Are we raising Peter Pan's?

bmc · #1 05-23-2008, 05:23 AM

Interesting article.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/...p-handler.html

peterbright · #2 05-23-2008, 05:32 AM

very interesting

i_got_a_mohawk · #3 05-23-2008, 05:51 AM

The guy who wrote Peter Pan lived about 12 miles away from where I live.

But on topic, I don't completelly agree with what is being said there. However, it is true to an extent.

jwbassman · #4 05-23-2008, 06:26 AM

I don't if I completely agree with everything in the article, but I agree with the fact that the 20 somethings are definately sticking around i their parents place for longer that before. Some of this can be blamed on video games. When PS2 came out a friend of mine had it and he called it "crack". So it was you wanna play some "crack". So I would agree that video games can definately be a demotivational vice. That is if you let it become such. I think that some of it has to do with a sense of entitlement if you are coming from an upper-middle class background. I'm not saying this applies to everyone that come from that type of family, but I've seen my share of people who are not employed or just lazy, use an excuse to not get a job by saying something like "I'm way over qualified to take a job like that" or "I won't work at a job like that because it beneath me". They may not have said it just like that, but that was the gist of their comment. I think it really boils down to lack of work ethic instilled by parents.

i_got_a_mohawk · #5 05-23-2008, 06:58 AM

I think another part of it is the massive increase in living costs over the last few years.

Barkless Dog · #6 05-23-2008, 06:58 AM

I think part of the problem is a lot of kids don't have any goals or know what they want to do with their life, so they float till they hope to find something.

mjolnir · #7 05-23-2008, 07:06 AM

I don't necessarily agree with the causes the article cites, but I definitely agree there's a problem. I've seen this in far too many of my own friends, one of which seems to be living with parents that are raising an entire generation of "lost boys", not to mention a "lost girl" as well.

jomahu · #8 05-23-2008, 07:08 AM

interesting that it's only boys. i wonder if the same thing happens to girls.
i read an article on msn a while ago (it's msn, so grain of salt applies!) about young students. even though girls outperform boys in many subjects, boys still believe they are smarter than girls. and girls still believe that they are not as smart as boys.

looks like the patriarchy is catchin up to the boys.

ba-dum-ba-dum · #9 05-23-2008, 08:44 AM

Something about the author in this article reaks of right wing xtian-conservative, "father knows best (wack)", misogynist douche. *crinkling nostrils*

FTA: "In 1949, for example, 70 per cent of undergraduate students in the U.S. were male. In 2006, the figure was 42 per cent, virtually the same as in Canada."

Really? I'm pretty sure something happened between the 50s and 00s that might explain why women have gotten out of the kitchen and other sub servant stereotypes; and have moved on to educated, professional roles.

I, for one, welcome our new female overlords.

Techmonkey · #10 05-23-2008, 09:00 AM

academia isn't for everyone. there's been an increase in vocational courses where I live, and better college courses, as opposed to just 6th forms. Give the kids a break, you can't expect them to go from 0 to 60... these days being second best in schools never seems good enough for anyone, and its demoralizing if you're so far from second best that you're not even on the scale.

Croox · #11 05-23-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

I think another part of it is the massive increase in living costs over the last few years.

+1 its why I moved back in with my parents and I'm 25.
I had some friends who fell into this category they didnt have real jobs, and they stayed up all night sitting at Denny's or IHOP and complained how there isnt anything to do or how they didnt have any money

and they have no ambition to leave since their parents still pay for all their stuff.

MakiSupaStar · #12 05-23-2008, 09:27 AM

One of my courses for my masters had a unit about this. Some other interesting facts that I recall from that class. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed and medicated with ADHD than girls. Video games are more attractive to boys than girls. Most cases of a child being raised by a single parent are being raised by a mother rather than a father.

As far as the whole moving out thing, in Japan this is normal. Men don't move out until they are in their thirties and or getting married. The reasons for this range from cultural differences to financial sense.

Video games are crack. I've experienced. I recently bought a Wii, which is currently sitting in our closet because it turned our four year old into a fiend. However, I don't think video games are as evil as we think. I think they can serve as a great platform for getting in touch with our boys. We could use this platform as a tool for teaching. This is still an untapped area. I also think, sadly, video games are training our men for their future. Sitting for hours in front of a screen. They'll just swap out tasks when they get a job. As a teacher, I can't tell you how many kids just fail out of school and eventually drop out in favor of playing video games. This is pretty common in low socio-economic areas.

sarcastro83 · #13 05-23-2008, 09:44 AM

My problem is that I've been working since I got out of high school, and paying my own way. I don't have anyone, whether it's parents or someone else who is financially able or willing to give me a hand. It's all me.
All the while, I've tried to go back to school twice, and even with the help of loans, can't afford to do it whether it's costing me time or money. All I can do right now is pay my debts off, save some money, and try to get into trade school when I can. I live checque to cheque by the sweat of my own brow. Sorry, reporter, but we young dudes are more motivated than you think.

