I Need to Ask Millennials--Why Are your Kids so Awful?

[Perspektiv]

"Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the largest cohort of children ever to live on planet earth."

"However, the two billion-plus toddlers and pre-teens are already being cited for their illiteracy, unruly behavior and an uncontrollable addiction to screens."

"Many blame lockdowns and school closures during the pandemic for the rise in bad behavior, while some are pointing the finger at Millennial parents who are opting to distract children with technology rather than properly discipline them."

Long story short, teachers are quitting in droves due to it.

Edited August 18 by Perspektiv

[DUI_Offender]

33 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

"Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the largest cohort of children ever to live on planet earth."

"However, the two billion-plus toddlers and pre-teens are already being cited for their illiteracy, unruly behavior and an uncontrollable addiction to screens."

"Many blame lockdowns and school closures during the pandemic for the rise in bad behavior, while some are pointing the finger at Millennial parents who are opting to distract children with technology rather than properly discipline them."

Long story short, teachers are quitting in droves due to it.

Bullshit.

[Perspektiv]

19 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Bullshit.

You're not disproving anything, by refusing it without evidence.

[Perspektiv]

25 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Bullshit.

Also, ironically in the same article:

"students 'don't have critical thinking skills anymore,' Haze said that they could talk about their favorite superhero 'for hours,' but couldn't 'make a Powerpoint... write me a paragraph... write me a story"

Or in this case, elaborate on their refuting of a subject matter.

[DUI_Offender]

Every generation says the same thing about the younger one. My guess is kids attention  spans are shorter due to advanced technology. However, if they ban smartphones from classes, that should do the trick.

Children aren't any more awful that at any other time in history though.

Edited August 18 by DUI_Offender

[Perspektiv]

30 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Every generation says the same thing about the younger one.

You haven't refuted my point. The numbers, which back the sentiment. 

31 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

My guess is kids attention  spans are shorter due to advanced technology.

So how is my point, bullshit?

32 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

However, if they ban smartphones from classes, that should do the trick.

How do you expect them to do so, without uproar? Those who influence the things your school board does, refusing to accept said measures?

34 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Children aren't any more awful that at any other time in history though.

So, even if failure rates were sharply increased, you would be saying there is no difference?

Sharply increasing numbers of teachers quitting. No difference?

Sharply increasing percentage of teachers being assaulted or feeling threatened by their students, making discipline harder, still hogwash?

[Perspektiv]

1 hour ago, DUI_Offender said:

Bullshit.

I hope you understand the irony in your reply.

My link and point, points heavily to the sharp decline in children's ability to think critically. To think for themselves.

People who can't think critically, will lose their minds when challenged, vs logically discuss and  think their ways through a problem.

It's easier to dismiss something than it is to discuss it. 

If your appliances, your gadgets do everything for you, if parents pacify you with them, how do you expect many of these kids to figure things out on their own? 

[DUI_Offender]

4 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

 

So, even if failure rates were sharply increased, you would be saying there is no difference?

Sharply increasing numbers of teachers quitting. No difference?

Sharply increasing percentage of teachers being assaulted or feeling threatened by their students, making discipline harder, still hogwash?

This article, from a questionable tabloid in the UK, cannot say for certain teachers are quitting in droves due to children and their short attention spans. My guess is it has more to do with not being compensated by the school districts. Everyone knows school teachers are overworked and underpaid. My gut instinct tells me it is due to the poor resources provided to them by the school boards, and little to do with the children.

[Perspektiv]

9 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

This article, from a questionable tabloid in the UK

Are their numbers questionable?

Is their data questionable?

20 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

My guess is it has more to do with not being compensated by the school districts.

That would be a bad guess. Burnout is typically high on the lists of why a teacher, or nurse would quit. IE high needs careers. 

A better look would be what is burning the teachers out. Lack of workforce, increasing hours. How are students treating the teachers, then running down the list to get somewhat of an answer.

When you have thousands of teachers sharing their gripes on social media, should it be dismissed as hogwash?

Of course it isn't the sole reason, but to dismiss it as a major contributor would be dangerous, no?

24 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

and little to do with the children.

That would be shortsighted. 

I have dated a couple teachers, and they both cited their growing dissolution with students.

There is a growing cultural change, where there are less consequences for behavior.

How does a tabloid pointing it out make it false?

[DUI_Offender]

2 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

 

I have dated a couple teachers, and they both cited their growing dissolution with students.

There is a growing cultural change, where there are less consequences for behavior.

How does a tabloid pointing it out make it false?

People have been saying "there is a growing cultural change" since the Beatles touched down on American soil 60 years go. 

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, DUI_Offender said:

People have been saying "there is a growing cultural change" since the Beatles touched down on American soil 60 years go. 

Since way before..

 

[herbie]

The 'screens' are merely an evolution of TV as a babysitter.
Don't forget their parents were plopped in front of a TV and grew up from Sesame Street to NickelOpium their whole lives.

Along with the financial need for both parents to work, or working multiple jobs to make ends meet, they have far less time and energy to spend with their kids. It's a shame.

[Perspektiv]

4 hours ago, DUI_Offender said:

People have been saying "there is a growing cultural change" since the Beatles touched down on American soil 60 years go. 

What about the world wars?

Culture is always changing, but academic performance and some other metrics, are highly measurable.

What you're saying is the black community didn't undergo a seismic shift, in seeing dramatic increases in single motherhood, because this has always been prevalent.

Only, that it hasn't been. 

You're dismissing the reality, while bringing nothing to the debate.

2 hours ago, herbie said:

have far less time and energy to spend with their kids. It's a shame.

Latch key kids are nothing new.

