So how come a lot of aquarium hobbyst live in their moms basement?

[skjl47]

Because of this I try to no longer employ them. They can't spell, they can't type, they can't write in cursive, they can't speak proper english, they're always late despite uber and lyft and always having a cell phone to communicate and tell time. Their attention span is shorter than the fish's, and they can't stick with a project or long-term endeavor until fruition. It seems like many are on adderall and ritalin

Hello; I like this comment. During the last decade or so of my teaching time the public schools started a program of "enhanced self esteem" for students. Teachers were supposed to avoid using red ink. Not supposed to mark off for spelling and such. If a student did 8 out of 10 things wrong we were supposed to praise the 2 things they got right. Boiled down to whatever a student did was pretty much acceptable. Add these off the wall notions to the already entrenched "social promotion" and you get the sort of young adults you described.

The sad thing being it will take a generation ( 12 years of public school) to straighten these things out if these flaws were fixed today. I guess these notions have migrated up to the college level as well.

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

My parents died when I was young. I hated being without resources, so I've been working and scraping since I was a teenager. I'm glad I didn't have much of a safety net to fall back on, I probably wouldn't have accomplished as much in life.

I think life is too easy for some of these kids. They're separated from the struggle. We protect and pamper our children more these days. Advancements in technology has blessed older generations with increased productivity and convenience but has really had an opposite impact on the developing youth. Because of this I try to no longer employ them. They can't spell, they can't type, they can't write in cursive, they can't speak proper english, they're always late despite uber and lyft and always having a cell phone to communicate and tell time. Their attention span is shorter than the fish's, and they can't stick with a project or long-term endeavor until fruition. It seems like many are on adderall and ritalin, plus self medicating when they really just needed an old fashioned butt-whopping as a child and some self-discipline.

I remember when you had 3 options turn 18:

1. Join the military
2. Get a full time job
3. Go to college or tech school

If one of those 3 weren't in check you were homeless, parents used to have more grit.

Hi, I'm new here, but I'm chatty. I agree there should be stakes for being a slacker, totally. But at the same time, the problem isn't necessarily the children; "The Millenniums" many of whom are now young to middle-aged adults, it is the world in which they were raised. Parents, school systems, the whole damn culture is frankly to blame. The very success of the American experiment is the reason they are soft and weak, they haven't ever had to really try hard at anything and just slid along in the mediocre middle with no risk of serious consequence. It's sad on every side.

Butt whipping isn't necessary for discipline, but discipline is important. Grit is important. I agree with your post in spirit but not with the specifics of your reckons as to causation and reparations.

I hear you about not employing a certain kind of foppish rat who can't pay attention during a ten minute meeting. Screentime addiction is just as bad as an opioid addiction. But not all millennials or gen-xers are cut from that cloth. And the economy really has taken a huge dump, in terms of wage stagnation and inflation, people are not always in control of their circumstances, and we're all flawed and broken in some way or another. I think having a wife and kids and living in a garage with expensive fish is pretty gross, though. Icky.

 

[kendragon]

[QUOTE=" I think having a wife and kids and living in a garage with expensive fish is pretty gross, though. Icky.[/QUOTE]

You're right....wife and kids have to go. j/k

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

I think having a wife and kids and living in a garage with expensive fish is pretty gross, though. Icky.

You're right....wife and kids have to go. j/k

But are you really kidding?

 

[skjl47]

problem isn't necessarily the children; "The Millenniums" many of whom are now young to middle-aged adults, it is the world in which they were raised. Parents, school systems, the whole damn culture is frankly to blame

Hello; No the whole culture is not to be blamed for the failure of an individual to achieve. The individual is at fault as a bottom line. That the culture sets up a buffet of opportunities for many to make choices leading down the easy road to a mediocre life does not mean the individual has to make those self destructive choices.
If I eat too much junk food just because it is all around, I will get fat. If I do not exercise because I can ride everywhere, I can have heart disease. More examples can be had but the point is we make choices as individuals. Individual students do not have to take the easy path and some did not in my classes. I would have biology classes of 30 + loaded with "slackers" (Back to the Future) and an AP Biology class with 10 or 12 very good students.
This "blame" somebody or something else for our individual failures will not feed the bulldog.

haven't ever had to really try hard at anything and just slid along in the mediocre middle with no risk of serious consequence

hello; I go along with you on this part. Our laws and social institutions such as schools do not give consequences for bad or poor behavior. Young folks slide for a long time and then become adults with no decent guidelines.

