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The misunderstood youth of today

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Unfortunately I am at that age (40 plus) and had to endure the nightmare of going to school and doing what I was told whether I liked it or not; of respecting my elders and being thankful if, after doing someone a favour or task, they gave me a reward.

I sometimes wonder what sort of person I could have been if I was able to have the kind of parental support young people have today.  For example parents who, instead of saying that if I was punished at school then I probably deserved it and should learn from the experience, would have instead gone down to that school and “sorted them teachers out for picking on me”.

Maybe they would have shown me that the only way to get on in life was to demand respect from others, whilst at the same time showing none back to anyone other than those people to whom I wished to demonstrate how “hard” I was!

The misunderstood youth of today Perhaps they would have taught me to demand those goods which other people have, the very goods which those people have worked hard to get and which I should receive free.  After all, it is not my fault that nobody wants to take me on as an employee and pay me the salary I want and they even expect me to get up early just to be on time when I have been out partying all night!

Is that not what the Government is there for - to ensure I have the same chances as everyone else?  It isn't my fault that I have no qualifications and couldn't get on with my teachers.  Dad said he had the same trouble – does that sound familiar?

Then perhaps when you get verbal abuse from youths in the street you will understand that they all need our respect.  We should not invade their space by walking down their side of the street or look at them in the face and we should be more understanding it isn't there fault or their parents that they act as they do.  They were probably picked on and misunderstood by teachers; they all deserve a chance and another and another and another - just like they have always had!

By: Malc, ex-optimist


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Mr H

Mr H

I liked your point of you give thanks for getting a reward you earned for. As my stepsister is 16 and belives she should get things without having to work for them and when she is given stuff that she asked for doesnt even give a thanks.
20/10/14 Mr H
-1
Babyboomer

Babyboomer

Notreallyangry, So youv'e only got another 22 years to go before you can retire and be as happy as me, hopefully?
11/12/13 Babyboomer
-1
Notreallyangry

Notreallyangry

I was angry at 15, I'm now 48 and really pissed off. Its not age its the person.
11/12/13 Notreallyangry
2
MrAngry

MrAngry

A Yob----your writings about as interesting as one of my bowl movements. Kids are not kids anymore. Most are spoiled and want too much along with no punishment for anything---- so its no wonder we have the crime we have. Just look at some of our towns and villages and gangs of sprogs standing about shouting and swearing at police and abusing people-----the evidence is there all over uk to be seen
09/08/13 MrAngry
-4
MrAngry

MrAngry

DSG dont talk so much shite---kids now are spoiled brats who want ipads n iphones n play stations. All the do is --i want this i want that--- nose in a phone or game all the time---no wonder this country is loosing everything
09/08/13 MrAngry
-3
scholar

scholar

Stereotype?? Is that the definition for two typists working side by side?
29/04/11 scholar
-20
Patronised

Patronised

My god. Maybe the fact that people assume all young people are the same is one of the reasons we're angry when you "look at us in the face". Would it be fair to assume that all people over the age of 40 are miserable idiots that don't know which form of "there"/"their"/"they're" to use just because of this article? No, it wouldn't. It is opinions like this that just perpetuate the stereotype
11/03/11 Patronised
-14
malc ex optomist

malc ex optomist

Hi everyone, it is nearly four years since I last looked at this piece I posted, many thanks to all who have read and been able - by using a little intelligence - understand that this was written to provoke a response by those who feel they are owed a life instead of getting out there and finding one, four years on and people are still getting wound up by this, just shows (as some have stated) things never change, and the old ones really are the best! my other nickname is Devil's advocate - see how many more of my gripes you can allow yourself to be wound up by! Thanks for the fun of your replies.
11/03/11 malc ex optomist
-17
DSG

DSG

I think the creator of this gripe doesn't understand what young kids are like today. He thinks that every kid demands respect from others to think they're "hard".He also thinks that because he has seen a few cases of violent crime involving yobs,he now knows all about teenagers.
Life's gotten harder for kids now. Get used to it.
06/02/11 DSG
-3
I HATED SCHOOL

I HATED SCHOOL

Doesn't anyone remember being young anymore? I remember being at school and getting poked in the chest or dragged by the scruff by a teacher who could only make himself feel big by TERRIFYING small and vulnerable children a third of his weight.
How can you have respect for a bully like that?
20/11/10 I HATED SCHOOL
-2
rj_smithy

rj_smithy

I think it is terrible how you pretend you know or understand. all you are is a naive moron who thinks because she may have heard extreme cases or results of knife crime knows the ins and outs of being a young person in the modern society, well guess what we have all read and heard the news however unlike you we will not stereo-type and be so small minded as to think a certain age group can be depicted on others views. Was it our generation who caused the meltdown of the financial world, the delayed effects of global warming, the politically correct government and various others? no it was past generations yet if you think for a moment that although it was never the case with me, if parents went to a school to moan about the way there child has been treated, it would either be because we were too young to standup for ourselves or in, and I repeat, an extreme scenario were the teacher had been outside of her legal rights.
12/09/10 rj_smithy
-7
Egg Head.

Egg Head.

I assure you,Sir, the only time my parents have ever 'sorted them teachers out' is when my teacher called me a horrible, spoiled little brat who didn't deserve anything nice. Not only was she immediatley fired but my father went up to her and shouted at her. She cried. Hystericaly.
But I agree with you that when people hurl abuse at you in the street-I live in a nice area but there is a school nearby that the rougher end of town go to and I go to the Catholic School, even though I'm a proud atheist and the whole school knows, they often shout horrible things and throw cricket balls and icicles at us when we walk to and from school-most of them have given up trying to gain people's respect because they don't want to change their opinions on young people. So people just play up to the stereotype. Sad really.
P.S. I speak from experience when I say they throw things at us. The winter just gone, I knew someone from my school who has a massive scare from when one threw an icicle at him and I got a cricket ball thrown at my head by someone in upper sixth(17-18) when I was in year seven(11-12) needless to say, it hurt.
11/08/10 Egg Head.
-21
Egg Head.

Egg Head.

I assure you,Sir, the only time my parents have ever 'sorted them teachers out' is when my teacher called me a horrible, spoiled little brat who didn't deserve anything nice. Not only was she immediatley fired but my father went up to her and shouted at her. She cried. Hystericaly.
But I agree with you that when people hurl abuse at you in the street-I live in a nice area but there is a school nearby that the rougher end of town go to and I go to the Catholic School, even though I'm a proud atheist and the whole school knows, they often shout horrible things and throw cricket balls and icicles at us when we walk to and from school-most of them have given up trying to gain people's respect because they don't want to change their opinions on young people. So people just play up to the stereotype. Sad really.
P.S. I speak from experience when I say they throw things at us. The winter just gone, I knew someone from my school who has a massive scare from when one threw an icicle at him and I got a cricket ball thrown at my head by someone in upper sixth(17-18) when I was in year seven(11-12) needless to say, it hurt.
11/08/10 Egg Head.
-15
mathew

mathew

my comments is that we as parents should encourage them in a way were they should to go about because once we treat them harshly they will not except our advise, in other words we accused them by telling lies that they have make friendship with your girl, so this is one of the dangerous thing that can affect the youths today. therefore, we as perants shohuld not misunderstood the youths of today because they are the future leaders for tommoro.
08/07/10 mathew
-7
Been There

Been There

Me2; if this country is not for you, you can always leave, since you have such grandiose idea's.
27/10/09 Been There
-4

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