# Is it just me or



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

are younger people (age 35 and younger) now a days really as stupid as so many seem to be, are they just lazy, maybe lacking in knowledge of basic skills. I constantly come across people in this age group who can't do simple things like write a cheque, fill out a basic application form, read and follow directions, have a conversation with you and not answer their cell phone, cross a street on a walk signal instead of on the red light, write a short note that an employer, landlord, sales person, teacher or doctor etc. can read and understand. What's worse is so many of them are running for political office, becoming teachers, lawyers and bankers, scary when you realize this is what wants to run the country. I know there are many who have successfully become politicians, successful business persons, lawyers, doctors etc. even with this we still have all those others who have trouble counting to 20 without taking their shoes and socks off. You may or may not agree with me on this, still I see them everyday and have to wonder about the future.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I certainly fall in that age category but that does not explain me. I can fill out forms, write with punctuation, use spell checkers and talk to people without reaching for my cell phone. I do see a lot of people doing things poorly but not everyone in said age category is mentally stumped.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Case in point

(No political comment intended--just a news story that shows fredy's point)


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

My son is that age but doesn't fall into that category. Except for his choice in females but he has to live with them. The grand daughters don't fit into that category either. I won't let them. The wife's oldest grand son who lives in our basement does fit into that category....he could be the poster child. At 21 you should know where wiper fluid goes on a truck. I figure he knows how to use spell checkers but I doubt if he knows how to play them. And like most of them he probably doesn't know what walk and chew gum means. I'm with you fredy. Most of them can't spell respect let alone what it means.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

It's your generation's fault (can be said to any generation )

Not sure how many times I've said that. You all failed, save a special few of you. You let the kids down. 

I'm fighting the battle with my own son. We're doing quite well, but it's an uphill battle. We just have one, and I can't imagine trying to make 2 children of quality. Some of you and your kids are spurting out 3 or 4 useless "in the way people".

Your desire for a lazy boy, garage door opener, automatic vehicle, etc was fed to you (and most of you ate it). That was part of the problem. 

The bourgeoisie and their private school children will take it from here.


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## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

Both my wife and I fall into your under 35 category. I was a little insulted for a second, but then I thought about our accomplishments and the moment passed. I don't think that any one generation is any worse or better than another. In my opinion people just get used to doing things a particular way and then become determined that their was is the only right way. That's not to say that there are no stupid people out there, but there are some of those in every generation. Being successful in life is a matter of being able to adapt to a changing environment and survive it, weather it be the introduction of new technology, failing economies or changing work places. There is a little experiment that I read about years ago that describes very well how most people go through their lives, for those of you that decide to take a read I'm sure that you will find it interesting.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo...n-teach-us-about-human-behavior-facts-fiction

Cheers,
F


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

"Kids these days": The generation before you said it, and the generation after you will say it.


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## whywhyzed (Jan 28, 2008)

I teach college age students. I meet 80 to 120 new students every year. In my experience, there are new extremes. Some are smarter than I ever recall anyone being 25 years ago. Others lack basic life skills and won't do much of anything independent of their parents. (majority of texting in class is to/from parents- I always ask)
What I do find today, is that the ability to be compassionate has improved, but self advocacy is not common. If the school decides to take advantage of the fact these students are only on campus short term, they will. The students will not stand up to the system, no matter how bizarrely they may be taken advantage of, they never organize or rebel. And the students will not generally stand up to, or for, anyone over the age of 30. 
Lazy is not something I would say though. There is a pretty decent work ethic in my opinion.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

I have a comment about my son and his friends ( all mid 20's ).
All have jobs, some better then others but what else is new.
They are a very close small group and get together often.
Great bunch of guys.

One of the things they do is play video games ....and then they play more games . When its all over at the end of the day, they play more games.
Frankly I don't care if they play games or not as I could think of a hell of a lot more things they could be doing that are far worse.

But I always wonder what they could achieve if they just channeled all that time , energy and brainpower into something a bit more useful.

