What the hell is wrong with teenagers nowadays?

Before I start, let me just warn you that this is a rant. I'll let you know that I am social sometimes, but not enough to be considered a social person.

I was walking on the side of the road today to get to my friends house who lives about 20 minutes away by foot. When two doucheb@gs had the audacity to pull up next to me and throw an egg at me [Which was a complete failure by the way, because the egg hit me without cracking, and cracked on the ground, but I digress]. I had no idea who these people were, or what reason they had to hit me, but I swear to god if I had brought my baseball bat with me, they wouldn't have done sh!t.

Then, on my way home, I was walking the same way back through a tunnel and a car pulls up to me. This isn't the same car as before, but there were 4 teenagers in it and one of them screamed the word "f@ggot" at me and drove off. Again, I had no idea who any of these people were, and I'm pretty sure i'd given them no reason to dislike me. Again, I had wished I had brought my bat. Teens nowadays are too much of a pu$$y to scream at a kid with a bat.

This has nothing to do with what happened today, but last year, during track, we were out running when I was talking to one of the douchy freshman on the team [I can't remember why]. I think I made a comment about him in jest [I don't remember the comment], but the first thing he said [as if he was planning on saying it] was "where's your girlfriend!?." He said it in the most snobbiest tone I think i've ever heard, and it pissed me off. Since when did having a girlfriend give a freshman, who was younger than me, whom I knew barely, the right to insult me? Since when did having a girlfriend become a title you could flaunt around and not an honor? I wanted to beat the cr@p out of the kid, but I never did. I don't fight unless it's for my friends or family. Other than that, it's pointless.

This is more personal opinion, but I hate the way girls are nowadays. You want to know one of the secret reasons I watch anime? Because seemingly all the girls in animes are DECENT! Even if they don't have the best personality in the world, at least they have more of a conscience than real girls. This is why I feel like I never want a girlfriend. Most girls I ever see/get to know is either glued to her god damn phone, a complete slut, or doesn't know what it's like in the real world. I sound like i'm being cynical here, because there are some that don't match that description, but by god, if a girl won't talk to me because i'm not friends with a certain person, or because they feel it won't enhance their god damn social status because i'm not popular enough, then let them burn. It's their fricking loss.

I swear to god, I am sick of our generation. I know a lot of people in the world have experienced things a lot worse than I have, but my god... I didn't know that WALKING automatically made you public enemy #1. Believe it or not, the internet is more real than the real world. Here, I can be friends with anyone I want if they'll let me. Nobody is judged on looks or social status, and people accept me for me. I'm probably late in realizing this, but I have a small group of about 10 friends [all guys] that I chose specifically because I knew they wouldn't back-stab me [It's been 10 years, and we've stuck together like glue]. But why is it that teenagers constantly scream at me when I walk home? [The screaming scenario has happened at least 50-60 times throughout the last 2 years]. What gives people I don't know the right to throw eggs at me simply because I just happened to be there? If it makes much of a difference, I live in a roughly 99% white community, so it's not like it's a racial thing, but what in the name of christ almighty is wrong with us?

Wow I have no idea what is wrong with your neighborhood but damn. I got picked on a lot in high school just because I have trouble hiding my emotions so they found it funny to piss me off constantly. So I kinda know how you feel. But I guess it was lucky for me I didn't live close to any of the guys at my school so I only had to deal with them at school.

Isn't this feeling circumstantial? I'm sure the generation before us thought we were complete morons.

I don't think it is a sign of your generation. Teens were the same when I was your age. People who lack confidence tend to pick on others as a way to boost their own ego. This doesn't change in adulthood either.

I feel you might be stereotyping all girls. I'm sure there are some girls who are not skanks and who could care less what brand you are wearing. I was one of those girls, but I was never noticed because I wasn't attractive. The fatties and the nerds may not be much to look at, but they will reward you with a personality and brains.

I, too, love the internet because I know the people who associate with me like me for who I am instead of what I look like or how old I am or how much money I make, etc. I am thankful for these genuine relationships. It is an experience that I didn't exist when I was your age. I wonder how different my life would have been had I been able to find acceptance on the internet in my teen years.

