The more things change...

[dicko]

Right now in Australia we have "Schoolies Week". Basically its end of exam/graduation celebrations for people finishing High School. Each state in Oz has their 'hot spots' where students tend to go. In WA it's Rottnest Island or Down south (margaret river area). In Queensland I'm pretty sure most go to the Gold Coast (this is the biggest place nationwide I believe).

Essentially everyone get's pretty drunk and has mostly have harmless fun. A MINORITY wreck it for the rest by doing stupid or even criminal stuff. A lot of the time it's older people, "toolies", coming to prey on younger females that cause a lot of the trouble. Also there is inevitable friction betwee locals and the huge influx of out of towners in the hot spots, so sometimes fights. I've got symptahy for locals in these areas, it would suck having that many people come into your town to party!!

Anyway, every year the media and many older people decide to turn the whole event into a good opportunity to bag out the younger generation, and of course proclaiming the general decline in morals and an increase in violence in society. (many older people defend the younger gen's also o be fair). The morals argument is up for people to decide for themselves but as far as society getting more violent, the stats just don't add up on that one. Also, many people decide that the current schoolies generation are 'out of control' drunks. Pull the other one. Go to your average 18th birthday and see how much alcohol is consumed compared to your average 40th or 50th. See how many people drive home pissy afterwards. Stand in your average bottle shop for just 30 minutes and see what percentage of customers are 18-30 year olds. or your local pub.

Now you may disagree and some of my arguments will have counter arguments but my broad point, or observation, is that as one generation ages and the next comes through, there is a tendency to 'have a go' at the younger.

Which brings me to my story..

A few weeks ago I was helping pull up the flooring in my Aunty's house (she is in her 70's), she has to move into a retirement home, well Mum and other sisters are forcing her out lol not really she probably needs the help and security.

Anyway when pulling up the various layers of flooring there was a layer of newspapers. I picked one out. It was from 1971.

Guess what the leading stories were????

Out of control youths!! (a mugging)

Crime on the rise!!

Probationary driver in car crash!!

Rising household costs!!

Rising beer costs!! (this was front page lol)

Australia steadily pulling out of Vietnam (now...Iraq and eventually Afghanistan).

Seriously, but for the dates and names, the content was exactly the same as your average paper from today!

Bit of a nothing post but I found it interesting! Enjoy your smokes!

[laficion]

dicko,

Don't worry too much about it , More then 2300 years ago, in, good ole Greece, a well known greek philosopher,

I forgot which one said, " If we don't do something about the behavior of our youth , our society is doomed"

[Ken Gargett]

In WA it's Rottnest Island or Down south (margaret river area).

i hope not, i'm off to margaret river tomorrow for three days.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

dicko,

Don't worry too much about it , More then 2300 years ago, in, good ole Greece, a well known greek philosopher,

I forgot which one said, " If we don't do something about the behavior of our youth , our society is doomed"

This quote has been attributed to Plato: What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

[dicko]

i hope not, i'm off to margaret river tomorrow for three days.

Toolie!!

I think you might be right but, just stay away from Dunsborough and Preverly. Margs is a bit down from there.

[dicko]

dicko,

Don't worry too much about it , More then 2300 years ago, in, good ole Greece, a well known greek philosopher,

I forgot which one said, " If we don't do something about the behavior of our youth , our society is doomed"

Great quote Guy, I'm sure someone will say something similar in times to come.

[bolivr]

We get schoolies down here. Over the past few years they have improved steadily it seems perhaps partly because as it is made very clear to them that not everybody in town is there for the partying.

Some of us even have jobs we need to get up at 6am for and when the party in the street goes to 4am some of us are not too happy

Overall they are good kids so, no, we are not going to hell in a hand basket.

[samb]

They thought my my generation was bad. Now, I look back 4 years and think that they are just as terrible, albeit worse, then it was when I was in school.

[Wil]

Massive media beat up as usual. Some of the comments at the Herald Sun website (newspaper for illiterate halfwits here in Melbourne) are hilarious. Darn those young people, they'll roon us all!

[cigcars]

*First I was eyebrow raised by, "What!? OLD people bothering and pushing around YOUNG people!?" Nearly 99.9% of the time it's us old timers complaining about "them damn young'uns" and their antics. Second, everybody beginning with Laficion on, absolutely read my thoughts in their quoting one of the Greek philosophers from 2,000 years ago complaining about youth in their day! What IS our world coming to?!

[Dbone]

Lol, it's funny how the older we get the more cranky we are. I've found myself saying.... "Kids these days! No respect or appreciation!"

Of course the generation or two before me was saying that about us, and I'll be saying that about the generation or two after me.

[CanuckSARTech]

Lol, it's funny how the older we get the more cranky we are. I've found myself saying.... "Kids these days! No respect or appreciation!"

Of course the generation or two before me was saying that about us, and I'll be saying that about the generation or two after me.

Here here. Same thoughts exactly.