G.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Clean Channel said:


> "Kids these days": The generation before you said it, and the generation after you will say it.


Yep...since the days of the Roman Empire and likely before.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

fredyfreeloader said:


> are younger people (age 35 and younger) now a days really as stupid as so many seem to be, are they just lazy, maybe lacking in knowledge of basic skills. I constantly come across people in this age group who can't do simple things like write a cheque, fill out a basic application form, read and follow directions, have a conversation with you and not answer their cell phone, cross a street on a walk signal instead of on the red light, write a short note that an employer, landlord, sales person, teacher or doctor etc. can read and understand. What's worse is so many of them are running for political office, becoming teachers, lawyers and bankers, scary when you realize this is what wants to run the country. I know there are many who have successfully become politicians, successful business persons, lawyers, doctors etc. even with this we still have all those others who have trouble counting to 20 without taking their shoes and socks off. You may or may not agree with me on this, still I see them everyday and have to wonder about the future.


To sum it up, no, its not just you


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

greco said:


> Yep...since the days of the Roman Empire and likely before.


things have definitely changed. I see it everyday and anyone who deals directly with the public on a fairly large scale would have to agree. Clearly there are fine examples of young adults out there. I am proud to include my two kids in that group. But that was a lot of work and time, years of preaching. If parents are not going to put in the effort then the system is going to take over and the system is broke my friends. For every dumb bell I come across out there you can trace it back to the parents and you will see why. I refused to have filthy talk in my house. I refused to have words pronounced wrong or street talk used. If they could not understand a concept it was explained to them. I demanded !!!! good grades and I demanded college (which I happily paid for). I told them the same thing my parents told me, bring the cops to this house and you are dead meat. there would be no teenage pregnancies in my house, at least none that I would be raising. Put some fear in to the little beggars you will reap benefits later I assure you. After that I considered my job done. Some may call me an ass and I am sure my kids did many times growing up. They don't now.

My son turned 30 this year and when he landed his dream job a few years back he called me up and said "dad, I want to thank you for all that you did when I was growing up because without you, I would not be where I am today". I cried for a half hour. To me that single minute made my life worthwhile.

The biggest thing I have seen over the years is the concept of a parent being a friend to their child. This is especially evident in single mothers. You ARE NOT their friend, you are the parent. If you treat them as a friend they will treat you the same way. My wife now raised her two in that fashion. I won't even bother to tell you how that turned out. By the time I got involved it was too late.


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## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

Clean Channel said:


> "Kids these days": The generation before you said it, and the generation after you will say it.


This, all day long.

Times have changed (yeah, yeah, they always do) where we have more families with 2 working parents, more kids being raised by single-parents, parents starting families later, and couples having less kids. What does all of that mean exactly? Well, this is not my area of expertise but I'm guessing that we're seeing a lot of families with 1 child who are being raised in families where the parent(s) work a lot and therefore have a lot of "alone" time. With families starting later, likely after both parents have established careers and more disposable income, kids have more "distractions" (i.e. phones, game consoles, computers, etc...) available to them and sometimes those distractions are all they have with no siblings and very little time with their parents.

Here's the other thing, I think a lot us looked at our parents' upbringing (walked to school uphill, both ways, etc...) and wanted something better. In fact, our parents wanted something better for us, too. But what's "better"? More money? More "stuff"? A bigger house? A faster car? I think "better" is different for everybody but I think the common goal is there, try to be "better" than our parents then they'll be proud of us and we'll live happily ever after.

The sooner we, as a society, figure out that "better" doesn't mean more money and more stuff then we might not blow up this planet in my lifetime.


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## Guest (May 28, 2015)

Clean Channel said:


> "Kids these days": The generation before you said it, and the generation after you will say it.


/endthread

But seriously, OP: sounds more like the company you keep. I work with mainly younger people these days (but even I'm just a touch past your 35 cut-off) and they're driven, intelligent and exceptional human beings.