Sporadic wrote:Isn't this feeling circumstantial? I'm sure the generation before us thought we were complete morons.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Do you mean that older generations think of us in the same way I think of our generation? Or they thought of their generation in the same way I think of mine? [If any of that made any sense at all...]

@Meta

It's not necessarily that I live in a bad neighborhood, the surrounding area is nice and there is a lot of open space, but it feels like the teenagers run the damn place and nobody is doing sh!t about it. Immaturity is becoming/became socially accepted and i'm fucking sick of it.

@Bedhead

Sure, you can technically say that I am stereotyping girls, but even the "fatties and the nerds" snicker comments about others. They're no different in my neighborhood. Everyone has their own little god damn cliques and if somebody tries to get into that clique they take the fricking heat for it. I'm not saying that every girl has to be perfect, because that vision is simply impossible. What i'm trying to get across is that I feel that real girls are just so fake it makes my mind puke. Anyone can be a "fatty or a nerd," everyone has their own hidden agenda. I'm not saying that girls should be 100% real, since that itself is unrealistic, but for the love of god, they should at least TRY to be real. But unfortunately, modern teenagers seem to think that "fake" is actually "real." Ironically, the "lower down" the social structure you go, the worse it seems to be, at least here anyway. You could talk to anyone, even the not so popular girls, and if it's not about gossip or other cr@p of today, they won't even listen to you. [By the way, i'm referring to girls in my school, not girls around the world since I've never been around the world].

@Valvatorez

I have the voice of a weasel. I can squeak, but not roar. Whenever I try yelling, my voice cracks terribly. There's nothing about me that's intimidating whatsoever and my older brother was nothing but a troublemaker. So unfortunately, I do not have those luxuries. But that's kinda why I like Tim Lincecum. When you look at him outside of the field, he doesn't look anything like a baseball player, but on the field, he's one of the fiercest competitors I know [next to Jake Peavy]. I kinda feel like he and I are/were in the same boat metaphorically speaking.

The funny thing is, I was planning on taking my bat with me today in case my friends wanted to play baseball. But I didn't xD

If you are experiencing bullying at school you should talk to a counselor, vice principal, and your parents about it. If you are being assaulted like you described in your post you should report it to the police. Becoming comfortable with violent ideation, intimidation, harassment, threats, and the like isn't healthy or ideal for your development. Regretfully bullying can have many adverse affects on the development of a person that I hope you can overcome.

Teenagers and emerging adults can be very immature, inexperienced, socially awkward, poor long-term planners, and irresponsible... but to be fair everyone at that age more or less is. Being a teenager is hard between the biological, psychological, and social development, expectations, and stresses. Not to excuse misbehavior or malformed attitudes, but even the ancient philosophers complained about the youth of their time... so for better or worse this isn't new.

Most teenagers in my experience are reasonably good kids in my opinion. I admit I have had some horrible experiences with teenagers both when younger and even now that I am older... but that isn't justification for overly broad generalizations or stereotyping. Try your best to avoid, ignore, and minimize contact or communication with these people who cause issues for you. Don't let them intrude on or disrupt your inner-peace by confirming what they do or give them recognition for it.

Regretfully I don't have better advise or insight to your situation...

