Indifference, coming to a youth near you?

[_Maxrep]

A couple of my wifes sisters have good sized families. The children have grown, some have served missions, all are overdue in taking on their adult responsibilities of marrying and starting a family. None attend church, but none consider themselves inactive either!

Are young people in our church today not stirred as deeply by the doctrine as previous generations? Does the current multi tasking generation have trouble enduring church meetings as it takes on such a different pace than they are accustomed to? I think we all have witnessed palm pilot activity as well as cell phone instant messaging in sacrament meeting.

This is not at all an undercut to todays youth. I am just wondering if the environment that young people experience today leaves less room or interest for the church schedule?

[_Ray A]

This is not at all an undercut to todays youth. I am just wondering if the environment that young people experience today leaves less room or interest for the church schedule?

That's a kind way of putting it. My view of today's youth is a mixture of good and bad, and I think that, perhaps, too many LDS youth are probably going with the trend of selfishness, what we called the "me generation". In my view youth have "less room for interest" in anything much but themselves. I remember when TV first came in and I was just glad to have a TV, and watch "Noddy" (the puppet) through the black and white static. And then there was Broderick Crawford in "Highway Patrol", and "Robin Hood", things our "yungerns" would find absolutely boring. No videos, no CDs, and most of our time was spent "playing outside". Today they're hooked on computer games, and don't understand the real meaning of "play", in the fresh air.

They're spoilt, and that's the problem. Digital watches for a seventh birthday, cell phones compulsory for anyone under ten, computers for tenth birthdays - all ready-made, and no appreciation of the "progress" to these things. Then, every generation has said the same about past generations. My father was born in 1905, and my mother in 1911, and they had no hot water, sometimes no running water, and had to bathe in bucketfulls of carried water. Electricity was in its early days, and street lights were kerosene-lit. Flicking a switch just to turn on a light was "miraculous".

Then I could tell you about my grandparents.......

[_asbestosman]

If it makes you feel any better Ray, the youth in my neighborhood are often outside playing. Unfortunaly they're donig the same thing I did when I was young and played outside. They're lighting off fireworks.

I still go out and play, but nowadays it's mostly just when I bike to work. I remember the old days when my parents would sit in their cars while in the giant parking lots ironically named "freeways" while wasting hard earned money burning gas in it. My parents had it tough. I feel kinda bad for them so sometimes I go half way by taking the bus and a good book for the commute.

[_Ray A]

If it makes you feel any better Ray, the youth in my neighborhood are often outside playing. Unfortunaly they're donig the same thing I did when I was young and played outside. They're lighting off fireworks.

I don't want to create a stereotype, but that's my main observation, that kids today are much more self-absorbed. Youth crime where I live (are you Aussie too?) is sky-rocketing, and no one in their right mind can ignore this. It has even been the subject of parliamentary debates. This never occurred at this level even 30 years ago. We have created spoilt malcontents because they have too much, and no appreciation of what they have.

[_Jersey Girl]

If it makes you feel any better Ray, the youth in my neighborhood are often outside playing. Unfortunaly they're donig the same thing I did when I was young and played outside. They're lighting off fireworks.

I don't want to create a stereotype, but that's my main observation, that kids today are much more self-absorbed. Youth crime where I live (are you Aussie too?) is sky-rocketing, and no one in their right mind can ignore this. It has even been the subject of parliamentary debates. This never occurred at this level even 30 years ago. We have created spoilt malcontents because they have too much, and no appreciation of what they have.

Ray,

I'm curious about your comments. In your country would you say that there are a significant number of children (with 2 working parents) who are spending several hours in day care?

[_The Nehor]

"Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy s*** we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off." -Fight Club

Sums up my generation and probably the next one.

[_Ray A]

If it makes you feel any better Ray, the youth in my neighborhood are often outside playing. Unfortunaly they're donig the same thing I did when I was young and played outside. They're lighting off fireworks.

I don't want to create a stereotype, but that's my main observation, that kids today are much more self-absorbed. Youth crime where I live (are you Aussie too?) is sky-rocketing, and no one in their right mind can ignore this. It has even been the subject of parliamentary debates. This never occurred at this level even 30 years ago. We have created spoilt malcontents because they have too much, and no appreciation of what they have.

Ray,

I'm curious about your comments. In your country would you say that there are a significant number of children (with 2 working parents) who are spending several hours in day care?

Plenty! And that's where they are learning their "values". They are handed over to day care, not coming home to "Mom's bake", because "Mom is always at work". Governments have a sizeable share of blame for this, and their pursuit of the Almighty dollar. Deregulation in the early '80s forced almost all couples back to work, while they handed the kids over to "daycare". Their kids, in effect, were being raised by other people, and the kids were in other "communal settings" where they adopted the values and ideas of other people - not their parents, who were too busy paying off mortgages.

[_asbestosman]

(are you Aussie too?)

Nope, I live on the west coast of the USA.

We have created spoilt malcontents because they have too much, and no appreciation of what they have.

I admit that me and most of my friends are computer addicts. We love video games and the like. Still, I don't know all that many people who are into a life of crime. I do think many people are foolish with their money, but I don't think any are spoiled or malcontent. On the other hand when it comes to politics I often do feel that many people are spoiled malcontents. Perhaps it depends on which region of the USA one lives in.

As far as crime goes, things are pretty good except for a recent surge in car stereo thefts from my place of employment. Hasn't effected me much as I never drive to work. Anyhow I'm fairly happy with what I've got.

I imagine that many places in the USA are similar to Australia as far as spoiled kids goes. Still, I suppose there are going to be some differences too.

[_Ray A]

I admit that me and most of my friends are computer addicts. We love video games and the like. Still, I don't know all that many people who are into a life of crime.

Unfortunately I do.

As far as crime goes, things are pretty good except for a recent surge in car stereo thefts from my place of employment. Hasn't effected me much as I never drive to work. Anyhow I'm fairly happy with what I've got.

Count yourself blessed. A few stints as a night-shift taxi driver might change your opinions. I am exposed to the best, and the worst in society, and no matter how small the "worst" is, it's still of serious concern to me. I never realised the extent of this serious problem until I started working as a night shift driver. Most of my workmates write it off as "normal trends", but I believe it carries a germ deadly enough to eventually destroy our society, and that I don't want. And of course, I'm being "melodramatic" again, but let me know what you think about a knife being stuck in your face, and robbed, and/or bashed, and then you can just write this off as "normal trends". What was "news" 30 years ago is not "news" today - it's considered "normal", for our increasingly warped society. Sorry, but I'm on the frontlines of all this, and I see it every night. So I can't help being concerned. When I was tucked away in my solitude and oblivious to all this, I would post exactly what you did. But: "Mine eyes have been opened."

I'm not trying to be a prophet of doom, but I'm seriously concerned about the way our society is going.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

Kids!
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
Kids!
Who can understand anything they say?
Kids!
They are so ridiculous and immature!
I don't see why anybody wants 'em!
Just you wait and see
Kids!
Kids! They are just impossible to control!
(Soon you'll be old enough to be)
Kids! With their awful clothes and their rock an' roll!
(Another teenage delinquent)
Why can't they be like you were,
Perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids to--
Kids!
What the devil's wrong with these kids today?
Kids!
Who could guess the they would turn out that way!
Why can't they be like we were,
Perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids?
What's the matter with kids?
What's the matter with kids today?

Bye Bye Birdie, came out in what, early 60's?

Anyway, I don't know exactly why the OP led into a discussion of what's the matter with kids today. If Mormonism isn't their cup of tea, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with the kids necessarily.