But what explains the dramatic drop, academically?

Covid?

[Michael Hardner]

5 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

 

But what explains the dramatic drop, academically?

Covid?

Perhaps. But without reading the paper, only reading the daily mail version of events... It seems to be anecdotally reported by educators. 

 

Which is fine, but remember these are the same people you don't trust to handle students coming out as trans.

[Perspektiv]

3 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Since way before..

So, if there is a 400% increase in homelessness, nothing to look at. Keep it moving? 

Or just maybe, this is becoming a crisis?

During covid, many nurses quit. It was too much pressure, and emotionally it was devastating, to boot.

What you're saying essentially  is that people quit just because, and nothing has changed, ignoring the sharp spike and most notably in teachers getting assaulted.

Kids have less respect for authority. 

But to this level, its unprecedented. Numbers back it up.

[Perspektiv]

4 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

Which is fine, but remember these are the same people you don't trust to handle students coming out as trans.

But, spike in teacher assaults are not to be looked at?

Spike in students that barely can read and comprehend?

Forget teachers, these are statistics. They are demonstrable.

[Michael Hardner]

22 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

But, spike in teacher assaults are not to be looked at?

Spike in students that barely can read and comprehend?

Forget teachers, these are statistics. They are demonstrable.

I always defer to statistics. Apologies for not reading the original study.

[herbie]

I've actually found my grandkids more curious, more willing to learn and no more bratty than their parents were.

I have friends with three autistic kids from one son. Bullshit, the youngest two learned that behaviour from the oldest as the way to get what they want.

[Army Guy]

6 hours ago, DUI_Offender said:

Every generation says the same thing about the younger one. My guess is kids attention  spans are shorter due to advanced technology. However, if they ban smartphones from classes, that should do the trick.

Children aren't any more awful that at any other time in history though.

Cell phones are just one chunk of the problem, it is todays modern tech, access to the intra net, from online gaming to access to info be it factual or false news, and it is not just today's generation, it is all the gens from the inception of the intra net to now...There are dozens of articles written about it this very topic....it is funny that despite the sources your first reaction is to call bullshit... do you have kids in school or grandkids in school...ask them about the violence at schools, ask them about some of the issues Teachers are having controlling children, or just plain teaching....I live in NB small towns, and it is evident here, and in the larger cities like Fredericton.....

I'm surprise at Michaels response he has said he has friends that are teachers...in much larger cities, should be glaring examples. 

Quote

Then the internet was invented and children were thrust into a vastly different environment in which, because distraction is the norm, consistent attention is impossible, imagination is unnecessary, and memory is inhibited.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-of-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus

[Army Guy]

3 minutes ago, herbie said:

I've actually found my grandkids more curious, more willing to learn and no more bratty than their parents were.

I have friends with three autistic kids from one son. Bullshit, the youngest two learned that behaviour from the oldest as the way to get what they want.

I don't think it is about them being curious, or unable to learn....it is about the effects of mordern media, that shapes they way they learn , not all of them are bad, but there is some bad side effects....the internet was invented and children were thrust into a vastly different environment in which, because distraction is the norm, consistent attention is impossible, imagination is unnecessary, and memory is inhibited. It all in that link i provided above.

 

Were we as kids forced to play outside, explore our world through our senses like touch, smell etc...we played sports, board games, the majority of todays kids don't do all of that, its all available to them at the touch of a button....only today you don't know if the information they are receiving is true or not...

 

[Michael Hardner]

10 minutes ago, Army Guy said:

 

I'm surprise at Michaels response he has said he has friends that are teachers... 

I get that. The thing is, I'm highly suspicious of trying to weigh the Valor of a generation. It seems like a no-win game. 

They've been doing it since my dad was born, seriously. 

There are too many factors to consider. I will of course allow that technology and the pandemic have had huge impacts, only that we don't know what they are. 

And this is not a political topic for me either

[Perspektiv]

18 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

I always defer to statistics.

I agree the newspaper is highly biased, so for me, I look at stats.

But I can understand why many would reject the premise based on the newspaper that delivered the message.

It would be like Fox News with a hit job on Kamala Harris. I would want to delve into it further, prior to believing there was a problem.

Teachers being paid garbage and overworked is nothing new. So why they spike, is where my line of thinking went.

[Perspektiv]

15 minutes ago, herbie said:

I've actually found my grandkids more curious, more willing to learn and no more bratty than their parents were.

My wife makes a good point on things like this:

"This isn't a racial issue. An age issue. Some parents are just not taking the time to raise their kids properly".

So, maybe my pointing to the generation is unfair. 

Maybe life dynamics make raising kids that much more challenging and this is reflected in their behavior at school. To be fair, kids in this range have gone through a pandemic. Multiple wars. 9/11. 

The newspaper is oversimplifying a layered issue.

[Army Guy]

2 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

I get that. The thing is, I'm highly suspicious of trying to weigh the Valor of a generation. It seems like a no-win game. 

They've been doing it since my dad was born, seriously. 

There are too many factors to consider. I will of course allow that technology and the pandemic have had huge impacts, only that we don't know what they are. 

And this is not a political topic for me either

Maybe thats part of the problem that there is not enough people that do care, or put a thought into it....most parents put their trust into our educators to produce smart little humans....and have not given much thought to what tech is doing to our little people, or how it is changing our education priorities...just a thought...

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, Army Guy said:

... have not given much thought to what tech is doing to our little people, or how it is changing our education priorities...just a thought...

This is getting a huge amount of attention right now from public health and educators.  And as a parent of two children in a family where all are addicted to our screens, in a community where everyone talks about this... it's perhaps the biggest issue in my life.

...

I don't have any answers yet.