God damn the millennial. For the life of me I just don’t understand them. Looking in from the eyes of a different generation, I cannot believe what I am witnessing. I look at the way the children of our generation are being raised and I am not convinced at all. No respect, no discipline, no understanding of the value of money, no work ethic. Must I continue? Previously, the word I am about to use, I believed to be harsh and inappropriate. But now, I just believe it to be spot bloody on. We as a society are raising a generation of millennial snowflakes.
Perhaps the fact that I currently live a middle class existence, where previously it was lower, makes a difference. Maybe I am just not exposed enough these days to the workings of the forgotten class. So I only feel comfortable referring to what I know and what surrounds me. In this case, a bunch of spoilt, lazy, entitled shits. Living only to make a mockery of their parents self imposed slavery, all to provide the millennial with a better future. But, is a better future what they will have? I am not so sure.
Now before you get all sensitive about the subject, hear me out. Maybe, I am completely delusional when it comes to my own self image. However, I am of the opinion that I am a pretty good guy. I believe myself to be kind hearted and loving. Generosity comes natural to me, and if you are a friend, what’s mine is yours. I have manners, even though I don’t choose to use them all the time, and I know the difference between right and wrong. I respect my elders and the rule of law. And finally, I understand quality of life and the value of money more than most.
I have looked back at my younger years and asked myself the question as to how these different morals and values were instilled in me? And the answer is so simple I could hardly believe it. DISCIPLINE. Yep that is right, plain, old fashioned, 1980’s discipline. Some of you who like me grew up during that period will understand what I mean by discipline. In this day and age, the thought of laying even a fingernail on your child is met with the most outrageous of reactions. And the consequences of such a serious action these days are bordering on severe.
But, back in my day, if I stepped out of line, the consequences were bordering on severe. A good whack on the old bottom was standard for any internal family infraction. But at times, the punishment was more severe. Even going to wooden spoons, the belt and the old thump on the back of the head. This was standard within my family, but also pretty much in the families of all my friends. It was quite simply common place. Do I look back at this with any kind of sadness or trauma? Do I believe it had some profoundly negative effect on my life? Actually, not at all. I surprisingly look back at it as an important learning period in life.
Even the education system back in those days encouraged physical discipline. On multiple occasions during my high school days I would be marched into the principals office for 5 or 10 lashings of the cane. This would be in the form of a bamboo cane lashed across the palms of your hand, or even in the worst of cases over the knuckles. Once again, do I look back at that as an experience that caused me any kind of ill effect to my future? No. I truly believe it is exactly the opposite. It instilled in my discipline and values.
Just to bring clarity at this point, I am not talking about beating the shit out of children here. I am talking about using physical discipline as an education tool and not an excuse to lay down a beating. We can all imagine the long terms effects of physical abuse in the home during childhood and that they would in no way be positive. So please let that point be clear.
Now back to the argument at hand, none of this disciplinary behaviour is accepted in today’s millennial age. If a parent was to hit a child in any way, shape or form and it was reported to the authorities, major trouble would ensue. And heaven’s forbid a child was disciplined in school with any type of physical reprimand, all bloody hell would break loose. Any type of physical enforcement is no longer tolerated in society. PERIOD.
So this is now where I raise the question to you the reader. Do you believe, like me, that like back in the day a normal amount of sensible physical discipline was beneficial to the long term development of the child? Or, do you feel that that generation totally got it wrong. That any type of physical punishment is counter productive and that you are completely satisfied with the current development of millennial society? I am truly curious to see the general response to this argument and discover whether I am on point or just suffering from true archaism.
As a subnote, I would just like to state that research leans heavily against my argument. There has been 50 years of study on the subject, and the consensus is that not only does it not work, but it can have an adverse effect on development. The above is just a personal assessment of my own experiences and how I perceive them to have affected my life. Whilst at the same time bringing light to what I believe to be a rather large problem with the current generation and their development. In short, debate as you wish, but don’t get all high and mighty on my ass… Thank you.
Yep. Spot on. I got beaten quite often. I respect erderly even today-when i can be called erderly.
But, i rarely raise hand on my children. When last time happen-i cant remember…
Let’s go back a little further in time, discipline is good
1805 is the Trafalgar date when Nelson died in his 47 th year from musket ball ( and 9 seaman in that battle shared his name)
58 Frenchmen fought with the British, alongside more than a 25 % Irish contingent and more than 150 from the Caribbean with over 25 countries involved for the British against the Franco Spanish fleet.
Nearly 500 were American, and not one was called Trump.
Nearly 300 of the 18,000 British navy contingent were children aged 10 to 12, the majority from Devon, under the same discipline regime as the main ranks.
The French and Spanish losses were more than 10 to 1 with over 3,000 prisoners drowning in a storm shortly after the battle.
I’m with you on this Oz. I was raised knowing that every bad behavior or lack of respect carried a consequence. Money earned by my dad at that time was little and very hardly earned so I learned to value the things I had. At the table we had only two options, eat what’s on the plate and be grateful for it, or if you don’t like it then it was off to bed with an empty stomach. And to this day I’m thankful I was raised that way. I just wish I could raise my son the same way, which clearly is impossible these days