Oh, and we're all working to make "writing cheques" a thing no one does any more.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Clean Channel said:


> "Kids these days": The generation before you said it, and the generation after you will say it.


[video=youtube_share;OKZjUORjPsI]http://youtu.be/OKZjUORjPsI[/video]


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

iaresee said:


> /endthread
> 
> But seriously, OP: sounds more like the company you keep. I work with mainly younger people these days (but even I'm just a touch past your 35 cut-off) and they're driven, intelligent and exceptional human beings.
> 
> Oh, and we're all working to make "writing cheques" a thing no one does any more.


In the past month, to set up automatic withdrawals, the wife has written 3 cheques and I get an actual pay check every 2 weeks. When we're busy at work I also work with a lot of young people (I am a year or two younger than fredy) and in the last 4 or 5 years almost all of them fit fredys description to a t. Yes a lot of them are good, productive people who work hard and love their moms, but, a lot of the kids that you see fall into the other category because the 'good' ones are doing what they're supposed to do. 
Are they better or worse than what the kids I grew up with were? Probably not tho I have to laugh at the 'up hill both ways' thing. It was for us. Back then tho, the punishment fit the crime.


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

To the OP - it's just you and everyone else too.

I am constantly amazed at the lazy swine-ly-ness and disrespect of the people who live in my neighbourhood irrespective of age. People who dump their yard waste on the green space & trails like it's their private composting heap. These same people pay no attention to sprinkling regulations and sprinkle their lawns whenever they feel like it. The dog waste bags hanging like Christmas tree ornaments along the trails and walk areas.

These are all people who should know better but it looks to me that the ultimate display of human nature is pure selfishness & is age irrelevant.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

There are major corporate forces at work changing our culture. Laziness in the general population is generally profitable and controllable - just so long as we buy games and phones and apps and other items that cost little to make and have large profit margins. Smartphone culture is a marketing director's wetdream. Entrenched avarice, and ADD, Woo Hoo! My wife and I, who rarely watch TV, are watching the playoffs and we've noticed that about 1/3 of the adds are for game apps!

However, I can't abide painting an entire swath of our population with the same brush - I know many young people who are perfectly capable human beings. But it will always bug me when I see a parent give a kid in a stroller their cellphone.

edit: further thought

There are plenty of lazy older people too. Look at bill C-51. Somehow that is slipping past with no public outcry, did we learn nothing from the US experience with the Patriot Act? My 73 yo dad thinks Harper is the cat's ass. He is typical of many in his generation who have no empathy for anyone different from themselves.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

My $.02..


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

There's so many reasons, and so many types of people all over the place.

I work with people 18-50+, 40+ hours a week. Sometimes people will work hard, get pissed, and slack. Other times, people will just slack off. Option 3, some people will bust ass and go home. 

There's a few reasons, whether you're at work or the mall or at home. I agree with Chuck about "how were they raised?" - I came from a home with 4 kids, one working parent, a game console, 2 TV's, a computer, and a lot of "nothing to do". Somewhere in there I learned to look after myself a bit (not as much as some of my friends, or my fiancee - but I can go it alone ). 

I know exactly how to use my manners, and I'm also selective. Meeting people? Yes. Immediate family? Not on your life. Extended family? 80% yes (if I'm tired, I care far less). My dad was like Scott, but my mom is softer - so we got a bit of a mix. I would say without a doubt that we all work hard, we're polite, and we know how to tie our shoes. We also all own phones, text when we're having a conversation (usually with each other - the older relatives really dont like it), and swear in the right company. 

I think context is a big thing. I have friends who have started businesses, and I know people that I don't even know how they function day to day. You're going to see all types, so best buckle up and get over it. If you have kids or work with younger people, try to instill good work ethic and all that stuff. If you don't, keep on keepin' on anyways.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

iaresee said:


> /endthread
> 
> But seriously, OP: sounds more like the company you keep. I work with mainly younger people these days (but even I'm just a touch past your 35 cut-off) and they're driven, intelligent and exceptional human beings.
> 
> Oh, and we're all working to make "writing cheques" a thing no one does any more.


