Agreed!! I work in the Advising office of a college and I love Gen Z! The students I experience are kind and curious and willing to be helpful. And they will stand up for themselves if necessary. And it's easy to see they think all of us "grown ups" are nuts. And we are.
I hadn't thought about that. Usually everyone who appears in the live is linked on the replay. But I guess readers have to follow the author link from the replay for the page. Still, the lives are a wonderful way to meet new collaborators!
Absolutely, the truth! In my almost 67 years, I thought I was being a positive force. I tried my best in my classroom to always uplift and support all children. I worked in a couple of high poverty. It was heart wrenching to say the least. I kept cheese crackers in my desk because many times they had no food for breakfast. I'd treat them to ice cream sundaes and a hamburger cookout. I teach them basics like self care at the restroom and how to sit in a chair and use a fork to eat. I had a first grader who got up in the morning did her best to get her brothers ready for school, then come to my class and promptly fall asleep. The very children thumbs cruel gop wishes to remove from Healthcare and snaps. It's all wrong everywhere. Thanks for giving voice.
Walter, I fully agree with your compassionate post. The old scheme accusing progressives as non-Americans and cause lost elections, cannot be upheld after the calamity since last November.
Progressives are naturally in a majority in the younger generation, even if one of their champion (Berny) belongs to the grandfathers' generation.
Bashing the youngsters is another side of misogynistic behaviour, also a cancer on the body of society.
If, by a good turn we all could become gentle and cooperative, the whole world would be a much better space.
Hi Zsolt, I hadn’t even made the connection that bashing young people sets the groundwork for bashing political progressives, but you’re absolutely right. The good news is that we’re seeing the beginning of a progressive movement. We need to throw more kindling on the growing fire! Best to you!
When boomers were children, the prevailing attitudes were that children were to be seen and not heard (suck it up and keep quiet), do as I say not as I’d do (hypocrisy), silenced and traumatized regularly by enforcing obedience and submission to grown ups, etc. Children from the 50s and 60s were routinely abused by their parents. It was part of the culture along with religion and other systems of control.
So the prevailing culture trained the boomers to think that children are worthless, like they were worthless to their parents when they were children. And so without introspection or personal growth, these boomers treat the kids the way they were treated. It’s really due to a cultural sickness that is propagated generationally.
Hopefully enough people escape their conditioning to do better by their kids than was done to them. I think a lot of gen Z has been spared from the same horrible conditioning the boomers were subjected to. But we have a very long way to go culturally to salvage these relationships.
I am on the cusp of being a boomer, 1959. Bashing and not respecting young people was a thing during my young life as well. I had the privilege of teaching college thus gaining an enormous respect for the students I taught for over 20 years. I saw and related to their struggle. I have written about the disrespect and blame that young people receive from older generations and it has always been a thorn in my side. I could not agree with you more and especially with this current generation who are suffering tremendous loses of their freedom. They are on fire, as they should be, as we all should be. A big FU to those who put them down without looking in their own closet of skeletons.
I think it is equally unfair, ignorant even, to the blame the older generations as well. As a baby boomer, I bristle when I hear younger people blame the boomers for the mess we are in. My generation worked hard in the sixties to advance civil rights and shed light on the industrial military complex that enabled, stoked, and then lied about the travesty of the Vietnam War. There are many of us who are heartbroken that our country turned away from the idealistic goals brought to light by our generation during that era. Just as there are assholes of every creed and color, each generation harbors their own band of deplorables. And those lacking morality have no qualms about abusing their ill-begotten power.
How can you make such a sweeping generalization? My point is that each generation is comprised of many different people who do not all think and act the same. It seems prejudicial to claim otherwise.
You're objecting to young people modeling the behavior shown by their adults. The problem started with the older generations. Once those generations practice and model accountability, our society will be better.
The boomers were great…..until the 1980s. Then they voted for Reagan, began worshipping Work™️ and Business™️, and started pulling up the ladder after themselves.
