are being raised to be the softest, weakest generation in history. They are coddled or ignored, their innate sense of adventure is stifled and natural gender roles are being erased through chemistry and a paternalistic society that imposes upon them its own insecurities and outright cowardice. They are expected to assume the responsibilities of adults while being treated as children.

Within the last 100 years (there are people living now who are older than that) teenage boys were encourage to go off and experience the world. Now, they're given chemicals that turn them into genderless zombies if they dare to act their age. Girls have gone from being considered "Old Maids" if they weren't married, producing children and running a household by age 16 to being treated as vestal virgins until (and in many cases past) the age of 21, and being treated as (at best) "victims" should they become involved with any male more than a week their senior.

They are forced to live in a schizophrenic, gray, little world, one day being told they are just "kids" who must be protected from the realities of life and with no capacity to make adult decisions. The next day that they are held legally to adult standards for those decisions they do make.

There was a 5-year-old Pope. Cleopatra was 13 when she was running a country and dictating policy to Rome. Teenagers have participated in, and gave their lives in, every war this country has fought. Even the leading religion in the country traces its roots to an early, mid-teen birth. Yet, we are to assume all these years later that teenagers have somehow become stupid, useless and that their sense of adventure and curiosity are dangerous.

It is the duty of parents and society to offer guidance and directon to teens while encouraging their enthusiasm and natural need to explore their limits and kissing their little boo-boo's when they fall. It is not to "protect" them from every possible discomfort they may encounter. It is not to neuter them, physically or emotionally. Most importantly, it is not to impose conflicting sets of standards that leave them in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.

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Answer 7

The teenagers was taught in public schools to learn a lot more than we did coming up and they think they know it all but yet we adults have knowledge and experience over them and all they have is the book sense that sometimes cause them to error cause they , yet some of them have not lived or experienced some things in this life. Yet they are our future and we must appreciate them and hope the best at dealing with this world.

Answer 8

Generalities -- teens live in a more socially complex (less boundaried) world than their parents or grand parents. And so I come across more and more teens who are dealing with problems which adults had to deal with (drugs, alcoholism, devastating break-ups, STDs, early divorce).

I do come across all kinds of teens -- some are spoiled and disrespectful; some are hard-working and smart.

Cordially,
John
http://www.GodSci.org

Answer 9

Teenagers these days are complete morons. More young people know who Paris Hilton is dating than who is the vice president. It's pretty sad when all they want to do is party and follow the trends of MTV. I think it's the parents faults for not instiling good morales and ethics at a young age. Useless Generation!

Answer 10

My wife and I have lived with teenagers in residential treatment programs since 1968. Not much has changed. Fashion colors change from year to year but essentially, nothing has changed for thousands of years. The biggest problem cave people had was young people not following parental requests, the biggest problem we have to day is that not following parental requests is no longer deadly and the oppositional defiant kids can breed.