This has nothing to do with the company I keep. I see this in the general population who come to my business. I get many people each month applying to rent an apartment, they are totally unfamiliar with the concept of filling out a simple rental application form, why can't we do it on line, because I can't pre-screen people on line. 
Appearance and attitude play a big part in deciding whom you will accept in your building. 
The ability to write a cheque should be something they learn in school or maybe university, it appears to be an overall package of not giving a damn, f you I don't want to, I can't be bothered, that's all bullshit and it's a waste of time. Many of these people are well educated, seemingly intelligent, they just don't have or can't 
be bothered to learn basic daily skills out side their work place. FU2 and other such ridiculous things written on an application do not make for good tenants or neighbours. 
I know there are some people over 35 who also do stupid things.Still the majority of these problems do come from the 35 and under age group. I did acknowledge in my first post that many in this age group are quite capable of filling out forms and writing cheques and succeeding in life with or without their computers etc. just why so few, can they not do anything without a computer or cell phone, can they not think and learn on their own.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

coming up, i knew alot of people who fit the model you guys are talking about, and i'm 50. the generation after me does seem as though they place less priority on certain things that my generation believed to be of greater significance. i think it's our fault, in a trickle-down sorta way. i would point out though, that if you read the news instead of watching it on television, you know that no one proof reads anything anymore. whether you read it or watch it, hopefully you know that many news stories are highly inaccurate. i have no proof but i think that was not always the case. i feel bad for kids these days, because they are all born into corporate slavery. they have no idea what is being done to their minds. they are constantly bombarded with advertising and subliminal suggestion. they are pushed into sexuality way too early. they are taught consumerism long before they even have an income of their own, and the keeping up with the joneses mentality is now a part of daily childhood, instead of just adulthood. we are giving our grandchildren an ugly, bleak future. that said, i gotta give props to my step kids. despite all they've had to deal with in their lives, they are turning into really awesome people that i admire and i'm proud of them. i make no claim on their success. their mother did that, against all odds. if the kids aren't alright, it's our fault.


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## Guest (May 28, 2015)

Like I said: the company you keep. I'd be curious to see the type of place you're renting. What type of person might be attracted to renting it. Doesn't sound like you're renting condos on Bay Street.

And yea, the future is paper-free -- get used to it.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Sounds like a bad day at work. A little misguided vent maybe?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Like I said: the company you keep. I'd be curious to see the type of place you're renting. What type of person might be attracted to renting it. Doesn't sound like you're renting condos on Bay Street.
> 
> And yea, the future is paper-free -- get used to it.


LOL, paper free? Hell, I've been trying that for years, but people keep insisting on hard copies of everything.

I'm happy to be paper free, but there's still a lot of heel dragging happening.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I take a slightly different stance. It's not so much "stupider", but rather priorities and "mission orientation", that is sometimes reflected in stupidity but often entirely separate from good judgment.

Okay, take a big breath...

In the mid-70's, particularly in North America, we see a sharp rise in adolescent employment (in tandem with school attendance), largely within the context of the burgeoning fast-food industry, and also a rise in the pursuit of post-secondary education. 

There are many consequences of this, one of which is the plunking of enough disposable income in the hands of young people for them to have a serious impact on the economy and become drivers of the economy as opposed to mere onlookers and dabblers, while "grown-ups" sit in the driver"s seat. Compare the amount of services and marketing directed at youth, prior to around 1975, vs 1980 and after and you'll see a big difference. In the late 1960's, outside of a few select places, you were lucky if you could get more than a few hours a day of youth music. The very idea of a media service (TV, radio) directed exclusively at young peole was preposterous. Once kids had money to piss away, that meant there was a reason to market to them, and once a radio or TV station didn't have to rely on selling oil changes, washing machines or laundry detergent for someone to support themselves, everything changed. At this point, 40 years later, and as I'm fond of saying, if nobody between the ages of 15 and 25 had a nickel to spend, the economy would collapse tomorrow. Fifty years ago, it would have had a small dent, but would have survived admirably.

