Children of Today and Yesterday
By Bobby Curtis
Children are almost an entirely different kind of people. They lack the wisdom of adults, but they have some kind of innocence, a beauty all of their own. However, much has changed in recent years, and children of today are remarkably different from children of yesterday. There are also some universal traits that may never change in children.
The children of yesterday had an amazing drive. They had to make whatever they could out of life. They had to use their imagination to play, instead of buying toys. Discipline was also stricter. For any offense, punishment was harsh. Most children of yesterday had more of a religious and family influence on their lives. This made them more moral and ethical when they grew older. It taught them responsibility and family values. Children of yesterday were also more grateful for what they had. When given the opportunity to read, go to school, or do other academic activities, many more children jumped at them, because they were less common. Children of yesterday grew up faster, partly because they were trusted more, and partly because they were forced to. A child had to get out and do work like an adult to best help his family. Because of this, they were considered an adult sooner, and allowed to go out on their own. However, the children of yesterday were not as intelligent. Since they had to work harder, they did not have the opportunity to learn as much. They also did not have the opportunities that are available today. They also were not encouraged to think as much, but to follow what their elders told them. This created a caste of people who did not learn to think for themselves until they were out on their own.
The children of today are said to be a lot less respectful. They must have designer clothes, the best toys, and anything else that they desire. They often get away with anything the do, other times with only a slap on the wrist while they would have gotten severely punished in the “good old days.” They corrode their minds with destructive nonsense. Television, popular music, and the computer all contribute to the mental decay of today’s youth. Children of today are selfish and wasteful, thinking nothing of what they have and only wanting more. They do not appreciate what others have set forth before them, only seeing what gain they can get out of it. Once they are given something, instead of being grateful, they only expect more. They are stubborn, and just because a rule is set forth, they desire to break it. The children of today have proven to be selfish, proud, vain, and thoughtless, but can also be thoughtful, caring, kind, and very intelligent. Children today have more learning opportunities than ever before. From infancy, they are taught and continue learning massive amounts of information throughout their lives. A child of today is much more likely to know about a problem, and in knowing have an extreme empathy for those that suffer because of it. This is most likely an influence of hippie culture, because they were the first in recent history to truly reach beyond all barriers and love people just as they are. Children of today are one of the most unique people the world has ever seen in that they are all-knowing in the hurts of the world, but are totally ignorant of the strains they cause on the people and places around them.
Children are a mystery. To think that culture has changed so much in the past years is almost unbelievable. The children of today are marked by several similarities, but can show such startling contrast. They all have the underlying desire to help out, but children of today are a lot more jaded, more cynical, than their predecessors. The mystery of how so much has changed in children might be in how they were brought up, changes in the economy, or even more frequent alien abductions, but the differences continue to add up. The only thing to say is that children are still children, just a little different.