Next Generation

I posted the following note on Facebook yesterday after reading a number of posts on the latest "challenge".  I'm sure you've seen them too.  And quite frankly, I'm really tired of everyone concluding their condemnation of the next generation with "these are the people who will be leading our country one day..."

Can we stop criticizing an entire generation for the actions of a few? Do teens do stupid things? Yes, absolutely. Did you do stupid things as a kid? I’m sure you did. So maybe stop defining an age group by a few stupid “challenges” you read about on Facebook. Maybe stop acting like you’ve never done anything regrettable in your life or taken on a dare. Maybe instead focus on the positive actions, progress, and inspirational stories. Those narratives are there if you look for them. Maybe focus on teaching instead of criticizing, work on building self confidence instead of mocking, and please stop eluding to the impending doom of our society. If our teen generation is really that stupid and so easily manipulated by their peers, we only have ourselves as parents to blame.

When did we become a society so hellbent on criticizing everyone else in order to feel better about ourselves and our situations?  I'm old enough to remember when baby Jessica fell down the well.  I also remember the nation hoping, praying, believing that baby Jessica would be rescued.  If that same situation played out today, I can assure you that almost everyone would be chastising her parents... "How could they have let that happen?  Why weren't they watching her?  They don't deserve to be parents."  DCFS would be knocking on their door.  In fact, I remember a similar situation that DID happen in today's era - when that sweet boy at Disney World was grabbed by the crocodile a couple years ago.  The social media comments directed at his parents were downright disturbing and atrocious.  But 30 years ago, no one criticized Jessica's parents.  They simply held out hope that Jessica would be rescued.  And she was.  What's happened to us?