The other thing I mentioned - increased post-secondary education - meant that more and more young people were essentially deferring adulthood while they remained in school. They were certainly working, but not full-time. And they were still spending like they were 16, because they were marrying later and not buried under a mortgage at 23.

The cultural shift that crept up on us placed the priorities of teens and young adults on a pedestal; what I like to call "the adolo-centric society", a culture based around the desires and priorities of youth, as opposed to the priorities of adults. Moreover, across the last 40 years, folks who came of age during that period and are now grown-ups have retained the priorities of youth because it is in their face all day long....because it matters to the economy...because young people have economic clout. You can easily see the difference in ads. Forty to fifty years ago, TV and print advertising pitched at adults was much more focussed on domestic bliss and comfort, and much less focussed on capricious spending (like vacations, spas, etc.) or body image. What is important to youth is treated as important to society as a whole, despite the fact that a MUCH larger segment of the populace now, compared to 40 years ago, is 45 or over. The expectation is that we will all think like teens, want like them, and spend like them.

Concurrent with this has been rapid technological change. Anthropologist Margaret Mead advanced the notion that the people you turned to for critical information about your culture would depend on how stable the culture was. If it was a highly stable traditional culture, the most valued source of information would be those with the longest track record in it: elders. As the culture underwent change, a balance of track record and recency was sought, and one's parents would be the preferred source of critical information. Change faster and peers become the key source. Change fast enough and those younger than oneself become the preferred source for many domains. Son, how do I change my Facebook settings?

So we have a society that has shone an ever brighter spotlight on what youth think, want, know, to the increasing neglect of what adults need, want, think, know. If you would have watched _Ozzie and Harriet_ years ago, you would have seen Ricky Nelson trying hard to look grown up in his manner of dress and behaviour. Watch a contemporary family sitcom, and chances are very good the parents are trying desperately to look and be as hip as their kids.

But are the priorities of teens with money to piss away the _*right*_ priorities; the ones that should be valued above others to the deferral and neglect of what is important to adult life (which, ironically, will last a heck of a lot longer than youth will)? I'm not labelling all youth idiots. I'm saying the balance of mindset to consider and weigh has shifted too far to one side. If there is anything to grumble about, it is the fundamental imbalance in age-related priorities that leads someone to think that, whatever it is they think of doing within a 17 year-old mindset, is the right thing to do, and more important than pondering for a second what a grown-up in the same situation might do. The shift to an adolo-centric society, and decline of the urge to want to become a "grown-up", gives people with bonehead ideas permission to consider those ideas as fully deserving of pursuit.

And sadly, that mindset has followed a great many from their mohawk-and-safety-pin-through-the-ears period well into their 40's and beyond. In a sense, kids haven't gotten stupider. The entire society has gotten stupider because money made them all think like kids.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

dcole said:


> I certainly fall in that age category but that does not explain me. I can fill out forms, write with punctuation, use spell checkers and talk to people without reaching for my cell phone. I do see a lot of people doing things poorly but not everyone in said age category is mentally stumped.


I am certainly glad to hear that and be able to read you comments without shaking my head. 

Also, what you say is true. We have to be careful not to stereotype young people. While communications skills are changing, it is the fault of the education system when it changed around 30 years ago that has allowed this to happen. So young people are not necessarily to blame. On the other hand, even young people know what capital letters, periods and commas are.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> things have definitely changed. I see it everyday and anyone who deals directly with the public on a fairly large scale would have to agree. Clearly there are fine examples of young adults out there. I am proud to include my two kids in that group. But that was a lot of work and time, years of preaching. _*If parents are not going to put in the effort then the system is going to take over and the system is broke my friends. For every dumb bell I come across out there you can trace it back to the parents and you will see why. I refused to have filthy talk in my house. I refused to have words pronounced wrong or street talk used. If they could not understand a concept it was explained to them.*_


A Dad who took an interest in his kids. Wonderful! Kids need a mother and a father who love them, are interested in them and will take the time and make the effort to raise them to the best of their ability. If parents are lazy it often reflects on the kids.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

so...I'm gonna make two comments...