Boomers in the 60s and 70s were like Jefferson Airplane. The band that gave us “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.”
Boomers in the 80s and 90s were like Jefferson Starship—still capable of putting out good material, but choosing not to. Stuff like “Miracles”…a decent song but not stellar.
Boomers from 2000 onwards have been like Starship, who released “We Built This City”….arguably one of the worst songs ever.
Not all of us sold out. A great many of us were heartbroken by the apathy of the 70's and the greed and deception of the Reagan/Bush years. Now, many of us are fighting alongside the younger generations for justice.
Yes, I know it is not about me, but I do get defensive when I hear sweeping criticism that seems to be aimed at the boomers. No generation should be attacked as a whole.
Outside of the media, I don't hear older people bashing the younger ones in real life. Why attack your own children and grandchildren? That goes against our nature. Maybe those I associate with have more empathy and intelligence, because they understand the challenges that younger generations face today.
How much control or ability to change things has any generation really had? That doesn't mean elders haven't tried. Who do you think started and kept alive the environmental and rights groups? Even now, the protests I participated in recently were most heavily attended by older people. Look at the number of grey heads occupying the seats in those videos of town hall events. It seems to me this generational blame is an attempt to divide us and not a true reflection of how people feel. Our enemy has unlimited money and is not restrained in their actions by empathy, morals or ethics. We cannot give the evil ones another tool to use against us. Divided we will fall.
Agreed!! I work in the Advising office of a college and I love Gen Z! The students I experience are kind and curious and willing to be helpful. And they will stand up for themselves if necessary. And it's easy to see they think all of us "grown ups" are nuts. And we are.
Thanks Amanda. I'm always stunned when people object to the message of "Be nice to kids" which is all this article says. I'm so happy you agree!
Our world is one big mess, and getting worse. I feel really bad for my grandchildren. My children don't have it easier than I did, for sure.
Damn. I thought I upgraded my subscription yesterday. Humph
You're very kind Mason!
Even though I have an Anarchist socialist for my Avatar?
I see you for your comments :)
It is so weird that I’ve seen you on Lives and I just found out who you are.
I hadn't thought about that. Usually everyone who appears in the live is linked on the replay. But I guess readers have to follow the author link from the replay for the page. Still, the lives are a wonderful way to meet new collaborators!
I get thrown out of Lives if I click on anybody’s link. I stopped doing it.
Ah! You should be able to see it in the replay though. I hadn't thought of that. Yes, I guess it would take you from the live to the profile page.
Absolutely, the truth! In my almost 67 years, I thought I was being a positive force. I tried my best in my classroom to always uplift and support all children. I worked in a couple of high poverty. It was heart wrenching to say the least. I kept cheese crackers in my desk because many times they had no food for breakfast. I'd treat them to ice cream sundaes and a hamburger cookout. I teach them basics like self care at the restroom and how to sit in a chair and use a fork to eat. I had a first grader who got up in the morning did her best to get her brothers ready for school, then come to my class and promptly fall asleep. The very children thumbs cruel gop wishes to remove from Healthcare and snaps. It's all wrong everywhere. Thanks for giving voice.
I’m sure the acts of kindness you did have echoed throughout history. People remember those small moments! Thanks Jo!
Walter, I fully agree with your compassionate post. The old scheme accusing progressives as non-Americans and cause lost elections, cannot be upheld after the calamity since last November.
Progressives are naturally in a majority in the younger generation, even if one of their champion (Berny) belongs to the grandfathers' generation.
Bashing the youngsters is another side of misogynistic behaviour, also a cancer on the body of society.
If, by a good turn we all could become gentle and cooperative, the whole world would be a much better space.
Hi Zsolt, I hadn’t even made the connection that bashing young people sets the groundwork for bashing political progressives, but you’re absolutely right. The good news is that we’re seeing the beginning of a progressive movement. We need to throw more kindling on the growing fire! Best to you!
