As I was walking to my 5th hour class I managed to catch a glance at 2 boys walking by me. They had long hair down the middle of their back, saggy jinco jeans, and flannel, long sleaved shirts on. I had to stop and ask myself... are we going backward in time? At first when I saw the boys I thought 'Are they rockin' the grunge style?' then as I look around more I see girls in tights and leg warmers and it hit me. We are not Evolving we are DEvolving! I always wondered what the future would be like. Flying cars and shiny space suits... but from the looks of it the future is really going to be the past. Even music is running backwards. You see more and more artists resorting to heavy beats and flashy 'out of this world' sounds. I mean some people may think of that as futuristic but all that kind of music has been made before.
What is coming to our future generations. The styles are going back in time but it seems as if the knowledge is now. Education used to be a valued thing that people respected... now education is a lame school that you have to attend 5 times a week for 9 (or for some 12) months out of the year. Teenagers and kids just dont care anymore. You have very few students that pay attention in class and the day I heard my younger brother come home, he's ten years old' and answer the telephone by saying "Hellizoo" I just have to wonder where it all went. I think that my generation. The generation of Seniors that are leaving High School are the last of their kind. So many kinds care more about what their hair is doing that day then what their grade in Algebra is. It just concerns me to see this happening to our future generations. Everyone is so caught up on living the 'high life' that they dont understand how to even get there.
What ever happened to hard work? Children are ALWAYS complaining about homework and tests and how they are always being put down by their parents. Why are you being put down by them? Because you dont try and because your attitude toward everyone and everything is dimwitted. You want to make your parents stop harping on you then get an education and try your hardest. Make them proud. So much is wasted in a can of hair spray.
I do have to point out that every generation asks "What is wrong with the next geneartion?" Every senior looks at their younger siblings, or classmates, and wonders what in the world is their problem? Why can't they act like we did when we were their age? They are. We tend to gloss over the mistakes, the annoying whinnyness of ourselves at that age. You can say "well I never did that", and it might be true, but then you would be in the minority.
Yes, education might be values less now, but it is really only in America, and that is because education is free. If people had to pay to go to high school like in most European countries, then it would be alot more important.
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"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to excercise it, different opinions will be formed..."
James Madison, Federalist Paper # 10
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I did go through my weird little phases but I still valued my education. I never really had the 'I dont care attitude' I may have LOOKED the part but I sure didnt act like it. I dont care what they wear but more of the attitude that has been coming along with the clothing.
Education does cost a pretty penny around here. I go to a public school and many students have to recieve financial aid. I think that students WOULD care more if they had to pay for their own tuition rather than having their parents do it for them.
Than you for your comment :)
Always remeber to Live Long and Laugh Hard
Well, personally, I enjoy the music going back the oldies style. :) It's very refreshing.
But I also agree each generation is getting worse and worse. I mean, my little cousin who is no older than 11 began telling me how he was "pimping" girls in his middle school. By just thinking about a little 11-year-old boy making out with a little 10-year-old girl makes me sick. And he is already thinking about his sex life. :/
I don't think each generation is more dumbed down, but they're getting caught easily in superficial things.
I've always thought that society was on some sort of a wave cycle.
Up at the top of the wave, the parents are up-tight and strict. These kids just want to live thier lives, they claim they will never be that harsh on thier kids.
When these kids become parents, they try to cut back on thier kids and be thier friends. These kids look around, they notice how out of control some spoiled kids have become.
When they become parents, they are determined not to let thier kids be spoiled and want them to learn respect, and honor. Now they are the Strict parents.
This is just a drastic example, though some kids love not having responsibility and moch off of everyone around them.
For life right now, we are diffently in the middle. Though I'm sure behind every high schooler we looked up to in middle school, was the same life we're living now. We just hide it because adults take pride in us, and youngens look up to us.
<<< KAT >>>
~The Writer~
Well I'm not sure where you get off proclaiming that education had always been "a valued thing that people respected", because that's a very narrow-minded conclusion that has little truth to it at all.
Public education has just recently in the past few decades been considered necessary, and colele used to be a luxury that only the rich attended.
Watch The Outiders, Grease, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and almost any other teenage movie from any era and you will see te prevalent theme of school being a waste of time.
Now we have adults going BACK to school at a higher rate then ever and entire online colleges have sprung up which is a validation of people's desire to learn and et educated even though they don't like school.
And we aren't devolving. Retro has always had substance in every decade, you're just noticing it because you live in this one. Actually there are several modern trends developing across america. There IS a reason the new generation is going to be deemed the iGeneration. If that isn't evolution then I don't know what is.
Our technological advancements are compounding exponentially and college is a necessity these days for any solid career.
First thing just because it is mandatory for students to go to school doesnt mean they arent dropping out at 16. This 'Narrow minded conclusion' of mine has come from seeing numerous people from many different schools not only all around the state I currently reside in but from other states also. The reasons people didnt attent school 50-60 years ago is because there was specialization where people worked in one field and only a certain amount of education was needed to do that job. They were smart people that learned their trade. School was also more more expensive. Yeah they have made it more expandable and a lot more people attend school now but back 'in the days' people that actually went through their entire high school career did it because they wanted to and they valued their education. They didnt do it because it was required of them. Secondly, the only new technological advances that I have seen come from my generation (I.E. 8-20 year old people who I was origionally talking about) are websites such as myspace and facebook. We may have a lot of bright students in our country but there is an overwhelming population of students that just dont even care. I live in a fairly big community and there are only a handfull of students that I've talked to that actually going to college. Students may go to college but 40% of college freshman drop out before they go on to their sophmore year. I want to see more people caring EVERYWHERE. You cant just have a small percentage of the United States population trying to do something good and the other reproducing like rabbits and sucking away all the tax money. It just doesnt work that way. I dont care what type of job someone has I just want to see people try.
Always remeber to Live Long and Laugh Hard
"They had long hair down the middle of their back, saggy jinco jeans, and flannel, long sleaved shirts on. I had to stop and ask myself... are we going backward in time?"
Wait... so you're judging people for their clothing style? O.o I sometimes dress like a "hippy" because I find the clothes comfortable and attractive. It says nothing about my generation or about me "going back in time". There's excellent music nowadays, you must be listening to the wrong stuff.
One of the boys that were walking by me was a good friend of mine. He IS a hippie and he calls himself that much. I know I have no right speaking for everyone because I obviously dont know EVERYONE in the world. I've just knowticed that many people seem to be resorting back to times when the grunge rocker style type of thing was in. I have no issue with how people dress. I wouldnt care even if they showed up at school in their birthday suits.
I dont have any issue with the music we have today also. I listen to the radio and I dont mind it. The only thing I really mind is when I hear vulgar songs all about having sex or getting drunk. Dont get me wrong, I listen to those songs too and I'll joke around and dance with my friends but when it comes down to my song of choice I usually tend to lean toward songs that have a meaning or something they are passionate about. Songs that involve more than just a synthasizer.
Always remeber to Live Long and Laugh Hard