“No, it’s not your imagination. Every day gets worse. And dumber. And more dangerous. …we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are not the crazy ones.“
— Charlie Sykes
Other than a single shot .22 rifle I keep for nostalgic reasons (the one my grandfather taught me to shoot), I have not owned a firearm since 1980. Last week my pacifist, yoga instructor wife and I made the decision that we need to purchase handguns and take lessons (and engage in regular practice sessions) to become proficient in their use.
It is sad that after all these years our country has so quickly moved in a chaotic direction that we feel the need to invest money and time on something like this.
Regarding Gen Z, I feel like they (many, not all) are the first generation who didn't play outside, didn't knock on their friends' door asking if they could come out and play. They were probably late in learning to ride a bike- if at all. As a Gen Xer, we learned to navigate friendships, crushes, group dynamics and just being alone sometimes; at a much younger age. We had many years of trial & error and learning from both about successful and failed allegiances, as well as outright rejection. Those helped us hone our skills with longer term relationships and job culture later in life. Now the only interactions kids get outside of school is on their devices. It's not real. Just because social media says you have 1290 friends doesn't mean you do. Gone are the days of shared experiences, real, in-person shared experiences and problem solving. It's too bad because your Xbox is not going to teach it to you, but you still need to know how to handle it.
One more thing that I think would be an interesting thing to study. When I was growing up everyone had nicknames. We got them from our friends or family members out of something we did or that may have happened to us. Some of us got them because of things we couldn't change, like hair color, height, or our last name. I don't see a lot of young people with nicknames anymore, and I believe it's because they're not hanging out in groups and sharing experiences that might lead to someone branding you with one. They're terms of endearment or comradery, and they are imposed upon you, you cannot give yourself a nickname or it's not authentic. When the group dynamic went away, so went a lot of life lessons and some really good nicknames.
You are so right! When I was growing up we left the house in the morning and didn’t come home until time for dinner. In the summer that extended until dark. If you wanted to know something you kept up with reading the paper or went to the library and looked it up. Social media should be called anti-social media. I guess one thing you could say is that it is probably preparing them for a world of AI reality.
No, your point was that times are different now than when we were kids. I am at the end of the baby boomers, we lived in a small prairie town and often the only time we came home was to eat. But I stand by the comment that some nicknames were just mean and hurtful, like snotty Scotty, no camaraderie there. Kids can be relentless against those who are different. It's funny, I can't remember the nicknames, but I remember the kids who suffered through them.
Even talking is difficult for many of them. It’s sad seeing a table of young people in a restaurant all glued to their phones instead of engaging with each other. I’m sitting there asking myself, “How does that even work?”
I’m a Boomer. Like Darrell, I was outside skating, riding my bike or playing with the other kids in our playground. No parents were hovering around watching us. We were everywhere in our neighborhood. I’m glad I came to the electronic age late. I can’t imagine how lonely life would be if this were my only way of getting along in the world.
“No, it’s not your imagination. Every day gets worse. And dumber. And more dangerous. …we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are not the crazy ones.“
— Charlie Sykes
Other than a single shot .22 rifle I keep for nostalgic reasons (the one my grandfather taught me to shoot), I have not owned a firearm since 1980. Last week my pacifist, yoga instructor wife and I made the decision that we need to purchase handguns and take lessons (and engage in regular practice sessions) to become proficient in their use.
It is sad that after all these years our country has so quickly moved in a chaotic direction that we feel the need to invest money and time on something like this.
Regarding Gen Z, I feel like they (many, not all) are the first generation who didn't play outside, didn't knock on their friends' door asking if they could come out and play. They were probably late in learning to ride a bike- if at all. As a Gen Xer, we learned to navigate friendships, crushes, group dynamics and just being alone sometimes; at a much younger age. We had many years of trial & error and learning from both about successful and failed allegiances, as well as outright rejection. Those helped us hone our skills with longer term relationships and job culture later in life. Now the only interactions kids get outside of school is on their devices. It's not real. Just because social media says you have 1290 friends doesn't mean you do. Gone are the days of shared experiences, real, in-person shared experiences and problem solving. It's too bad because your Xbox is not going to teach it to you, but you still need to know how to handle it.
One more thing that I think would be an interesting thing to study. When I was growing up everyone had nicknames. We got them from our friends or family members out of something we did or that may have happened to us. Some of us got them because of things we couldn't change, like hair color, height, or our last name. I don't see a lot of young people with nicknames anymore, and I believe it's because they're not hanging out in groups and sharing experiences that might lead to someone branding you with one. They're terms of endearment or comradery, and they are imposed upon you, you cannot give yourself a nickname or it's not authentic. When the group dynamic went away, so went a lot of life lessons and some really good nicknames.
You are so right! When I was growing up we left the house in the morning and didn’t come home until time for dinner. In the summer that extended until dark. If you wanted to know something you kept up with reading the paper or went to the library and looked it up. Social media should be called anti-social media. I guess one thing you could say is that it is probably preparing them for a world of AI reality.
Some nicknames were just plain mean, not terms of endearment, and often part of bullying.
You missed my point.
No, your point was that times are different now than when we were kids. I am at the end of the baby boomers, we lived in a small prairie town and often the only time we came home was to eat. But I stand by the comment that some nicknames were just mean and hurtful, like snotty Scotty, no camaraderie there. Kids can be relentless against those who are different. It's funny, I can't remember the nicknames, but I remember the kids who suffered through them.
Even talking is difficult for many of them. It’s sad seeing a table of young people in a restaurant all glued to their phones instead of engaging with each other. I’m sitting there asking myself, “How does that even work?”
I’m a Boomer. Like Darrell, I was outside skating, riding my bike or playing with the other kids in our playground. No parents were hovering around watching us. We were everywhere in our neighborhood. I’m glad I came to the electronic age late. I can’t imagine how lonely life would be if this were my only way of getting along in the world.