Post #83581 by Formikahini on Tue, Mar 30, 2004 9:55 AM

*On 2004-03-30 09:15, tiki mick wrote:*However, I clearly remember the other kids around me in high school being fairly smart, and at least knowlegeable about some current events...

But a lot of the values have changed, no?

Their role models are Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake..my generation had Bono, and Sting...I just think those differences are an ocean apart!
Well, as Tikibars said, I AM around 'em all day long (mind you, the smart ones, as it's a private high school, but with lotsa scholarship kids from potentially gang-inducing backgrounds). But I subbed for years in the public schools too, and I'm gonna have to say that the bulk of the kids are NOT as bad as, for example, "A Knight's Tale" thinks that they are. Of course there are turds in every generation, and maybe there are more now, but there are still a lot of kids who like to think and who like to be challenged.

There have always been teen idols foisted upon the kids ("You WILL love Frankie Avalon! You WILL love the Bay City Rollers! AND Kajagoogoo! and Duran Duran! (Don't forget, the latter 2 are the same time frame as Bono and Sting!)). I don't think that any of the girls in my school want to be Britney, although to be sure, they are influenced by her (lack of) clothing choices when given the chance to not wear uniforms. But the stores SHOVE this crap down their throats! They have commercials with girls wearing midriff-baring hiphuggers and tiny tops, saying "Back to School!", yet most schools have dress codes that don't allow bare midriffs!!

I'm not even a mother, but it's enough to make me scream!

So I guess I'm saying the basest Nurture over degraded Nature right now.

Hmmm... maybe we need to rename this topic, e.g. "Kids Today!", n'est pas, Inspecteur Clouseau?

(I'm actually not arguing with you here, Tikimick; I'm just thinking out loud about the possibilities.)