I am only 22 putting me ahead of you by only eight years, but in that time physical punishment has been all but banned because of cases of child abuse. For parents who practiced it responsibly like mine, it is one of the most effective ways of raising a child. Parenting has become something completely different from when I was a child, and my little sister's friends (ages 15-16) are shocked when they hear how she and me and my twin were raised. I got up early, even on weekends, had a list of chores to be done before I could do what I wanted too, was given an allowance, and expected for it to last all week (lunch money included) and had to work for to fix or replace anything I broke. Lying, violent acts, stealing, and dodging my responsibilities were punished severely. I was rewarded for hard work, and was shown much love from my parents. I have heard that people have children by accident and that has been part of the decline in quality of parenthood, but I was born before my parents had gotten married, when my mother was 22 and my father only 19. They raised me very well, taught me to work hard, be thankful for what I have, and be kind to everyone I see. Parents are not allowed to spank their children, and I've witnessed parents investigated for abuse because they yelled at their child for starting a fight with a random kid in school, in front of the principal. Children can get away with much more these days, are exposed to media that suggests that they should abandon reason, and do as they please, that glorifies indignant behavior, ignorance, and self harming activities like drug abuse, excessive drinking, and unsafe sex practices. I am not fighting for censorship, but I would be lying if I did not say that a child who has not matured emotionally and mentally, is very impressionable, and easily misguided into thinking they should be doing things that they should not. We are reaching the point in this cycle where the over lap of the new generation, and the lack of responsibility from the prior generation has begun to appear, and widen. which means we are seeing a severe decline in moral solidity (by social acceptance, not religious belief or creed). Not all kids are bad, the over lap is still small, just beginning to grow, and the more people who decide to act responsibly and wait to have a family until they are no longer in the selfish self-satisfying stages of their lives, the sooner it will shrink down to a minority of the growing population. (I mean minority as in small percent, not a racial category)

Valvatorez wrote:

Eh, I stopped caring after middle school. I just stick with my friends that I normally meet in school then dont give a fuck after school.
People already know not to mess with me because,

1. I have a booming voice when I speak up
2. My sister and I are known for our strength
3. No one survives past 2

Lince, you know what you must do, you must carry a bat on you at all times and go Little Timmy on them. And make sure you got your posse on standby if they all rush out of the car.

My situation is the same, although I got bullied in primary school as a kid, then I just stopped caring.
I learned martial arts before I got into middle school as preparation and honestly, the thought of going to high school next year seriously annoys me.
Me and my brother are pretty much really violent towards each other, but he helps me out if anyone bothers me.
Also, I am sincerely shocked that Karma has a sister.
But seriously, keep the bat on you at all times, it scares everyone off.
About the girl thing, I honestly agree, a lot of the real life girls I know are incredibly fake except for a few friends that I have. I've been accepted a lot more on the internet than in real life, at least here no one forms little cliques and makes fun of other people to satisfy their own lack of confidence.

Some teenagers are a little out of control nowadays, (LOL I sound old.. I'm only 18 but even I notice it).
I think a lot of that has to do with parents. It seems almost taboo in todays society to whip your children into shape, and it shouldn't be. My dad kicked my ass when I deserved it, and I understand why he did it.
I've been in two fights in my life (keep in mind I'm one of those guys that's nice to everybody) and both of them were caused by something I just can NOT tolerate, and that thing is men being violent against women.
The first time was my junior year in high school I was walking through the hallway and I saw some kid slap a girl because she just broke up with him. I grabbed him by the shoulder and drug him back to the girl who was crying and told him to apologize (some of you who've seen me on skype probably already know this but I'm a big dude, 6'3 240 defensive end) and of course he was cocky as hell and said no. So, I did what I thought was right and gave him a bit of a beating. The reason I thought it was right was because when I was about 11 years old I punched my sister in the stomach when she called me a name. My dad beat the shit out of me and that instilled a message, NO man should ever physically hurt a woman.

I don't know exactly some kids today just have no regard for decency, but I believe everybody should live by my personal golden rule. "If you respect me, I'll respect you. If you disrespect me, I'll give it right back to you."

"Buy a shotgun!" -Biden

Shoot 2 warning shots and your good m8.

That aside, from my experience(I am currently 17) In high school it's pretty much all about cliques or at least for me it was. Those friends will help you when you need it .

Though with advice there's never one way to it. I feel like women abuse the no man can hit a woman EVER. I've seen girls slap and punch guys who feel like they can't do anything. It happens a lot from what I see. I feel like there shouldn't be any absolutes every circumstance needs a specific well-thought solution. I'm not saying hit the women just don't make it a shield that can be exploited.

