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Are Today's Generation Of Kids More Privileged?

Discussion in 'Parents & Siblings' started by Needtobestrong, Jun 25, 2018.

  1. Needtobestrong

    Needtobestrong Platinum IL'ite

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    *long post alert*
    i have the habit of going for walks in my locality, there are many schools and colleges in the vicinity and while chatting with neighbours and neighbours families, and with frequent get together with relatives, I get a good chance to see school and college students and interact with them.
    I just feel that these days school and college students are far better off than me and my batchmates during my time..
    I'm not going to reveal my age as it makes me feel old, but it would suffice to say that it's been approximately a decade since college days..
    I was from a very traditional family setup and a very humble family background. Apart from school uniforms, at any point of time I only had 4-5 sets of clothes with maybe one or 2 sets of good clothes for wearing to functions or some major outing. New clothes would be purchased only on major festivals, or major family functions like marriage of close relative etc..any clothes, inner wears etc would be used again and again and only after getting outgrown or worn out I would get new set clothes with old ones being promptly donated to domestic helps.
    Any requests from me for new dresses, accessories , toys etc wouldn't be entertained by parents or grand parents as they had lot of financial constraints.
    Also they felt its waste of money to buy costly dresses for growing child.
    Any cash gifts or clothes gifts from relatives would be handed over to parents to be used as they feel right..now kids themselves pocket the cash gifts like 500Rs etc given by visiting relatives and use it themselves like pocket money.
    Very limited toys I had, and I have never owned "building blocks" during my entire childhood, have only played with those belonging to friends.
    Cable TV was a luxury that time. It was promptly cut off during exam time and even during holidays I could watch favourite cartoon or serial only with permission of family members.
    Not any distractions from studies like now..
    On the other hand I see kids being pampered left and right by indulging parents and grandparents, 1000s of rupees spent on branded apparels for kids, expensive toys etc..different toys being bought for each age group..kids hog the TV to watch favourite cartoons.
    In my school days and early college days, internet connection for home was a luxury and very few had it..
    Me and my classmates used to hunt school, College libraries, nearby public libraries, cyber cafes etc in the search for information for working on school and college assignments and holiday homework..now, it's no big deal and just a few clicks on the home desktop or laptop would give all the information needed to complete the Project or assignment.
    In my childhood days, I was severely bullied..for my looks, for my overweight and for few reasons more due to which I was shy and withdrawn..I didn't have proper support systems for addressing such bullying either by childhood friends or classmates at school..
    I have faced severe depression and self esteem issues and eating disorder which went unnoticed by anyone till my teenage years when I mustered self confidence to overcome them.
    But now I feel teachers and parents are a lot more interactive and parents can come to know if something is wrong with the child during PTA meetings, and parents are a lot more interactive in boosting confidence in kids to make them more bold and courageous.
    During my childhood days and early college days, Internet, mobile phones, smart phones, laptops etc were unheard of, so we were cut off from technology so could actually spend time in playing in the fresh air with friends, roaming freely in roads as the traffic pollution etc were almost non existent, but now kids are pretty much occupies with their gadgets and physical activity is missing. .
    Also they have a lot more access to junk food and fast food than I had in my childhood days, I meant have tasted pizza for first time in high school before that I didn't even what it was..burger French fries and other junk food I could taste during college days while hanging out with friends..now I'm shocked to see toddlers and primary school kids being fed all kinds of fast food at malls and restaurants...parents maybe are too busy to give home cooked food just find it convenient to give such foods and eat out on weekends. Kids also throw tantrums when not allowed to eat these.
    My relatives kids who are of school going age, are always online. They have their own smartphone iPad and laptop. Even when on vacation or travelling they want Internet access. If Internet access is not there they throw tantrums.

    I felt like posting something late in the night and this is also a vent!

    In spite of the drawbacks, I feel that today's generation of kids are a lot more well informed, smarter, pampered, and know to get what they want unlike "previous generation" kids.
    What say?
     
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  2. viki123

    viki123 Silver IL'ite

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    @Needtobestrong
    Reading your childhood days, make me nostalgic and reminds to of my days. I think we were fortunate to be in that generating where we learned at of thing like being practical (learning from experience & to stand up for ourselves) , adjusting to situations & understanding our parent economical status, begin happy with what we had and with lot fund outside, respecting elders and enjoying nature. Even if we threw tantrums on some thing, our parents knew how to handle it.

    Coming to this generation, they have a lot privileges available than we had, part due to better economical status of parents. And most parents i have seen give in to their kids tantrums/demands due to peer pressure or making sure that their kids enjoys what they were not able as kids. In this change of situations, I think most the parents are lost in teaching them practical things to their kids and kids are failing to accepting "NO" as an answer and handle failures.
    Though kids of this generation are well informed, smarter, and knew what they want but will they be able to become respectable/ responsible human-being with good moral values ? Are they able enjoy the nature and real natural things with out TV or Ipads. Are we as parents doing enough to teach them life skills ? These are the question I always wounder.
     
