Probably right about texting by then I'm just saying that as your child gets older, you will wonder who (and why) they are texting 24/7.
Oh I'm sure I will But I'm not going to say that she is not social...which is the point I was trying to make
the problem with exchanges like these is that it turns into the battle of the sound bytes. there's really not that much substantive evidence presented by either side, not because their points aren't valid, but because the topic is complex. to say that teen pregnancy went down, doesn't express how many of these pregnancies were terminated through abortion (regardless of what your stance is, the point of teen pregnancies going down made it seem like teens became more moral) or through contraception. there have been many socio-cultural shifts. for example, i'd say it'd be unheard of for the knock-out game to be "played" in decades past. our time have different problems than years past. to say that our kids are alright, i believe is taking a complacent, defeatist attitude that says that there's nothing for us to fix or improve. personally, i think this is indicative of wide-spread relativism. bottom line: it's not something that can be captured in sound bytes.
I love when older people complain about texting or any other form of social media. The truth is, if they grew up in this time, they would be doing the same exact thing. Kids actually do have a real social life too, more than parents would know, and more than they had as a child. Kids meet other kids with the same interest from hours away and form friendships. Compare that to the neigbhor accross the street coming over to trade baseball cards. Yes I agree that our education system is horrible and people (everyone, not just kids) are becoming soft. Kids are coming into a world of you HAVE to go to college and the stresses of finding a job after you graduate. Every generation is different and have their own problems to overcome, it will balance itself out. Social Media has a bigger audience, the same ridiculous things that go on today happened 30-50 years ago.
Every generation in history has thought that the generation following them was worthless and would destroy everything. It's funny.
That's true Things will always change. Some for the better and some for the worse. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
There is a clear difference between being social and communicating. Being social doesn't mean one knows how to communicate. Having thousands of friends on Facebook means absolutely nothing. Most are acquaintances at best. So many kids are socially awkward these days and when you talk to them face to face many don't have a clue how to act or communicate. Communicating through social media is completely different than in person. We have the next generation of people filtering at work who are nearly impossible to have a face to face conversation with because their mannerisms and attention span is that of a fish. Part of the reason kids are obese is because they spend all their time sitting on the computer chair, playing video games, or staring at their phone and they don't go outside to play or ride their bike half a mile to go to their friend's house. Now I'm not saying video games are bad, I certainly played my fair share of games growing up. Parents need to limit these things with moderation. But technology, in my opinion, in many cases makes people dumber and less social. My opinion goes beyond technology or just social issues, though. I am of the belief that while people generally think humans are getting smarter, I think it's the opposite. I believe it's becuase we have a collection of inventions, studies, and information within our grasp that we think we are advancing while many scientists say that our mental capacity and intellegence is actually on the decline - not to mention genetic mutations are increasing. So whether this is correct or not, it is pretty interesting and I know this isn't about religion but that would fall in line with Adam and Eve being created in perfection and genetics starting to suffer after thousands of years of normal reproduction. EDIT: I don't want to come off as if I am against all social media, I do think it has a purpose and can aid social interaction in many situations. However, again it goes back to moderation.
Obesity is a HUGE problem with both our adults and children. Anyone claiming otherwise is burying their head in the sand. I'll even go as far as to say if we could somehow "cure" obesity our healthcare financial woes would be evaporated. Unhealthy sedentary lifestyle secondary to obesity (or obesity secondary to it depending on which way you look at it) leads to a vast majority of our chronic conditions that drive our healthcare costs through the roof. As for the social aspect, kids are certainly as socially connected now than ever. That said, I strongly believe it eliminates a sense of personal touch to relationships. Kids say/do things on the internet that they would NEVER do in a public setting, not realizing the internet IS a public setting.
Exactly. I agree with everything you said. Being social and communicating effectively don't necessarily mean the same thing, and anyone who thinks it does is a fool. Is it possible to be both, absolutely.
:sigh: Obviously just communicating a message is not being social. I don't consider posting on this forum as being social. But social networks can be a form of "being social", especially when anonymity if removed. And kids are fat because their parents are lazy and not involved in their lives, and are more than likely fat themselves. So the point of this thread, that "the kids are alright" is 100% accurate, whether you choose to believe it or not
You don't have to sigh with the attitude that your opinion is right and mine is wrong. I completely understand what you are saying and I'm not disagreeing with that specific part. Of course it's a personal responsibility and parenting issue. Agreeing that kids have the capability to be alright is more accurate than "kids are alright". I do not think kids are currently collectively "alright". Open your mind up a little, are all these avenues of social media actually helping or hurting the overall effectiveness of communication? It's an opnion - there is no right or wrong answer. The reason you make people angry in a debate isn't because you make a better point, it's because you always act like your opinion is right and you argue with people as if they also use this mentality about their own opinion.
I agree parenting is the source of the problem, but the problem still exists regardless of cause. Kids as a whole, are not alright. The minority of kids who actually have involved parents worth a s*** are alright though.
I think it helps kids communicate more and better. Maybe not face to face, but it gives kids more platforms and mediums to communicate. Trust me, I agree with your "everything in moderation" statement. I don't care.
Actually sports related injury costs our healthcare more! Now that all the joggers from the 70's are old and getting new knees hips etc! Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
link? because I, in no way, believe that sports related injuries cost our Healthcare system more than obesity related diseases
I didn't say you had to, it was just my opinion and observation. I'm just offering a different perspective because you often "sigh" and it comes off as if you are belittling someone over thier opinion. If I were coming off that way I'd want to know so I just wanted to share the thought. Completely agree with Hooker here.
Most of the time when I :sigh:, I do it because that poster missed my point and I have to explain it again, not because I'm trying to belittle their opinion.
That makes sense, it was just an observation. Had this been a face to face conversation rather than on the Internet I might have been able to catch it for face value. See what I did there? And yes I know you said social media doesn't equate to effective communication.
Haven't had time to read all responses so if this has been mentioned, ,sorry. But how many have noticed that not only with the youth but even adults are more and more detached from reality. How often have you seen someone grab their phone to video someone that is hurt or about to get hurt instead of helping or warning someone about something dangerous. Watched a video on FB the other day of a man videoing person after person slipping and falling on the same patch of ice. One after the other. He never offered to help or warn and each person that slipped got up and moved on without warning the next person, who didn't see them fall because their face was in their phone. The guy was laughing the whole time. Courtesies are slipping away as well. Thank you, sir, you're welcome are rare today. Verbilization skills are diminishing. Our next generation is a much more entitlement driven generation and I see that really hurting this country. Parenting is part of the issue but that only goes so far. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
