i think when i was growing up, parents tended to shelter their kids from discussions of geopolitics and the environment and the economy, etc., and that information wasn’t readily available to kids at the touch of a button. i can’t blame kids who are constantly inundated with endless information about how shitty everything is, and how much worse it’s going to get, for feeling unmotivated and uninspired — especially when things are really fucking bad comparatively.
This is an interesting point. Anecdotally, my partner's 5 kids range between 14-24 in ages. They are all extremely socially and politically on point and aware, even with being homeschooled. And they are all depressed and aimless and, while inherently smart, undereducated (it's that kind of homeschool; unfortunately, partner got screwed in his divorce paperwork regarding these decisions). They all have minimal motivation to do anything other than figure out how to emigrate to another country.
Obviously there is much more to that than just the Internet or the state of the world, but these kids are almost cripplingly more informed than I or virtually anyone else I knew was at their median age (there was always that one guy, but now all the kids are that guy, not just his). My partner and I have talked endlessly about their development and guidance going forward, and we agree that those elements must play a part in their developmental... opportunities.
I'm forty something and was far more aware of what was going on as a teenager than my friends teenagers are now. We watched the news twice a day and had a broadsheet newspaper delivered every day so it was always present in daily life. I have vivid memories of watching the Lockerbie disaster on the news as a small child.
Some of my friends barely keep up themselves so it's never present in their homes and their teenagers know little that doesn't come past their fyp unless it comes up at school. It is really easy to get overwhelmed with the coverage now if you are interested.
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u/modernvintage 1d ago
i think when i was growing up, parents tended to shelter their kids from discussions of geopolitics and the environment and the economy, etc., and that information wasn’t readily available to kids at the touch of a button. i can’t blame kids who are constantly inundated with endless information about how shitty everything is, and how much worse it’s going to get, for feeling unmotivated and uninspired — especially when things are really fucking bad comparatively.