1. I'm in the age bracket...i don't feel i fit into your category, however i do believe that you are correct; there does seem to be more do-nothings than do-somethings

2. I would hesitate to point the finger at any Generation...for instance, based on the age of your children, you would be a baby boomer...we _could_ blame the declining environment, the corrupted political system, and the expansive population growth on that age group...

i have nothing against opinions, especially those on the internet...but I see them more like genitalia...everyone has them, doesn't mean we need to see them



fredyfreeloader said:


> are younger people (age 35 and younger) now a days really as stupid as so many seem to be, are they just lazy, maybe lacking in knowledge of basic skills. I constantly come across people in this age group who can't do simple things like write a cheque, fill out a basic application form, read and follow directions, have a conversation with you and not answer their cell phone, cross a street on a walk signal instead of on the red light, write a short note that an employer, landlord, sales person, teacher or doctor etc. can read and understand. What's worse is so many of them are running for political office, becoming teachers, lawyers and bankers, scary when you realize this is what wants to run the country. I know there are many who have successfully become politicians, successful business persons, lawyers, doctors etc. even with this we still have all those others who have trouble counting to 20 without taking their shoes and socks off. You may or may not agree with me on this, still I see them everyday and have to wonder about the future.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

I actually think theyre exceptionally smart...much smarter than I was at their age....but sometimes they may seem not to be because what I consider "common sense" sometimes seems to be lacking or not in their repertoire.


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

I notice that those who are over 35 and can fill out forms have only just learned that skill. Some still can't make their way through the whole process and it is I, someone under 35, who is tasked to filling out the forms for them.


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## Krelf (Jul 3, 2012)

The skill set for living has changed and we are living in a society where there are so many ways to perform the same task...a modern way, a traditional way and a dozen or so ways in between. This is the first time in history that this has happened. e.g. how many ways are there to listen to music, pay a bill, send a note to a friend, do your income tax, research the price of a car, and book a hotel? 

So naturally many of these tasks will be performed along the lines of age. I still write cheques, make deposits in person at the bank, and I still play vinyl records.

I can say my daughter is "dumb" because she can't operate a phonograph, drive a standard transmission or write a cheque, and she will say I'm dumb because I can't take a picture from a phone, use an iPod or send a text message.

As for laziness, maybe most of us are lazy for not taking time to learn both the traditional and modern ways of performing these tasks.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

ezcomes said:


> so...I'm gonna make two comments...
> 
> 1. I'm in the age bracket...i don't feel i fit into your category, however i do believe that you are correct; there does seem to be more do-nothings than do-somethings
> 
> ...


I agree. BTW, it's I not i. You may not think so, but little things like that do make a difference.


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## Guest (May 29, 2015)

Steadfastly said:


> I agree. BTW, it's I not i. You may not think so, but little things like that do make a difference.


Like cheezy says, no one proof reads anything anymore.
It bugs me too. Especially in newspapers n' such.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> I agree. BTW, it's I not i. You may not think so, but little things like that do make a difference.


By the way it's by the way not BTW.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

hardasmum said:


> By the way it's by the way not BTW.


lol...nice. its true, almost all of us "cheat" when we post on the internet in some way or another. getting all uppity about it is pointless, and I see it used all the time as a cheap tactic to refute the arguments of others without ever addressing their points. That's annoying to me.

Unfortunately, the one thing about this site is, it occasionally regresses to fogey-ism. I think we should strive to respect that times change, different people and different generations don't always share the same priorities, attitudes etc. It doesn't make any one superior. I don't always get the way this generation behaves. But sometimes (not always) that lack of understanding is my failing, not theirs. if you look back, im sure youd remember that your parents generation thought you were a bunch of dumb a-holes as well.

