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Tech

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of Dreamceat |

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T hear a lot from peo-
ple about how they
feel kids have changed
over the last genera-
tion: that they’re less
respectful, less ambi-
tious, less skilled and
more aggressive,

Do your research and you
will find that such accusa-
tions have been common
between the adult and youth
generation for a very long
time. There’s nothing new
in the assertion that the cur-
rent state of youth brings
out fear in the adults!

Ive been working with
young people for more than
a quarter century, one full.
generation, and I’ve certain-
ly seen some changes.’

Young people today have
“a great deal more recreation-
al time and a wider variety of.
options. ‘

They have large 2 amounts
of disposable cash and are
being courted like sericus,
consumers by most mar-
keters.

Clearly, they are more
savvy about material goods.
and more prone to advertis-
ing and peer pressure.

* They are also a whole lot
more sophisticated in terms *
of technology and accessing °
information.

” Most kids today know
more than their parents and .
teachers about a lot of:
things, not the least of
which is the digital and
- information revolution © -
= which i is changing the furida-
mental way we do business ..
and live our lives:.

“Most teens are better pre-

_. pared for the next five years .
of economic ‘development
. than their parents are and
“some of them are already,

* using technology to create’a

:. significant preseace on the
“World Wide Web.

«There have been several"
discoveries of teens and pri
- teens running very successful

Parental.

Guidance
Web sites that have been ©
making a lot of money.
Lemonade stands are clearly
taking a back seat in the dig:

_ital age!

Sull, while the medium ©
through which they express
themselves might be differ
ent, I do not see much dif: -
ference in the way youth.
operate.

They are seeking waysto <-

assert independence, to, <

‘interact with their peers, to”

have some fun and adven-. .
ture and generally to avoid:
the respons sibility of adult-_
hood. ,

change. :

My memories of that
stage in my life are very:
vivid, playing my cightetrack”
tape deck way too loud foi
my Parents" liking!

I'm going to suggest that.’

-it is not the kids who have
~:, changed in the last genera:
tion, but the adults...

I think we have gotten”

too tired, too busy or just”
too lazy. to resist the push by...

“children to suffer Saye

our youngsters to assert

independence. ;.. ;
Rather than helpi ing 7 them:

avoid aduit responsibility, w

“have thrust it upon them,
leaving them alone in home

for long periods of time, giv-
ing them cash with which t
be adult-like’ consumers,

-being wishy-washy. with val-
‘ues and letting them disco
“er such values for them:
“selves, often. through their,

- own difficult experiences

with drugs, alcohol and tee!

“This isn’t really much of a>

them, even though mast of.
them didn’t really want it.
They just wanted to get.”
some resistance; that’s the
whole purpose of fighting
with adults, to say that you
did — no fight, no point!.
We dropped our stan-.”°-
dards at home, let our: :
expectations in education:
drop to. the lowest common

. denominator and then told ;

them they were wonderful
because we didn’: want to:
hurt their feelings. .

When they. wanted | to go

“out with their peers at all

hours of the night, we let
them; until the streets
became unsafe and they,had

.to get together in gangs to
’ protect themselves.

We let their, peers take
influencing the
thoughts, ‘their clothing and,

‘their eating habits, unul we
turned around and foun

fot of our children soc

- sumed-with meeting the

ceived needs of others that

they lost theniselves.

When they felt they need
ed fun, we let them have it
regardless of cost or obliga

“tion to duty.

= *We took away. the’con
nection between hard work,
monetary gain and left
our youngsters materiall:
ambitious but often Jackin;

less than a perfect chil
od;"and that her