Could it be that young people today actually want their parents to be more

involved in their lives? Yes, according to a recent Primedia/Roper National

Youth Survey. In the survey, 3,000 students between 12 and 19 (who are

typically the children of baby boomers) were asked to identify the

country’s top societal woes. When given a list of 15 problems facing

America today, 56% chose “selfishness, people not thinking of the rights of

others” as the country’s biggest issue. Fifty-two percent cited “people who

don’t respect the law and the authorities.” “Wrong doings by politicians”

and “lack of parental discipline of children and teens” also received high

rankings. Self-critical, they see themselves as the group most responsible

for problems at school. But they also chose themselves as the group most

likely to effect change and improve the future. “Students today are

independent thinkers. They believe in acceptance of responsibility, and

they stress the value of education and the significance of family,”

according to Joan Chiaramonte, vice president of Roper Starch Worldwide.

– Booth Moore