The Trouble With Adults Today
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