As a youngish person (32 and considered Gen Y by some sources), I think I can have a say.
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Now I have my own kids (3.5 yrs and twins 2yrs) I have noticed a big difference in how I was raised and how kids are now. These days we are in a more "disposable" way of life. Noone sends a DVD player or plasma to be repaired anymore, you can by a new one for the cost of the repair. Everything we purchase under $5000 seems to be like this. I remember my parents sending our TV and VCR into town numerous times for repair, now we throw them in the bin and look for a new one online!!!
The whole attitude of young people has changed also. Most of them now seem so very confident and "invincible. see this daily as I look after a few apprentices who cannot be shown anything. The egos are MASSIVE!!! They feel they are entitled to everything and need to work for nothing. The high wages these kids are on doesn't help. They have no respect for money at all because they earn so much of it!! I have a 3rd year electrical apprentice who takes home over $1200 a week after his lease car (XR6) is taken from his pay!!!
Egos and image are a much bigger thing now than they have ever been, and I believe this is why they seem greedy. They want everything to give them "the edge" of the next kid. The young kids we have working at our mine make me laugh. You see them at the start of shift doing there hair in the mirror before going underground!!! No one to impress with you looks here sunshine!! Even when I was growing up in the 80's if blokes spent that long doing their hair you would be worried about which side of the fence they sit on
. Now it is all hair gel, energy drinks, protein shakes and comparing bench press weights.
Even though I am still considered young myself I try to teach my apprentices some life lessons and not just trade skills. Some of them are making some pretty poor decisions outside of work like driving without a license and underage drinking with fake IDs, with no fear of consequence or penalty.
I don't think bad parenting is the answer for it all as there can't be that many bad parents out there! I think society and media has dictated how kids behave now. TV, internet and especially things like Facebook and YouTube show different behaviours our kids strive to replicate. Now the kids say they are going to "hang out with friends", you see the groups of 6+ teens all furiously tapping Iphones not even aware of the world passing them by. Social Media my ar$e!! More like unsocial media.
The fix ... I don't know... I can only hope that by taking my kids out bush to appreciate simpler things in life and be more appreciative of what they have and who they are enjoying it with rather than getting everything they want just for the sake of having it.
