Do you find that most young people are disrespectful of their elders?

Question

I'm 37 years old, not a senior citizen yet, but it disturbs me to see the trend of the younger generations disrespecting their elders the way they do. My own son does it once in a while, he got on here not too long ago and posted a nasty question to the seniors group. I went through later and apologized to everyone who answered (of those who allowed email). All of my grandparents died before I was born, except for my paternal grandmother, and she was an alcoholic.Anyway, I wish I had had grandparents to sit at their feet and listen to their stories about the "good ole days" and share their wisdom with me. So many young people take our elderly for granted, not realizing that if they'd just open their minds we could learn a lot from each other. Do you know in China the elderly in society are held in high respect and honored and cherished? Nursing homes are unheard of there because families take care of their own. If only we were more like the Chinese.

Answer 1

With "rudeness" being the new cachet, EVERYONE is treated with disrespect. Also, I get disrespect from my contemporaries, so it may be more pandemic than you realize

Answer 2

I never hear from my grandchildren unless it's their birthday or Christmas. Kids aren't like they use to be. They sass, make obscene jesters, they never offer you a seat if all the chairs are taken, they never open a door for you, they run you over instead. Not only do they disrespect their grandparents. I have seen how they talk and act towards their parents as well. So who is to blame? I say the parents of course. They allowed this to happen. It's sad and only going to get worse. Just think how THEIR kids will turn out. Hopefully by then a good swat on the rear when needed will be allowed by society. That's the best cure all.

Answer 3

China isn't a great example...considering all the negative social attitudes of years gone by...maybe the seniors are honored and cherished because they actually survived horrid traditions gone by.

Kids are better off taught to respect all ages, gendres, etc. Lifestyles and attitudes have changed so much toward all kinds of people, not just seniors. Teachers, the law, business owner's, anyone who represents any authority or direction. What would happen if anyone told the parents of these misguided kids...for the most part I believe nothing.

As a middle-aged adult I still believe in respecting all people. I like all people until done wrong by...

which by the way leads to another part of kids and seniors...I hated Grandpa and all old people after he molested me. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it - I knew I wouldn't be believed. It's all over now, thanks to lots of counselling.

I think the issue of disrespect is bigger than just bratty kids going overboard. We can only hope to guide our own, and protect the vulnerable. Pointing fingers at one specific group won't do any good, in my opinion.

And thanks Yahoo for the chance to give that opinion. xo

Answer 4

As I learned, at a young age on a front porch, respect is earned and you are taught how to be respectable and also how to give it and receive it.
Thank heaven not all kids are disrespectful but the few do stand out like a sore thumb.
I am 62 and have a son age 9. Yup! He is nine, and he has manners but also knows how to handle folks (of any age) who don't. He shows by example (quietly) and knows that somethings you can't control or change. He maybe only 9 but he is a smart kid and his examples have made him many friends in both genders and age groups.
I'm a wildlife artist and sometimes I also teach private group lessons. Get lots of kids & adults and sometimes a child gets in my class that is a total horror of disrespect (even to his own folks). That child learns right off the bat (in a firm way) that I will not tolerate his mouth or his actions. The rest of the group backs me up and the child gets the picture real fast.
Each and every day I, like others, have to earn respect and how we do it is the key.
TV, movies, music, and now the computer have opened the world to everyone and some of the stuff isn't fit. We grew up on our own brand of music etc. and to some degree it formed us too. What and how we deal with it is up to us and how it will affect the younger crowd.
We only hear about the ones doing wrongs but I assure you, they are in the minority.

Answer 5

Kids these days are not taught by their parents they"re taught by TV and their peers. They learn that if it's not new it's worthless... just throw it over their shoulder and get a new one (a better one). Never mind that the old one has been doing the job for twenty years without failing... The new one is shiny and new... So what if it breaks the second time it's used It's shiny and new AND broken throw it away and get another. Everything around them is disposable... why not the old people too?

I live in California and one can tell when kids from the Midwest and south come into a place... They say yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir and no sir... They have manners... But out here they lose most of them in a big hurry.

And I deal with the "good ones" a big percentage of the time... I deal with them in church.

End of Rant

Answer 6

No more than any other generation. I was taught to respect my elders but that was my family and grandma would not let you treat her any other way but right. Kids are you and they think old people really don't know anything they can use today because they are old and information changes so quickly. But then again there are the older people that disrespect the younger crowd without giving them a fair shot too. I really wish the gap could be closed and a generation of healthy younger people can learn from healthy older people and vise versa

Answer 7

Was that the question asking if seniors still have sex? That was pretty rude, but i probably would have thought it was funny a couple of years ago. Im 18 and i love elderly people! My grandparents are all dead and i wish they weren't, i find the elderly really interesting, and a lot nicer and friendlier than a lot of people out there. Although in saying that there are a lot of mean old people too.

Answer 8

I also notice this. I treat senior citizens with respect and also have been teaching my children to also be respectful.
It is disgraceful how so many kids these days are not taught to respect their elders and they turn out to be very rude and inconsiderate towards them.
What a shame b/c they deserve the utmost respect.
China is doing something right-better than the USA.
We could learn something from them.

Answer 9

This disrsepect for the elderly has even got into the churches.

If your church is a Rick Warren church you'll know what I mean.
Young people here are pandered to with their noisy music, chasing about, encouragement to tear down the traditions of the church, KJB and organ and quiet moments abandoned, hugging and kissing and slobbering other themselves in fashion, children put onto church councils, the elderly side-tracked and ignored, called wrinkleys to their faces, old-fashioned (with a snear), and all this encouraged by the with-it vicar or preacher who has made his church into a personality cult.

But the Seniors are expected to provide the money!

Answer 10

No I don't. Seniors too have to share the blame for they are generally mistrustful of the younger lot. I suppose it is the generation divide which the society for ever has found it impossible to bridge. Yes, I agree it is for the parents to inculcate proper values for once the kids are through their tumultuous years, they will come back to those values. Haven't we all passed through it? Rebelled and come back to the old values? The difference is in our time we had much more stable family relationships - they are so fragile now. And it indeed is difficult for kids of broken homes to inculcate any kind of values for they received none and were too busy sheltering themselves from all kind of adversities, physical and mental. No wonder they have a totally irreverent attitude. That group specially believes in giving it back to life and that includes elders too. I think the onus is on elders, not to be overly sensitive and overreact, but to be patient and put and view things in their proper perspective. After all, we have the advantage of age and experience which they don't have.

As for the Chinese model, that is an Asian trait ,only the Chinese one gets talked about more for they are getting noticed even otherwise for various other reasons.

Answer 11

Not the young people that I know. They love me. Hug me. I cook for them. I take them places. They buy me cards for my birthday. My grandson said his friends like me better than him. I told him that I believe it is my pancakes that they like and the crispy bacon that I fry. They call me Grandma just like my grandson who is 17. Believe it or not, but he is white and his friends are one black, one hispanic and two white and one tomboy girl. They skateboard together. Go bowling together. My grandson is very handsome and last year he had girls everywhere, but this year none. I asked him why and he replied that they cost too much money. He said girls are too bossy and they want to run his show. He plays the drums. He's been in baseball, football, basketball and now bowling. He's a championship bowler and being trained by a professional. Once, one of his friends smarted off to his mother and my grandson took him home in his car and we've never seen him since. I don't know if my daughter told him that he couldn't come back or if my grandson just dropped him as a friend. This is the only disrespectful young person that I have heard about. I often make them watch their mouth in front of me and they do. They are good kids.