Butt whipping isn't necessary for discipline, but discipline is important

Hello; While I never liked using a paddle as a teacher, I sure lost control of discipline in my schools when it was taken away. Might have been OK if we teachers had been left with some other way to handle discipline. However every time we came up with an alternative to the paddle some would say "that is unpleasant" so you cannot use it either. By the time I retired the rowdy students had full grown teachers "to play games with" and we teachers could do little about it.

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

Hello; No the whole culture is not to be blamed for the failure of an individual to achieve. The individual is at fault as a bottom line. That the culture sets up a buffet of opportunities for many to make choices leading down the easy road to a mediocre life does not mean the individual has to make those self destructive choices.
If I eat too much junk food just because it is all around, I will get fat. If I do not exercise because I can ride everywhere, I can have heart disease. More examples can be had but the point is we make choices as individuals. Individual students do not have to take the easy path and some did not in my classes. I would have biology classes of 30 + loaded with "slackers" (Back to the Future) and an AP Biology class with 10 or 12 very good students.
This "blame" somebody or something else for our individual failures will not feed the bulldog.


hello; I go along with you on this part. Our laws and social institutions such as schools do not give consequences for bad or poor behavior. Young folks slide for a long time and then become adults with no decent guidelines.



Hello; While I never liked using a paddle as a teacher, I sure lost control of discipline in my schools when it was taken away. Might have been OK if we teachers had been left with some other way to handle discipline. However every time we came up with an alternative to the paddle some would say "that is unpleasant" so you cannot use it either. By the time I retired the rowdy students had full grown teachers "to play games with" and we teachers could do little about it.

Yeah, as advertised, we don't entirely agree. And that's okay on both sides.

This place is pretty cool, I'm glad to be here, and I'm going to endeavor to avoid serious discussion like this for the most part, but except where it concerns fish. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

 

[Wailua Boy]

I don't know but I gotta go, my mom's calling me for dinner.

 

[Hendre]

Interesting topic! I am too young to live on my own, especially where I live, so keep all my tanks in my bedroom and leave it at that.

I think some people have to get a wet smack in the face to wake up and realise that their dream won't just fall at their feet and you need to do the best that you can to reach it or settle for small jobs that'll keep you on rent and all that fun stuff.

I think this generation is slightly lagging a bit in ways. I don't know where the people in my grade go to for tobacco and drink at parties but it happens. The teachers have even been doing drug tests on tip off, so I'm quite thankful for fishkeeping to keep my money, time and discipline in the right place.

I'm going to try my best not to be a basement baby, I'm working for my uni spot and tried to blaze my year end exams ending up with A's for the two hardest subjects, physical sciences and IT (programming) and a B for bio with its huge amount of work. Laying around isn't going to get me where I want to be, I wish more people would be like that.

 

[Thekid]

I guess I'm probably in the target demographic so heres my take on this.

The world owes you nothing, Hard work will be hard, and If you aren't first you failed.
I'm a fresh out of high school grad who's now in college. I worked summers and falls as well as committed myself to swimming and weight lifting and was expected to get A's in every class. I don't want anybody to give me a handout, I want to work for everything. Its one of the reasons I'm swimming in college. I'll be swimming against the reigning national champs in a short time period and I'm excited for the chance to be pushed by them. One thing I love about the gym is that it rewards hard work and you get out what you put in no matter how much you half ass the third set of deadlifts you will always get some benefit. I've heard people begging professors to bump their grade "because I worked hard" on papers. Rant over.

 

[Hendre]

Swimming is great! Seeing the effort the national level swimmers (and Commonwealth youth) at my school it's pretty crazy. 3-5k sessions twice a day! But I completely agree with T Thekid on his explanation of working.