Lince, be thankful you only got shouted at and targeted with eggs - back in college I got nailed with a (full) beer can after changing a flat on the side of the road, another time some punks threw a glass bottle in my friend's convertible as it was driving by and hit one of her friends in the head and sent her to the ER. Point is, you got off easy for now, but you never know when things can get more dangerous. Unfortunately I don't think you can carry your baseball bat around without attracting unnecessary attention from law enforcement, so maybe it's a better idea to get hold of the local police and let them know that some kids are driving around and throwing eggs at random pedestrians - then should something happen during a future skirmish, at the very least you have undeniable proof that you tried to resolve the matter as peacefully as you could given the circumstances.

As for girls, give them the benefit of the doubt - so what if they are only stuck in their cliques or only occupy with their cell phone, if it don't interfere with your activities then let them have at it. Once they start living on their own they will change, some for the worse but many for the better - you can pick and choose then. Heck, by then you too will change in some ways... And, without trying to sound all high and mighty, unless you're already living on your own providing for your own self, then you don't know what the "real world" is like either. Besides, whose "real world" are we talking about anyways, cause that concept greatly differs from person to person...

Jemenex wrote:Though with advice there's never one way to it. I feel like women abuse the no man can hit a woman EVER. I've seen girls slap and punch guys who feel like they can't do anything. It happens a lot from what I see. I feel like there shouldn't be any absolutes every circumstance needs a specific well-thought solution. I'm not saying hit the women just don't make it a shield that can be exploited.

And then you gotta factor in those women who are such only cause their birth certificate says so - long time ago one of those decided she's gonna play gangster and get in my face waving a knife, I put her thru a wooden fence and made sure she won't be able to hold anything for a while - feel absolutely no remorse either, woman or not she was a threat that needed neutralizing.



Kaleb_K is also bringing up an excellent point - it seems to me that parts of our society think we should always treat our kids as if they're little innocent angels, even when they clearly behave like spawns of Satan himself. Nevermind that bullies by default only understand one language, and thus no amount of school-related punishment will have any lasting effect on them - with punishment amounting to a slap on the wrist, how are they expected to change their ways? When I was a kid we would just all gang up on the bully - taught them good that a weak-looking person should not be taken advantage of even if you can, usually one group "session" is all it took to get this point across. You try to pull that stunt now and you're suddenly all vicious gang bangers, and the bully is the innocent victim. Or God forbid you're a parent and rush to the rescue of your own kid - congratulations, you're now under investigation for child abuse, and the bully's parents also want to sue you! Heck I've even witnessed kids threatening their own parents they'll report them at school for child abuse if they didn't get their way - I'm all up for protection from child abuse, but this is ridiculous!!!

MrLincecum wrote: I was walking the same way back through a tunnel and a car pulls up to me. This isn't the same car as before, but there were 4 teenagers in it and one of them screamed the word "f@ggot" at me and drove off. Again, I had no idea who any of these people were, and I'm pretty sure i'd given them no reason to dislike me.

Wouldn't think too much of it. Know how kids can't help but swear and troll once they realize they're anonymous on the internet? I consider it the same deal when they get their licence and a car. Happened to me all the time in high school.

lol, my roommate does this all the time and it kills me to be in the same car with him sometimes. However, those times he's too excited to put the window down and just shouts at the glass looking like a retard; priceless.

MrLincecum wrote: This is more personal opinion, but I hate the way girls are nowadays. You want to know one of the secret reasons I watch anime? Because seemingly all the girls in animes are DECENT! Even if they don't have the best personality in the world, at least they have more of a conscience than real girls. This is why I feel like I never want a girlfriend. Most girls I ever see/get to know is either glued to her god damn phone, a complete slut, or doesn't know what it's like in the real world. I sound like i'm being cynical here, because there are some that don't match that description, but by god, if a girl won't talk to me because i'm not friends with a certain person, or because they feel it won't enhance their god damn social status because i'm not popular enough, then let them burn. It's their fricking loss.

I went the other way with this. I actually have a hard time liking romance anime now once I figured out finding the right girl was this much of a hunt. Iunno, I don't wanna tell you to change your opinion on this, because I've at least heard that if you're patient enough, the good ones find you, but personally I see the world as more "seek and you shall find" than that.

