The spoilt generation – no respect for authority

| 14/09/2009

(The Daily Mail): A growing lack of adult authority has bred a ‘spoilt generation’ of children who believe grown-ups must earn their respect, a leading psychologist has warned. The rise of the ‘little emperor’ spans the class divide and is fuelling ills from childhood obesity to teenage pregnancy, Aric Sigman’s research shows. Attempts to ’empower’ children and a lack of discipline in the classroom have also fostered rising levels of violence, at home, at school and in the street. Dr Sigman said nursery-age children are becoming increasingly violent and disrespectful towards their teachers, ‘parent battering’ is on the rise and the number of policemen attacked by children is soaring.

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  1. "Anonymous" says:

    It’s always easier to blame someone else, instead of ourselves as parents.  Many of our young people are not being taught the values and prinicples to life, so they are just allowed to do what they please.  Fathers play an important role in the homes especially where boys are present.  Due to their neglect our boys are having to grow up fast, to meet the demands of their lifestyles, and the friends they meet who become negative influences are leading them down a path of "gangsterism".

    Todays society of children have become too materialistic, and not appreciating the value of life and what they have.  They are always wanting more and will go to whatever lengths it takes to get it all.  Older folks had a saying : Never hang your hat higher than you can reach it, as the more you tip, the more you expose yourself. This leads only to disgrace.

    We also have to be careful of persons whom we hire to act as caretakers for our children, whilst we go out to work, as many are only there to collect a weeks wages and not act as positive infleunces in the upkeep of our children. We have to know as parents what matters most; material things or the lives of our children! Start spending quality time with them.  Take more interests in the friends they associate themselves with and be more influencial in their lives and we will have a more productive society. 

     

     

  2. Anonymous says:

    Why are people so quick to blame others like Bet the Artist with there problems? Isnt it the parents job to screen what there kids do and watch?

    So at the end of the day i think people should lay off on putting the blame on others and do there jobs as parents.

    When Bet or the Artist come and put a gun to their heads and make them do things then you can blame someone.

     

    But until then blame your self. Also its only a Picture!

  3. Any says:

    People if you don’t want your kids to watch BET just block it!, you can do it with Weststar, check the menu on your remote.

    Don’t forget to unblock it on sundays, tho, when it’s a religious channel all day, LMBO!

  4. Anonymous says:

    CNS – what I don’t understand is why you would choose to use a cartoon depiction of black teenagers when the article itself has a perfectly suitable photo? Immediately people see the cartoon and draw ASSumptions rather than reading the article in its entirety. This isn’t a black, white or Indian problem.

    To the commentators demonizing, BET, perhaps they are not aware that the channel has a wide range of programming, ranging from Gospel shows to yes, videos depicting so called "thug life". This is the complex reality that young people are being raised in. No use in hiding – what all forms of media demand is parental guidance!

    The article indicates that many of the issues with young people are a result of poor parenting. We can’t blame children if we as parents don’t do our job properly! The social experiment of giving authority to children is backfiring and communities around the world are all suffering.

    CNS – perhaps you should use the title of the articles from the Daily Mail to sparks some useful debate.

    CNS: I actually think we’re on the same page here. Although this article is about young people in the UK, it seemed to be relevant as a starting point for conversation here in the Cayman Islands also. Therefore I replaced the picture of a bunch of kids in anoraks on a typically British street corner with a picture reflecting the more Caribbean/hip hop culture in the hopes that more people would read it and relate it to what’s happening here. I agree with you totally that this is not an issue that is race-based.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      " picture reflecting the more Caribbean/hip hop culture"

      this picture does NOT accomplish that supposed goal!

      Further, the caribbean and particularly Cayman is multi-cultural so putting a solely black face is quite counterproductive and very suspect to me.

      find something more appropriate or leave the original photo.

       

      • Any says:

        It’s just a picture!

        It doesn’t matter! Did you read the whole article? Do you agree or disagree with it? What do you think we can do so our kids have a better future??

        That is the point of this not some silly drawing.

         

        • Anonymous says:

          yes, I read the article. the powerful and compelling points raised by the article should not be directed solely to black people – or any mistaken impression given by tagging it with a photo of black people ONLY.

          • Hop Hipster says:

            Of course, everyone knows that hop hip culture has been totally subsumed by the Hasidic Jews, seen below at their latest hop hip awards ceremony:

  5. Richard Wadd says:

     What is the Root cause? Is it BET? How will removing BET fix the cause of the problems?

    We are too quick to blame others for OUR problems. WE are the parents, and the responsibility is ours alone. 

    Yes, I abhore the ‘Dancehall / Hip-hop’ culture. It offers nothing positive to our society. It revolves around Guns, violence, and demeans women. But IF our children are gravitating towards it, we need to ask ourselves, WHY?

    What are we as parents failing to do? Are we parenting, or is the TV being a surrogate for us? Are we building a family relationship with our kids? 

    As a once wayward teenager, I can honestly say, there are far more questions than answers, as there are variables. However, the common denominator is this, we must be strong disciplinarians, yet also understanding parents, willing to listen to even the most seemingly trivial things, for it is when your child STOPS TALKING to you, that you are in deep trouble.

    Develop strong bounderies, but learn to be flexible within them, and above all, Listen first, and then talk to your kids. And for GODS sake, don’t compare them to other kids, compare yourself to other parents.

  6. Anonymous says:

    CNS, just why did you replace the image with a photo of black people?

  7. Anonymous says:

    BET does not create the problems at the heart of black youth culture it merely reflects it.  To blame BET is to miss the real root of the problem.

  8. We are Anon says:

    "If parents are not willing to screen what their children are watching and influenced by, we need to insist on BET being blocked by the cable company in Cayman."

     

     

    Government censorship is freedom. 

     

    Remember, doublespeak is the path to happiness.

  9. anonymous says:

    And this is still a society so many seem to hold in high regard? Until my wife lived in the UK she, like many, had a very naive and outdated view of life in modern Britain. It did not take long for her to start seeing the reality however.

    Unfortunately this is just one aspect of a nation and society in deep trouble and it is a result of overbearing political correctness and an interfering nanny state. It is very sad to see.

  10. Thug Life? You BET ! says:

    The gangsta culture that many of these children want to emulate is fuelled by mediums such as BET. Regular screening of videos containing rappers promoting the thug life are influencing their audience. These same videos that show females as sex objects (  I think the term is bitches) are also leading to a decline in the respect for women.

    If parents are not willing to screen what their children are watching and influenced by, we need to insist on BET being blocked by the cable company in Cayman.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ahhh, yeah, that’s only a very small part of it.  You must not have read the article…