Tegzsa · #14 05-23-2008, 09:49 AM

Well, we haven't had a really good war to syphon off the surplus supply of feckless youth recently.

In the past couple, unmotivated civilians often ended up as unmotivated squaddies who were invariably packed off to suicidally assault machine-gun nests.

jomahu · #15 05-23-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

As far as the whole moving out thing, in Japan this is normal. Men don't move out until they are in their thirties and or getting married. The reasons for this range from cultural differences to financial sense.

tis true. actually, north america is quite unique with the "out of the house at 18" frame of mind. although one might say that immigration (i.e. families of different cultures) could be changing that...

playinpearls · #16 05-23-2008, 11:44 AM

i always thought it was funny that ADHD boys can sit infront of the same video game for 6 hours and not get up to pee, let alone get bored and move on...

me on the other hand....

i get bored pluggin the controller in....

Alcyon · #17 05-23-2008, 11:48 AM

I don't see what all this flaming of video games has to do with anything. That's like saying alcohol is responsible for drunks or that porn is responsible for perverts or whatever. We've all decided as a society that we can't blame objects for people's lack of self control.

It's all the parents' fault, in my opinion, to be completely honest. The world is full of negative (and positive) influences and we can't limit them all, especially not at the cost of other peoples' liberty. All the people I personally know who are "messed up" are products of broken homes or oblivious/spineless/overly punitive parents. I am lucky to have some very positive role models for parents and I'm doing okay. And I play a lot of videogames. Even my girlfriend, who's parents are divorced, still has good parental role models and she turned out all right (amazing that is

).

Aaiieeee · #18 05-23-2008, 11:54 AM

I dont get why you have to get out there and 'make something of yourself'. I really dont want to and cant be bothered to. I have every intention of getting low wage/low requirement job and spending any free time I can get drifting through life doing the things I enjoy. (though I will have moved out of home by this point, living in some small place).

Do I live at home? Yes and Im 21 too though I am moving out within the next month. Im engaged and will be looking for a 'proper job' to support myself and my wife. I was going to live the life described above but the comming of my fiance changed all that. Im happy this way and my lady doesnt expect loads from me finacially cos she knows Ive never been interested in money and nor is she. So I dont even have to get an amazing job, just need to get something stable to pay the mortagage and we'll (I for sure, she said she will be) happy.

Make something of myself? Screw that, its about what you want out of life.

Jeremy Crockett · #19 05-23-2008, 11:57 AM

Wow! Great article. Good to see that folks are still paying attention.

Worse than Peter Pan, we're also continuing to raise generations of little boys to be more like little girls and they end up ill-equipped to be men.

MakiSupaStar · #20 05-23-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaiieeee

I dont get why you have to get out there and 'make something of yourself'. I really dont want to and cant be bothered to. I have every intention of getting low wage/low requirement job and spending any free time I can get drifting through life doing the things I enjoy. (though I will have moved out of home by this point, living in some small place).

Do I live at home? Yes and Im 21 too though I am moving out within the next month. Im engaged and will be looking for a 'proper job' to support myself and my wife. I was going to live the life described above but the comming of my fiance changed all that. Im happy this way and my lady doesnt expect loads from me finacially cos she knows Ive never been interested in money and nor is she. So I dont even have to get an amazing job, just need to get something stable to pay the mortagage and we'll (I for sure, she said she will be) happy.

Make something of myself? Screw that, its about what you want out of life.

In my opinion, you are a recipe for disaster. You need to have a "proper job" making good money when your single so you can adjust to this lifestyle change. It's a fun part of life that you're cutting off just to be married. Why do you have to get married NOW? You're only 21. Wait a few years, be bf/gf for a few years before getting married. That way both of you can adjust to having a real job. I don't see any school in your "plans" there either. That lowers your chances of landing a "real" job too. Obviously, living in your parents house hasn't properly prepared you for the real world. You are exactly what this article is talking about.

Go ahead, get all defensive and tell me I'm wrong. This is a time where I'd love for you to prove me wrong. Enjoy. Wait until half of that "real" job is going to the chick that you used to call a wife, but now simply call the synonym for a female dog.