MrLincecum wrote: I swear to god, I am sick of our generation. I know a lot of people in the world have experienced things a lot worse than I have, but my god... I didn't know that WALKING automatically made you public enemy #1. Believe it or not, the internet is more real than the real world. Here, I can be friends with anyone I want if they'll let me. Nobody is judged on looks or social status, and people accept me for me. I'm probably late in realizing this, but I have a small group of about 10 friends [all guys] that I chose specifically because I knew they wouldn't back-stab me [It's been 10 years, and we've stuck together like glue]. But why is it that teenagers constantly scream at me when I walk home? [The screaming scenario has happened at least 50-60 times throughout the last 2 years]. What gives people I don't know the right to throw eggs at me simply because I just happened to be there? If it makes much of a difference, I live in a roughly 99% white community, so it's not like it's a racial thing, but what in the name of christ almighty is wrong with us?

Overgeneralizing the shit outta this, but I say the internet. Our gen was presented with a humongous playpen that most of our care givers weren't up to date enough to moderate. I realize that the generations before us all had their safe little havens where they could talk to each other about how much they hated their parents and school and society, but now we've got a universal hub that you can access virtually anywhere and pretty much never have to leave. Back then it seemed like bullying actually took effort; you had to find out where the kid hangs out, when he's alone, who he's friends with and even then it usually only escalated to a fistfight a worst before the adults would pick up on it. Now all you have to do is fuck up a facebook page and the kid could be hanging from a ceiling fan before the parents downstairs even get wind of it.

MrLincecum wrote:Most girls I ever see/get to know is either glued to her god damn phone, a complete slut, or doesn't know what it's like in the real world. I sound like i'm being cynical here, because there are some that don't match that description, but by god, if a girl won't talk to me because i'm not friends with a certain person, or because they feel it won't enhance their god damn social status because i'm not popular enough, then let them burn. It's their fricking loss?

I'm going to be honest and say it is simply wrong to the point of being offensive to make such sweeping generalizations about women (or "girls"). Really all it sounds like is you need to find different groups of people to hang around, or circumstance has your selection of people limited. Either way, this is just wrong and unfair.

Kaleb_K wrote:I am only 22 putting me ahead of you by only eight years, but in that time physical punishment has been all but banned because of cases of child abuse. For parents who practiced it responsibly like mine, it is one of the most effective ways of raising a child.

No. If you have to hit your kid to get them to understand something, the problem isn't the kid it's the parenting.

My neighborhood used to have some hoodlums around. Then some idiot thought it would be fun to play with gasoline and set his car and face on fire. He's OK with some serious scars on his face (if you can call that OK....), the car? Not so much.

Scared the hell out of me when I heard the explosion a few houses away. Crazy lunatics some people can be.

MrLincecum wrote:
This is more personal opinion, but I hate the way girls are nowadays. You want to know one of the secret reasons I watch anime? Because seemingly all the girls in animes are DECENT! Even if they don't have the best personality in the world, at least they have more of a conscience than real girls. This is why I feel like I never want a girlfriend. Most girls I ever see/get to know is either glued to her god damn phone, a complete slut, or doesn't know what it's like in the real world. I sound like i'm being cynical here, because there are some that don't match that description, but by god, if a girl won't talk to me because i'm not friends with a certain person, or because they feel it won't enhance their god damn social status because i'm not popular enough, then let them burn. It's their fricking loss.

I swear to god, I am sick of our generation. I know a lot of people in the world have experienced things a lot worse than I have, but my god... I didn't know that WALKING automatically made you public enemy #1. Believe it or not, the internet is more real than the real world. Here, I can be friends with anyone I want if they'll let me. Nobody is judged on looks or social status, and people accept me for me. I'm probably late in realizing this, but I have a small group of about 10 friends [all guys] that I chose specifically because I knew they wouldn't back-stab me [It's been 10 years, and we've stuck together like glue]. But why is it that teenagers constantly scream at me when I walk home? [The screaming scenario has happened at least 50-60 times throughout the last 2 years]. What gives people I don't know the right to throw eggs at me simply because I just happened to be there? If it makes much of a difference, I live in a roughly 99% white community, so it's not like it's a racial thing, but what in the name of christ almighty is wrong with us?