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  3. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    It is all a cycle. Each generation has its new challenges that vex the parent in that generation, and also make things easier for the parent.
    The expectations have also changed. Kids are expected to analyze information they use in projects more deeply. A higher level of creativity is expected.

    If kids now have access to internet for assignments, parents also have internet (and IL) for dealing with parenting's vicissitudes. Parents have email or text to ask a friend for advice or to vent. In the time gone by, the mother had to wait for the next day, and for all to be gone to school, work, before she could vent to the ladies in the neighborhood.

    Mostly agree. I am not sure about the pamper, but I feel today's kids are more sure of themselves, have clearer opinions, and are not shy to present their views.
     
  4. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    Here are two of my favorite quotations:

    From: A Little Book for Children and Youth – Being Good Counsel and Instructions for Your Children, Earnestly Exhorting Them to Resist the Temptation of the Devil, Robert Russel (1695)

    “… I find by sad Experience how the Towns and Streets are filled with lewd wicked Children, and many Children as they have played about the Streets have been heard to curse and swear and call one another Nick-names, and it would grieve one's Heart to hear what bawdy and filthy Communications proceeds from the Mouths of such…”

    From: A Speech to the House of Commons, Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (1843)

    “…a fearful multitude of untutored savages… [boys] with dogs at their heels and other evidence of dissolute habits…[girls who] drive coal-carts, ride astride upon horses, drink, swear, fight, smoke, whistle, and care for nobody…the morals of children are tenfold worse than formerly.”

    Apparently, not much change in a century and a half. :lol:
     
  5. periamma

    periamma IL Hall of Fame

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    Time brings changes in human life.My mother never heard of a Radio but in my teens my dad bought a rradio and transistor .i enjoyed hearing songs when i do my home work .Then come the TV,computers,mobile phonesetc.etc.
    My son and daughter allows their children to use the gadgets only particular times and the boys too accepted.Now they are below 10 but i am not sure how will they react at teen age.
     
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  6. nakshatra1

    nakshatra1 Platinum IL'ite

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    I agree with you .

    At same time , I believe today's kids have more pressure on them for being creative and original . Also they face immense competition .

    Mayne they are privileged but I think it's mostly for good . So many positive things have happened , like parents don't beat children , parents understand and provide emotional support and freedom to teenage kids . In earlier generation it was common for many kids to be beaten and scolded by parents etc so today's generation kids will grow up to be more compassionate and understanding because they receive same from parents and teachers .

    The junk food etc are really the menace of society and something needs to be done about it .Also not playing outside .

    Probably our parents generation thought we were too spoilt . Every generation feels that way about the next gen due to continuous technological innovation. And economic changes (liberalization , globalisation etc )
     
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  7. messedup

    messedup Platinum IL'ite

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    Today's kids have to bear so much of competition. 70 was a good percentage at our time but now if we say someone get below 90 then that kid needs to improve a lot. Many at 12th std get above 95 and those who get percent in 80's have to struggle a lot to get the admission in college. What about those who get less. They have to be presentable interactive focussed. I think if kids are throwing tantrums at parent then parent also expecting a lot from them and many are not able to accept kids at lower level and put pressure on kids in one way or the other.
     
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  8. paru123

    paru123 Gold IL'ite

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    Yes, they are more privileged and pampered than earlier. Kids are also more knowledgeable, smarter, creative and enthusiastic. But the negative qualities are also much noticeable. Some are very selfish, some can't hear a " no" , or accept criticisms or corrections. Even the very small kids are so adamant and arrogant than the previous generation kids.
     
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  9. Anisu

    Anisu Platinum IL'ite

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    From a materialistic perspective , Yes! they are more privileged as the affordability is better now. But, they have a lot of pressure in terms of studying, activities. They are losing their innocent childhood.
    We had the liberty to play outside our home with friends. Now we keep our kids locked at home and max they can play in the park when parents take them. During holidays, we never used to sit at one place. Play play and only play. For our kids, we enroll them to one of the activities as we have to engage them during holidays. They have to study well inspite of the distractions like mobile, and other electronic gadgets. Did we have so much of distraction?

    Coming to food, where did we have thee many fast food centres earlier? I was brought up in a project area where even to buy a small item we had to travel 16 kilometers or borrow it from neighbour. There was no question of eating out as we rarely used to get anything. Now in big cities, day in and out children get to see so many junk food. We cannot completely avoid buying them outside food. We may cook variety of food but they would still want fries or chips one day. We did not have these options to eatout. Certain foods were beyond our reach. Now, we have everything that is affordable. So every generation has their challenges.
     
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  10. ashima10

    ashima10 Platinum IL'ite

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    No , they are not . It’s all how they take it .
     
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