As friends from all kinds of backgrounds tell me about people they know who are pregnant or getting married, my first instinct, of course, is to think “Aren’t they far too young for that?” Thing is, not really. 21 or 22 used to be a pretty normal time to get married. In fact, even my parents and grandparents got married at my age, and my older sister has been subjected to hints and winks for quite a few years. It just never struck me as odd because she’s always been OLD to me.
And I’m also approaching an age where people start saying that everything was better when they were younger. This used to be the privilege of grannies watching the neighbours from behind their curtains, but the gap between generations is getting larger in much smaller intervals. My older sister, six years my senior, and I grew up in pretty much the same way, at least technology/toy/school-wise. My younger sister’s life however is completely different, and she’s only eleven years younger than me. It’s really simple things – even her pram was some high-tech thing. Ten or fifteen years ago a friend of mine once prank-called another friend, blowing air into the receiver and pretending to be on a bike. We all thought it was hilarious because Haha, talking on the phone on a bike, yeah right!
I really don’t know what to make of this change. Is it a good or a bad thing? Of course I’m sure things are a whole lot more comfortable for today’s children in a lot of ways and I’ll be the first to tell you how great computers are, but a lot of things are getting lost in the process too. Kids these days have
That said, I'm all for progress and technology - if I had the money I'd be buying gadgets left and right, and I've made great friends on the internet. You should just be of a certain age.
I really wonder wonder what they’ll all be like in thirty years time. It’s easy to say they’re completely spoilt by all this, but so were most generations, compared to the previous ones, and I’m sure this new one will have to deal with their share of problems too. And I still hope someone will get around to building spaceships for everyday travel while I'm still alive.
Now excuse me while I go get my feather duster and shoo away the kids from the front yard.
10 comments:
's all true... I dunno if I'm jealous of them or if I pity them because they don't read much and instead are hooked on PSPs.
I grew up reading Enid Blyton and Chalet School and L M Montgomery y'know? I wonder if my kids will even get these tales sometimes.
Our parents grew up playing with marbles and cycling down on Sundays to get breakfast from the neighborhood shops; I've never done such things in my life. Think of the things we've done growing up which the next generation will never do.
I feel a disconnect with people one or two batches younger than me sometimes. It's weird.
I guess the environment changes too quickly too. I used to play outside every single day - if a kid wanted to do that now, they wouldn't even know where to play.
That's true. I read recently that kids in Delhi are forced to play on the streets (assuming they want to of course) because they aren't allowed to play in parks - the grass and the plants may get spoiled!
Yeah, happens here too. Especially round those big building blocks where you KNOW there are lots of children... they're all surrounded by these little parks and grassy bits with a tree or two and then fifty signs telling them not to touch the grass. What ARE they going to do with it then?!
And you're right about the Enid Blyton stuff... I didn't even think of that. Actually I sometimes fall into the same trap - not too long ago I was watching a movie set in the 20s or 30s and kept wondering why they didn't just call a helicopter.
Well, as Foucault says the most we can really hope for is a foundational shift and even that seems to be lacking.
I don;t think I'm familiar with Foucault. What sort of shift, towards what, did he talk about?
Its a long conversation but basically his point was that the fundamentals of life more or less remian the same and progress is pretty much an illusion.
Oh hey - Foucault! I read/write about him lots for/in my thesis, he's cool - he talks about medicine and how it's all an illusion (ok, he doesn't say that, I do). No - it's more about how medicalisation is perceived by society - it's very perfect for my topic.
I didn't quite catch his take on generation gaps though... what is this foundational shift thingie?
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