Even as I’ve reached advanced decrepitude a more mature age, I’ve never been one of those people who believes that kids today are somehow more apathetic/less engaged than they were in my day. I mean, I was there in my day, and to the best of my recollection, most of us were obsessed with things like parachute pants, Eurotrash music, and making money. There certainly were folks in my cohort who were selfless and dedicated and focused on making the world around them a better place, but most of us, and I certainly include myself in that, were pretty self-centered. Not that there’s anything unusual about this – having small children at home now, I have a fuller understanding of the self-centered nature of childhood and youth – I just like to keep that idea in mind. I mean, complaints about how bad the current generation is goes back a ways, after all.
Anyway, I say all that to say that I’m never surprised to read stories like this about the achievements in volunteerism or activism by teenagers, college students, and twenty-somethings. It’s always good to have one’s basic faith in humanity affirmed. I’m glad to see stories like that, because we can all use the reminder from time to time. Kudos to the students in the story, and to The Professors for whatever credit they want to take for shaping them.
I do see changes in the cognitive skillset in young boys and men due to videogames, and I must say I am not impressed by what I see.
Aww, come on Peter. There’s nothing wrong with videogames in moderation and with proper supervision. I played tons of videogames growing up — still do — but I don’t feel limited because of them!
I mean, complaints about how bad the current generation is goes back a ways
I blame those snotty Australopithecines, myself.
Complaints about the current generation will always exist. But today’s kids have far less opportunities to grow up than we did.
While it is the parent’s fault, the parents don’t have the freedom they used to have.
http://www.thebusysaver.com/2009/05/kids-today-opinion.html