Lol so true about the anime girls...

Anyways, our society... Err no... Almost all society has gone to appreciate a lack of manners and has gone to the dump for the most part where using illegal substances, excessive drinking, rude behavior (Like the whole "manly man" thing going on), and profanity are glorified and worshipped. People are quick to label those who do not participate in them with words often containing less than 6 characters. I believe that this whole attitude has started around the 70s and 80s and probably deteriorated even more as time passed.

I have grown tired of the whole attitude very quickly, and have set my self off from the sources that it sprung from. That's why I only really watch anime, they have stories that provoke thought and are rich in life lessons.

The problem is our culture, and the only prominent influences that exist are negative ones.

Belsfir wrote:Lol so true about the anime girls...

I have to admit that whenever I see this said it bothers me. It sometimes seems like people making this argument don't realize women are human beings. The "anime girls" you seem to be referring to are in most cases, flat, unrealistic caricatures with perfect figures who swoon and fawn over the bland romance protagonist for no reason.

Belsfir wrote:I have grown tired of the whole attitude very quickly, and have set my self off from the sources that it sprung from. That's why I only really watch anime, they have stories that provoke thought and are rich in life lessons.

The problem is our culture, and the only prominent influences that exist are negative ones.

Read a book, seriously. I mean you're not even right if we pretend "culture" is only what you see on TV, tons of celebrities do fantastic charity work. I might not like how they're worshiped by some people, but after they save a few hundred Somalian children I look on them more favorably.

I think it's a bit of an unsupported generalization to say that society has been in moral decay. It's important to keep perspective now that we live in the information age. Before the Internet and TV, chances are this stuff still went on; we just weren't aware of it. Now it seems like we're bombarded with immoral behavior when in truth it's always been there. Also reality shows tend to focus on the lowest common denominators of society and are hardly representative of what most everyday people act like (not to mention they're hardly unscripted either).

Colme wrote:

Belsfir wrote:Lol so true about the anime girls...

I have to admit that whenever I see this said it bothers me. It sometimes seems like people making this argument don't realize women are human beings. The "anime girls" you seem to be referring to are in most cases, flat, unrealistic caricatures with perfect figures who swoon and fawn over the bland romance protagonist for no reason.

Agreed, I never quite understood this either. Anime characters are artificial creations based on someone's ideas of how things should be in certain scenarios. Events in anime series are rarely based on things that would (or even could) happen in real life, therefore the players in said events should not be taken as alternative to real people. There are many reasons to like anime, but its characters being superior to flesh-and-blood humans should not be one of them. JM2CW

Mini;Siets wrote:I think it's a bit of an unsupported generalization to say that society has been in moral decay. It's important to keep perspective now that we live in the information age. Before the Internet and TV, chances are this stuff still went on; we just weren't aware of it. Now it seems like we're bombarded with immoral behavior when in truth it's always been there.

And then there is that as well. One has to consider that many many good things happen all over the world at any given time, however they are considered normal and routine and therefore are usually not the focus of the media. Bad things are abnormal (and, well, bad) so the media reports them, ideally w/ the intent to serve a warning. The more accessible such reports are to the general population, the more it would seem that society is headed downhill fast. While in the end the situation may be quite the opposite. Case in point, back in the '90s you really wouldn't wanna meet me in a dark alley, heck I wouldn't wanna meet me in a dark alley! And yeah, I think I inadvertently provided the topic for some short newspaper articles (you can guess on which pages). But if I was able to change my ways (w/o any "motivation" from authorities even), so can any "slut" or "douche" highschooler turn into a great parent and/or member of their community. And most will likely do just that. At least I'd like to think they will.

Colme wrote:

Belsfir wrote:Lol so true about the anime girls...

