Is society now obligated to find them friends?

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
Is society now obligated to find them friends?

Their parents structured their lives so much, and gave them free access to technology.. They never had the chance to develop actual social skills. Also, the apparatus for self esteem and problem solving is broken.

Whole generations are just giant children. It is very bad, and could get worse.

In my generation, parents said 'go outside and play'. Friendships developed from that simple concept. Online 'friends' is the reality these days.

It’s how you’re raised not necessarily the accessibility of technology. Some of the biggest go getters I know are millennials. It seems like they either have it or they don’t.

Just kinda funny listening to a bunch of guys rip on the youth through the same technology.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
Just kinda funny listening to a bunch of guys rip on the youth through the same technology.

Yeah, that's hilarious, because we're all children, aren't we? Did you put any thought at all into that post? I just love people who post quasi-revelations such as yours.

There are few friends in anyone's life, and none of them last forever.

The rest are strangers or, at best, acquaintances. When you stop to think about it, you're pretty lucky to know much about yourself, let alone anyone else.

Not having friends isn't all that big of a deal once a person really gets that.

Maybe being an only child in the latch key generation set me up for self reliance?

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
...parents who overscheduled and "protected" them from _everything_...

Yeah, that's the other component of it. Y'know, if we had seen a kid in my neighborhood wearing a freaking helmet to ride a bicycle, we would have beaten his ass.

Go ahead and make your children afraid to go outside, afraid to roughhouse and get skinned knees. Afraid to get hurt, physically and emotionally. Make them afraid of everything and everyone. Keep them from growing up. This is what you get.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
...parents who overscheduled and "protected" them from _everything_...

Yeah, that's the other component of it. Y'know, if we had seen a kid in my neighborhood wearing a freaking helmet to ride a bicycle, we would have beaten his ass.

Go ahead and make your children afraid to go outside, afraid to roughhouse and get skinned knees. Afraid to get hurt, physically and emotionally. Make them afraid of everything and everyone. Keep them from growing up. This is what you get.

That's bullying!!!
There's soooo many anti-bullying campaigns out there now, it will make your head spin!

But it's true. That kid would have caught an ass whuppin in my neighborhood too. Same with Lil Jimmy that wanted to be called "Jane" and started to wear dresses and makeup.

But bullying is baaaaaddddd....


Somewhere along the line, kids stopped getting the belt when they screwed up. That turned into a "Time Out". Now it's a "Time In".
Zero repercussions for screwing up early in life. Then years later, as a group of decision making adults, are shockingly unable to hold anyone accountable for their actions as well...

Mommy and daddy preached "You're special" to the lil ones so much, they actually believed it. Mommy and daddy instilled zero work ethic. More importantly, mommy and daddy enabled them in their feckless and lazy behavior. Reality became a cold, hard bitch-slap to the face when the lil ones grew up and realized that they were mediocre at best.

"Oh, you want to make a million dollars a year to do what, exactly? You show up late, want to leave early, you can barely attain 'average' status, and continue to screw things up! The phrase is simple, ask everyone if they want to super size their happy meal."

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
Just kinda funny listening to a bunch of guys rip on the youth through the same technology.

Yeah, that's hilarious, because we're all children, aren't we? Did you put any thought at all into that post? I just love people who post quasi-revelations such as yours.

Glad you enjoyed it. It just struck me as ironic that a bunch of people sitting alone and using the same technology are saying it’s ruining the youth and eliminating their friends.

My wife and I were eating at a restaurant a few nights ago and two young couples, late 20's or early 30's were at the table beside us. All 4 were glued to their phones and not one bit of conversation was carried on the whole time we were there. Kind sad actually.

I'm a millennial.
I have plenty of friends and no trouble making new ones.
How anyone else lives their life is their problem.

I find technology to be a polarizer. I use it every day to organize my social life and find activities. I use it to keep in touch with old friends and meet new ones. My life wouldn't be the same without it.

Technology is a tool like anything else. It can have wonderful and terrible uses. It's all who is behind it that matters.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
Just kinda funny listening to a bunch of guys rip on the youth through the same technology.

Yeah, that's hilarious, because we're all children, aren't we? Did you put any thought at all into that post? I just love people who post quasi-revelations such as yours.

Glad you enjoyed it. It just struck me as ironic that a bunch of people sitting alone and using the same technology are saying it’s ruining the youth and eliminating their friends.

Yeah, I got that the first time you said it. Too bad you can't say the same.

But they do, Technology and smart phones are their friends.

I was talking to a coworker about marriage and relationships. He mentioned that his parents have been together for 42 years. I responded that I had the greatest respect for his parents accomplishment ..... (read that as envy)... but the world is a different place than when they got together. He agreed.

Most of us are old, including myself. perhaps we don't have a clue as to what these kids are experiencing. Do they know something we don't? Maybe the world we remember is gone. Maybe it never was that way in the first place.

Personally, I wish I hadn't even said hello to many of my so called "friends". Ditto to the "wonderful" women I've met over the years.

Strangely enough, the many hours I've spent on a computer (not internet) has had a greater positive impact on my quality of life than the people I've known.

True friends are very, very hard to make. You'll be lucky to have one true friend in your lifetime.

V.

My kids use their devices a good bit, but still manage to have REAL friends, go out and do things, engage in hobbies, etc.

There is a vast difference between using current technology and being so hopelessly mired in it that it has become your reality. South Park did an episode that describes it to a T called “You Have 0 friends” aimed at both Facebook and internet immersion.