When boomers were children, the prevailing attitudes were that children were to be seen and not heard (suck it up and keep quiet), do as I say not as I’d do (hypocrisy), silenced and traumatized regularly by enforcing obedience and submission to grown ups, etc. Children from the 50s and 60s were routinely abused by their parents. It was part of the culture along with religion and other systems of control.
So the prevailing culture trained the boomers to think that children are worthless, like they were worthless to their parents when they were children. And so without introspection or personal growth, these boomers treat the kids the way they were treated. It’s really due to a cultural sickness that is propagated generationally.
Hopefully enough people escape their conditioning to do better by their kids than was done to them. I think a lot of gen Z has been spared from the same horrible conditioning the boomers were subjected to. But we have a very long way to go culturally to salvage these relationships.
Yup, perfectly stated.
I am on the cusp of being a boomer, 1959. Bashing and not respecting young people was a thing during my young life as well. I had the privilege of teaching college thus gaining an enormous respect for the students I taught for over 20 years. I saw and related to their struggle. I have written about the disrespect and blame that young people receive from older generations and it has always been a thorn in my side. I could not agree with you more and especially with this current generation who are suffering tremendous loses of their freedom. They are on fire, as they should be, as we all should be. A big FU to those who put them down without looking in their own closet of skeletons.
Thank you Michelle!
I think it is equally unfair, ignorant even, to the blame the older generations as well. As a baby boomer, I bristle when I hear younger people blame the boomers for the mess we are in. My generation worked hard in the sixties to advance civil rights and shed light on the industrial military complex that enabled, stoked, and then lied about the travesty of the Vietnam War. There are many of us who are heartbroken that our country turned away from the idealistic goals brought to light by our generation during that era. Just as there are assholes of every creed and color, each generation harbors their own band of deplorables. And those lacking morality have no qualms about abusing their ill-begotten power.
Older generations raised the young and attacked the young for no reason.
How can you make such a sweeping generalization? My point is that each generation is comprised of many different people who do not all think and act the same. It seems prejudicial to claim otherwise.
Young people model the behavior they were taught. It's a fact.
Not always. Did you turn out to be like your father? I didn't.
You're objecting to young people modeling the behavior shown by their adults. The problem started with the older generations. Once those generations practice and model accountability, our society will be better.
And sometimes you break the mold and learn what not to do from your elders.
The boomers were great…..until the 1980s. Then they voted for Reagan, began worshipping Work™️ and Business™️, and started pulling up the ladder after themselves.
Boomers in the 60s and 70s were like Jefferson Airplane. The band that gave us “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.”
Boomers in the 80s and 90s were like Jefferson Starship—still capable of putting out good material, but choosing not to. Stuff like “Miracles”…a decent song but not stellar.
Boomers from 2000 onwards have been like Starship, who released “We Built This City”….arguably one of the worst songs ever.
Not all of us sold out. A great many of us were heartbroken by the apathy of the 70's and the greed and deception of the Reagan/Bush years. Now, many of us are fighting alongside the younger generations for justice.
This article is not about you. It's about not attacking young people.
Yes, I know it is not about me, but I do get defensive when I hear sweeping criticism that seems to be aimed at the boomers. No generation should be attacked as a whole.
Thank you. It's time to break the cycle of abuse.
Agree 100%!
Outside of the media, I don't hear older people bashing the younger ones in real life. Why attack your own children and grandchildren? That goes against our nature. Maybe those I associate with have more empathy and intelligence, because they understand the challenges that younger generations face today.
How much control or ability to change things has any generation really had? That doesn't mean elders haven't tried. Who do you think started and kept alive the environmental and rights groups? Even now, the protests I participated in recently were most heavily attended by older people. Look at the number of grey heads occupying the seats in those videos of town hall events. It seems to me this generational blame is an attempt to divide us and not a true reflection of how people feel. Our enemy has unlimited money and is not restrained in their actions by empathy, morals or ethics. We cannot give the evil ones another tool to use against us. Divided we will fall.
Well stated!
People are often deaf to the criticisms that aren't directed at them.
The message here is to not bash young people. We need to model accountability instead.