I have to admit that whenever I see this said it bothers me. It sometimes seems like people making this argument don't realize women are human beings. The "anime girls" you seem to be referring to are in most cases, flat, unrealistic caricatures with perfect figures who swoon and fawn over the bland romance protagonist for no reason.

Oh, don't get me wrong about that, I don't think they are superior to RL girls. Just supporting the fact that they are designed to be free of the flaws that some girls around us have, and to have aspects that people seek in a relationship. That does not make them superior to real people.

Colme wrote:

Belsfir wrote:I have grown tired of the whole attitude very quickly, and have set my self off from the sources that it sprung from. That's why I only really watch anime, they have stories that provoke thought and are rich in life lessons.

The problem is our culture, and the only prominent influences that exist are negative ones.

Read a book, seriously. I mean you're not even right if we pretend "culture" is only what you see on TV, tons of celebrities do fantastic charity work. I might not like how they're worshiped by some people, but after they save a few hundred Somalian children I look on them more favorably.

But those stories aren't brought into the light like how the negative ones are. You say to read a book, when most people are more inclined to simply sit down and watch the T.V, feeding off the gossip about the screw ups people make. Why? Because it sells better than talking about good deeds. People would rather laugh at the misery of others. Such behavior has been around forever, a notable example being the Roman Colosseum.

MiniSiets wrote:I think it's a bit of an unsupported generalization to say that society has been in moral decay. It's important to keep perspective now that we live in the information age. Before the Internet and TV, chances are this stuff still went on; we just weren't aware of it. Now it seems like we're bombarded with immoral behavior when in truth it's always been there. Also reality shows tend to focus on the lowest common denominators of society and are hardly representative of what most everyday people act like (not to mention they're hardly unscripted either).

Perhaps so, these bad behaviors have been around since the ancient times. However, it is without an effect on people's behavior that we can know the downfalls and immoral behaviors of others in a much broader area? While we receive a larger dose of the negatives than our ancestors, and the good deeds of others are generally more ignored, I don't find it far fetched that we are "normalizing" the bad. The good needs to be presented and communicated more equally with the bad.

Belsfir wrote:Oh, don't get me wrong about that, I don't think they are superior to RL girls. Just supporting the fact that they are designed to be free of the flaws that some girls around us have, and to have aspects that people seek in a relationship. That does not make them superior to real people.

Fair enough. Just sometimes you see people on the internet that take things too far...

Colme wrote:

Belsfir wrote:Oh, don't get me wrong about that, I don't think they are superior to RL girls. Just supporting the fact that they are designed to be free of the flaws that some girls around us have, and to have aspects that people seek in a relationship. That does not make them superior to real people.

Fair enough. Just sometimes you see people on the internet that take things too far...

hmmmm....

@Spor, I disagree. There are quite a few experts out there that agree that spanking is an effective form of punishment, and it is meant for severe misbehavior. I was never spanked for small things, and even when I was, it was because i was warned and had been shown how to correct my behavior multiple times. I do not plan on breaking out the board of education every time my future children do something wrong. From experience, I can say time outs and grounding are not effective, and there must be a consequence to an action that deters a child from doing something they know is wrong, or forbidden.

anyways, to the reason I come to post on this topic in the first place. Today, I had to physically remove a parent form the lobby in my place of work, because his child was throwing rocks at the cars in our parking lot, we caught the child, and had several complaints from other customers. We informed the parents that we had called the police, and the father then got violent, throwing stuff across the counter at our manager on duty (a frail old woman). I had to force him outside, and lock the doors, until the police arived, both him and his child (at the age of 16) were arrested.

Kaleb_K wrote:@Spor, I disagree. There are quite a few experts out there that agree that spanking is an effective form of punishment, and it is meant for severe misbehavior.

That isn't my understanding, although you are welcome to hold whatever opinion you like. My understanding is that spanking is shown to be ineffective at reforming behavior and increases a child's risk of developing behavioral problems later in life including but not limited to: socialization issues, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and aggression. But I was curious how you would recognize "severe misbehavior" because in my experience of watching family raise their children they spank when their impatient or angry, the specific behavior doesn't matter.

