My forty-sixth birthday is Thursday. And a while ago, I realized I’m from another planet. I mean, I’ve started mistaking college students for grade schoolers. My doctor is barely past puberty. The Chinese girl gymnasts don’t even look like they are in double digits, let alone sixteen. I don’t understand today’s music. OMG I can’t believe I just said that one.
And I really don’t get the sense of entitlement that young people have today. Seriously. I just don’t understand why anyone, let alone someone who hasn’t worked all that long (or at all) can think it’s ok to spend $200 on a peasant blouse. Anyone else see the irony in that statement? $200 for a blouse traditionally worn by the hard working poor. It’s very name tells you that. And yet you can pick up any magazine, today for me it was Domino, a new decorating magazine obviously aimed at a younger audience, and there is not one accessory, pillow or peasant blouse listed for under $200 dollars. And many things are much, much higher.
What are we doing to young people these days? Why are we telling them it’s ok to go into debt for frivolous . . . things??? Most of them have ruined their credit within a few years or will be paying off their debt for many more. Our society seems bent on setting them up for failure before they even have a chance to start their lives.
Here are some words that seem to be missing from today’s vocabulary: working toward, saving for, anticipating, making do, doing without, scraping by, thank you, please, no thanks, not right now, i’ll do it, i appreciate that, wow you must have worked hard for that, what can i get for you?, hey i just bought my first house. Maybe if we came up with cool abbreviations for these phrases, they would see more use, cause they’d be easier to text on the gagillion dollar, diamond studded iPhones.
Suze Orman needs to speak louder. Actually, she needs her own channel. And a megaphone. Or a hammer.
There. I have taken another gigantic step toward old age. Next thing you know, I’ll have a tissue tucked in my sleeve and eyebrows up to my hairline. I’m that close.
What am I missing here?
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6 Comments
SO true Linda. Our society is instant gratification and that’s what these kids are being taught in everything they watch. We try really hard to have Zac learn about money - but no matter what, he still wants to blow what he’s got in his pocket, “well it’s MY money”. This weekend he said to me that he really wants a XBox360 or Playstation 3. I told him he should start saving up because truly - right now I don’t have the extra $400 to just throw into him sitting around not being active (which Cathy and Jody will attest to because we limit the time on video games).
He said, “uh how much money do I have in my savings account right now?”
Me: “about $80-something dollars I think”
Him: “ugh it’ll take me a long time to save”
Me: “not really - Grandma gave you money this week - so if you had $30 to your $80-something how much do you have?”
Him: “A little over $110″
Me: “ok … add Christmas where you can tell everyone that you’d like money or gift cards because you are SAVING for a new video gaming station and you’ll have one by January”
Him: “I guessssssss”
What they really want is for us to say, “ok … sure because your friends have a PS3, XBox360 and Wii … you should too … I’m sorry we let you go without for SO long”.
HA!! Not in OUR house. :: slaps ball away ::
I would love Suze Ormon with a hammer, I would totally watch her more!
As Madonna said, we are living in a material world. It is hard to teach your kids that things are not the most important thing in the world.
But it isn’t just kids–sometimes I hear adults talking about what they spent on things and I have to tell myself what they spend on things is none of my business. For example, several years ago, I was working at the law firm and outside of my office two attorneys are having a conversation about sunglasses. The first attorney says I really like those sunglasses and the second says–yeah they are really nice–they are [Designer Name]. They talked for awhile and during the course of the conversation it comes out that the sunglasses were close to $1000. I now have to leave my office and see these fantastic sunglasses and I look at them and those specs are nothing spectacular. I have to ask–are they prescription? And the attorney says no. I couldn’t help myself. I said, “Do you realize you just spent on sunglasses what I pay in rent each month?” He had the good grace to be slightly embarrassed. Yes they were male attorneys having that chick conversation right outside my door! I don’t think I’ll ever forget it!
Yes…and more and more you see girls with Coach Bags and Juicy Couture sweat pants…all in the name of fashion? Or just being a snotty little cow.
I was raised in an upper middle class family - we didn’t want for anything - but my mom and dad raised me to value the mighty dollar and not disrespect their hard earning selves.
I saved my allowance to buy my first saddle…leather saddles don’t come cheap - and I’m sure that because I made the effort to do it on my own accord, they probably helped out a bit too.
I think today’s society is promoting self absorbed little shits who expect the world handed over to them on a silver platter.
Soap box is now out from under me…thank you for letting me rant.
Kristy you rock for not just buying him a console like the majority of parents would.
I’m 33 and yet I couldn’t agree more with all of you. My husband and I are horrified by some of the behavior we see in kids nowadays. Self-entitlement, apathy, laziness, rudeness. I would think every generation starts to look at kids that way (like “it was better in MY day” attitude), but for crying out loud. I’m only 15 years older than these high schoolers and yet it seems like the generation gap is getting smaller. Because we were saying that at 25, that we were shocked at the trends of youth.
The other day we had a kid, maybe 10 years old, hold the door for his family - and then us right behind them - as we walked into a restaurant. I nodded at the kid and said “thank you” and he said “you’re welcome.” Steve and I remarked on how well mannered he was. But it’s kind of sad to think that that one small act is worth remarking on. It used to be the norm. *Shaking head*
And we don’t get today’s music either.
Melissa - SO true! Manners are a thing of the past if we aren’t able to somehow pass them down.