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The future's barometer is showing disturbing fluctuations that some less discerning minds deem funny.
A college student needs counseling because he's scored a B on his final.
A co-ed calls the police because there's a mouse roaming the apartment.
Those would be just good stories, except episodes like this are becoming more and more common.
Peter Gray, PhD, a research professor at Boston College who studies how children learn and value play, writes about declining resilience in college students in Psychology Today.
His thoughts are frightening for the workplace.
If today's college students lack resilience, what can we expect from tomorrow's doctors, lawyers, plumbers, and sales clerks?
As older workers retire and new ones enter the labor force,
we will be at the mercy of those who cannot tolerate the simple road-bumps of life.
The head of counseling at Boston College writes:
"There has been an increase in diagnosable mental health problems,
but there has also been a decrease in the ability of many young people to manage the everyday bumps in the road of life."
Will this lead to ever increasing flares of violence in tomorrow's society?
WHERE WILL TOMORROW GET ITS NEW IDEAS?
One of the problems with young adults lacking resilience is that they do not take risks.
Every time you present a new idea, you run the risk of getting shot down.
But failure is crucial to learning how to think more clearly, more effectively.
But if a company's new employees panic at the thought of possible failure, it will not get those new ideas.
TODAY'S PARENTS
Are they doing their part to raise future adults, or are they focused on keeping their children happy?
Do they yell at teachers who dare give a bad grade to their child? If so, they're part of the problem.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE YOUNGER PEOPLE
AROUND YOU?
Sadly, I have no teenagers around me on a regular basis, but I do know that every generation bemoans the one that comes after.
ReplyDeleteI have faith that there are resilient youth out there who don't make the headlines or get written about in books. ;)
Yes, it is almost canon that the present generation looks with jaundiced eye on the younger one. Immature minds will make less than wise decisions -- but then I still do too!
DeleteWe have seen the decadence of The Land of Milk and Honey, continue to decay sociologically in many ways. As a Teen Ager, I could then easily see decadent America, in the downtown Skid Row Streets of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Memphis, numerous others. While Small Town and Rural America began to decay as well with drugs, un-motivated persons, who do NOT want an Education, and seek to plunder, steal, or create Gangs as their Jobs. The riots of Watts, Memphis, Indianapolis, Montogmery and Birmingham, I saw those tall downtown buildings half burned down.
ReplyDeletethus when the Statue of Liberty was in process of refurbishment, (taking off as much rust under its paint and primer, symoblized, Moral Decay, as much as even our Symbol of Freedom has Cancer.......! Nice Blog on this subject My Dear Ol' Friend, from Days of Yore.
Yes, decadence has been with us for as long as Man has roamed this planet. I hate that you met five such thugs at McDonald who reacted in violence. Sigh. :-(
DeleteThank You always past and present, for Your Kind words, prayers and thoughts. Tho' its been awhile since I have written you an email. I realized, I think of you very often, and realized its time to get going, and reclaim the special person in my life from Lake Charles, Luzianna. I miss the food down there, and kindness of stranger or new neighbors. In GA.. and Lk Charles, we were greeted on the 1st week, with neighbors bringing us a welcoming cake in Ga. and a blueberry pie on Tekel Rd.
DeleteHere, we moved into town 6 months ago; in the 1st week, Kim caught 3 kids, twice at 3am, hanging a bag of dog poop on our doorsetp. What an analogy of differences, as well as no one around here looks anyone in the eyes, as they did in the 70s-90s. The State in the last 15 years has been locating gang banging families from South Central L.A. and East L.A. with Section 8 vouchers, displacing many born and raised locals, who fell on hard times.
"this ol' town is filled with Sin, it will swallow you in, if you got some money to burn. Take it home right away, you got 3 yrs to pay, and Satan is waiting his turn. This Ol' Eathquake is going to put me in the poor house, it seems like this whole towns insane, on the 31st floor, a Gold Plated Door, won't keep out the Lord's burning rain." The Scientist say it will all wash away, but we don't believe any more, cause we got our recruits and our Green Mohair Suits, so Please show your ID at the door." - (Gram Parsons, and Chris Hillman- "Sin City")
Love that photo and quote of Kirk.
ReplyDeleteI glanced at the article and will now go read it. Like J.H. says above, every generation has issues with the next one, but I've studied enough history to know that generations also change. Let's just hope more members of these young 'uns toughen up.
I thought to lighten my post with Kirk! :-)
DeleteLook at the young CEO of that company who bought a drug's patent, raising its price 5000 per cent! He bragged about it. Really sad. He did it because he could = no moral compass.
Hi Roland - the one thing I hope is - is that they get an inquiring mind, and look at particular aspects from both points of view, or more. People follow the crowd way too much.
ReplyDeleteLearning to write and read what's written would help. Our Nanny state hasn't helped ... everyone is spoon fed. Social Media does not help - if it's not controlled by each of us personally.
There are some amazing youngsters out there ... thoughtful, intelligent and going places (normal places!) ... but the divide will only get worse.
Interesting read and thanks for highlighting - cheers Hilary
Yes, the good students get over-shadowed by the dysfunctional, don't they? Reading and learning by whatever means possible is our salvation for our society. But so many merely exist these days.
DeleteA failure to invest in Literacy, IS an investment in Illiteracy.
DeleteAs a retired teacher, I can say there is a problem with more children being raised too sheltered. The meltdown usually rears its head in high school. It is a real problem for those young people.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, most kids have a much healthier home life. I usually had one student a year in sixth grade that had to be handled like fine China. The other students understood the situation.
Perhaps any criticism of parents' children is perceived as a criticism of their child-rearing skills and of their self-worth?
DeleteI've noticed that few parents want to work on their children's part in poor grades and rather blame the teacher.
I was discussing this with someone this morning regarding the lack of tolerance exhibited by small business owners in some fields (in particular this is in massage therapy). Lack of understanding, racial comments and intolerance of any sickness (viewed as weakness). These regards adults in the 35-50 age range currently in the work force. Since business attitudes rule now, caring has been kicked to the curb. Empathy? What's that, they say. Entitlement is a dangerous attitude to embrace.
ReplyDeleteRemember that court case involving a physician mocking and insulting an unconscious patient during a medical procedure where the patient's phone recorder had been left on?
DeleteSadly such behavior is prevalent in the medical field -- I work among those health professionals and hear their vicious, callous comments about their patients.
I have watched empathy and caring ebb more and more in the business world -- towards customers and towards the rank and file loyal workers.
The world may end, not from evil, but from selfishness. :-(
That's why I think rewarding children just for participating is wrong. In life, there are winners and losers, and they need to learn that.
ReplyDeleteWe must encourage participating but with the proviso that not all runners get the gold medal that is true. Perhaps those who do reward participants are trying to teach that every time you try to excel, you are a winner within, :-)
DeleteI agree with Alex. I was appalled when my nephew's wife sent me photos of kindergarten gradualtion - complete with mortar boards... Participation is, or should be, a reward in itself.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is all in how it is taught in school: to grow in knowledge merely for the thrill of knowing, understanding more should be taught as its own reward. You can lose ribbons; paper browns; but knowledge is something that cannot be taken from you. :-)
Deleteand yet here in So Cal, Kids aren't held to learn in school, the minority groups here seem to literally not give a darn if their kids are truant, as long as they are out of their hair. Children I've always believed are gifts from God, who is entrusting us, to create and make the World a better place for those who follow. Innocent, until their peers ruin 'em.
DeleteSadly, the system is so over-loaded, it does not care about individuals unless they are causing grief for it.
Delete