Kaleb_K wrote:I was never spanked for small things, and even when I was, it was because i was warned and had been shown how to correct my behavior multiple times. I do not plan on breaking out the board of education every time my future children do something wrong. From experience, I can say time outs and grounding are not effective, and there must be a consequence to an action that deters a child from doing something they know is wrong, or forbidden.

There are several nations in the world including the highly industrious and developed nation of Germany that has banned all forms of corporal punishment to children. Far as I am aware these nations that have prohibited 'spanking' as its called have not seen a sudden rise in delinquency among youth.

Kaleb_K wrote:anyways, to the reason I come to post on this topic in the first place. Today, I had to physically remove a parent form the lobby in my place of work, because his child was throwing rocks at the cars in our parking lot, we caught the child, and had several complaints from other customers. We informed the parents that we had called the police, and the father then got violent, throwing stuff across the counter at our manager on duty (a frail old woman). I had to force him outside, and lock the doors, until the police arived, both him and his child (at the age of 16) were arrested.

"Nuts don't fall far from the tree." In my experience with children they are very much like their parents except without experience, knowledge, maturity, and the benefits of a fully developed brain to regulate their behavior. Which is why I find it very doubtful that spanking is effective, all it does is alert the child that a certain behavior may result in punishment, but not really why the punishment is warranted. Also instilling even more that misbehavior is tolerable if not caught and that violence can be a solution to problems. Which in the case of this parent and child, they don't seem much different except the parent was able to restrain their misbehavior till confronted, so even if he spanked his child the child would continue to be cultivated by the example and influence of this person... which goes back to the expression "like father like son".

But my experience with children or people like this is more the rarity and not the norm. However such experiences can be very memorable as it is not normal and is not socially acceptable. I think an example I know of is I was dealing with a child who was about the age that they discovered lying, which like many children they aren't good liars. However their parents seemed to be sincerely fooled by the child's ability to lie and would frequently make very aggressive accusations even with many other witnesses could confirm that the story their child told them didn't happen... that in many cases the exact opposite happened. But considering their parents also frequently lie and are rather pleased with themselves when they think they have fooled others, by no surprise them now spanking their children have their children stopped lying.

@SkepticalDragon; I understand your point of view, and agree that there just s many, if not more experts that says physical punishments are ineffective. I was raised with physical punishment, but afterwards, my father would talk to me, tell me what I did wrong, and explain why it deserved such a severe punishment. Like I said, it was not often that I got spanked. I also agree with he "like father, like son." Idea, my parents set a good example, and always enforced ideas like it was good to be honest, work hard, be appreciative, and reserve judgment for when you know someone. This kind of punishment worked for me, that is the biggest reason why I believe in it. The kind of behaviors that received spankings in my house were severe lies (ones that got others into trouble and such),violent behaviors, any kind of stealing, and talking back to my parents (not just being sarcastic, but actual disrespectful things like insults). I was not spanked for accidentaly breaking things, in fact I once broke my fathers $2000 bass guitar, and he told me to sit in my room until he had calmed down, and when he had, he came into my room to tell me he had set up a summer job with a friend of his, and I would work bailing hay to pay off the repair bills.

When it comes to lying, my parents told me that they trusted my word, and when I was caught lying, my father punished me, When I had settled down after the punishment he came and and told me, "When you lie that way, it tells me and you mothers that we cannot trust you. What would happen if you came to us with a serious problem and we did not know whether to believe you or not, because you constantly lie to keep yourself out of trouble." since he explained that to me, I have always been honest with my parents, and owned up to the problems I have created for myself or others. I don't believe spanking is the ONLY recourse for a child's actions, but it is a consequence that weights heavy when a child thinks of doing something they are aware is bad, and that kept me from doing many things I was not supposed to. The fact that what I did wrong was explained, and I was told how to correct it, is also a large part in why I was not a problem child. This is mostly just my opinion, I've seen many problem children just in my family because the parents lack any form of discipline to correct their children.