Kids These Days

 

Proposal Essay: Kids These Days

By Jared Eleison

            I feel there is a growing problem today that everyone has to cope with on some level. It is the disrespect and disregard coming from the younger generation. How do we get them to pull their pants up? How do we teach them basic manners? Are these “people” expected to take over the country when we get old? What kind of example is being set for them? I was a kid, but I was raised with manners, respect for others, and a work ethic. The coming generation breaks down in tears over any criticism. Everyone has to “be seen” for how special they are because social media says so. We aren’t all special. We are all more similar than we are different and that is what we should be focusing on.

 We have two populations with a gap growing wider every day. The privileged and the poor. The rich kids have money, cars, clothes, and entertainment; along with time and energy to focus on life enriching skills. They don’t have to worry about clean clothes or when they will have a hot meal. It’s not the kid that’s the problem, it’s how they’re raised. So, whose job is it when parents are scared? If a stranger sees a mom dragging a screaming child by the arm, they can call the police and have that family under scrutiny for years! It draws a hard line for parents on how they can discipline their kids. This means it’s up to everyone to share responsibility for bringing up the next generations with proper social manners. How we dress when we go out in public, how we talk to each other, how we present ourselves. This all has real world implications. Getting a job. Meeting new people who will help you grow. Finding a partner. But it’s up to us to set the standard.

     This also means checking each other. Adults aren’t off the hook as far as acting foolish. This is a generational issue. Wearing pants “sagging” so your underwear show isn’t cute. It looks stupid and is indicative of low/uneducated social/economic expectations. I remember when this started in the late 90’s…it still looks dumb. This makes it a social responsibility to start calling each other out, for the sake of the children. It also means we all have to appreciate the criticism. Not get offended if somebody says something about us. We must set an example for the young ones around us. You don’t have to be a parent to realize that you’re a role model. Every child who sees you in public is watching you for social cues. If you act like a fool, they think it’s how all “adults” can behave and it’s okay.

               Now let’s talk about public education. This is where it has all gone wrong. I remember
you couldn’t wear hats in class. If your underwear was showing, a teacher would let you know and try to embarrass you in front of everyone. This may have seemed out of line when we were young, but it served a great purpose. Everyone should have self-confidence and a respectable level of shame to balance it out. Maybe uniforms are the answer after all? We are supposed to be civilized. It’s like when we google search for People of Walmart and select images what comes up are pictures of people dressed in ways, and doing things, that most people find offensive or disturbing. We judge these people in private, but maybe if it became normal to call each other out in public and say “Hey, your butt crack is hanging out. Go fix yourself.”, then things could get better. Here are some ways we can all work on ourselves:

• ·        Check in with your friends before you leave the house to make sure you don’t look stupid.
• ·        Dress appropriately for the situation and try to be presentable. Set an example.
• ·        Use good manners and don’t get upset over other people’s opinions but understand that every opinion         has some basis that you might want to inspect.
• ·        Don’t be afraid to let people know there’s something wrong with them, if it’s something that can be             helped. Try not to be mean. We’re helping each other, not making fun of each other.
• ·        Shower. Being clean is essential for the health and wellbeing of everyone. Tell people when they                 stink. Nobody wants to be “the smelly kid” but most people have a hard time smelling themselves               (ask any smoker).

These are all things we need to work on within ourselves in order to influence, by example, the next generation. Children mimic the adults they are exposed to. They learn everything by watching. If we all try together, we can see a better future.

“If you want to make the world a better place. Take a look in the mirror and make a change.”

                                                                                                                        -Michael Jackson