And whatever this generation is, a good part of the reason for it falls back on ours. We chose to coddle our kids. we chose to let them be raised by their peers and the media. We instilled the value of materialism. We glorified entertainers and athletes as idols and role models and not doctors and architects (for example). When we were younger we obsessed with telephones and tv....today, its connectivity and social media. Same thing, different medium.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Diablo said:


> lol...nice. its true, almost all of us "cheat" when we post on the internet in some way or another. getting all uppity about it is pointless, and I see it used all the time as a cheap tactic to refute the arguments of others without ever addressing their points. That's annoying to me.
> 
> Unfortunately, the one thing about this site is, it occasionally regresses to fogey-ism. I think we should strive to respect that times change, different people and different generations don't always share the same priorities, attitudes etc. It doesn't make any one superior. I don't always get the way this generation behaves. But sometimes (not always) that lack of understanding is my failing, not theirs. if you look back, im sure youd remember that your parents generation thought you were a bunch of dumb a-holes as well.
> 
> And whatever this generation is, a good part of the reason for it falls back on ours. We chose to coddle our kids. we chose to let them be raised by their peers and the media. We instilled the value of materialism. We glorified entertainers and athletes as idols and role models and not doctors and architects (for example). When we were younger we obsessed with telephones and tv....today, its connectivity and social media. Same thing, different medium.


The world changes. As it does we lose relevance as the next generation gains it.

As for who is to blame - well these kids are what you get when a generation of Hippies raise children and run countries.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hardasmum said:


> By the way it's by the way not BTW.


But you understood it!:smile-new:

I was wondering if someone was going to call me on that.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

BTW is more evidence of "the adolo-centric society". Why should grown-ups be using the vernacular of teens?


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## bluebayou (May 25, 2015)

This is fun!! Many, many good points. But we boomers do have to admit to really messing things up. We knew about environment degradation and pollution and its effects on Mother Earth. Yet we did nothing to stop it. Not only that but we sped it up in a greedy feeding frenzy for money. We created unsustainable economic systems for the sake of money. I could go on but I think you get my gist. For every opportunity we had to create a more sustainable, stable and safer world we seemed to create two or ways to endanger everything. We, boomers, have not done a very good job. We are the "me" generation. Putting our own comfort and security before anything else. Now we are going to die off soon and leave the clean up to future generations. Pretty bad. As for the younger generation. They have had to deal with a whole different set of growing up conditions than the boomer generation did. From what I can see, I would not relish having to go through teenhood all over again now. It was hard enough in the sixties and seventies. But they will all muddle through, just like we did. Either it will work, or not.
as for young kids, teens, 20's, 30's, etc, I have time for any of them. Not to preach or lecture, but to listen. Listen and understand. What are their hopes and dreams? What they like, don't like. Keep an open mind. stay flexible and be open to change and adaptation. It doesn't hurt.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

mhammer said:


> BTW is more evidence of "the adolo-centric society". Why should grown-ups be using the vernacular of teens?


Stop accusing me of being a grown-up! I've been fighting that for a long time.:smile-new:


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> But you understood it!:smile-new:
> 
> I was wondering if someone was going to call me on that.


to be fair...i = I...you understood it...

I think ever generation has a value system that rides against the one before...and then passes it on to the next, whom then changes it to something else...

furthermore...i went back and changed the I's in this post...


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

GTmaker said:


> I have a comment about my son and his friends ( all mid 20's ).
> All have jobs, some better then others but what else is new.
> They are a very close small group and get together often.
> Great bunch of guys.
> ...


As I sit here and listen to the click of the buttons on their game controllers. Yes, it could be a lot worse. My boys don't fit into that category! They are able to read, write and carry on an articulate conversation on a diverse range of topics. I have no worries about what the future holds for them. They will land on their feet!


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