One thing I'll give young people credit for (when did we all get so
freak'n old?) is that they are living some of the 60's ideals about
being more racially and culturally aware.  In the 60's the black power
movement was light years away from most white social groups in
interests and methods.  Although socializing with different races and
cultures got a lot of lip service, it was still rare.  Young people
today seem to be able to date other races and cultures and still be
accepted by their peers more naturally.

They also grew up in a more multi-cultural society. They eat food from
different countries because they grew up eating food at their more
recently immigrated friends houses.  At least this is true in my area.
 I think these are positive changes. Young people take for granted a
whole bunch of stuff that we made a big deal about in reaction to the
50's mindset.

This generation is ready to take the torch to the next human
checkpoint.  The fact that they may not be as interested in the type
of spirituality that was popular for us may just be a reflection of
the fact that we were experimenting with a bunch of stuff that has
kind of lamed out, judging by how many people have moved on from TM. 
They saw us experimenting and realize that we were often full of it. 
Instead of sitting on their butts to make world peace by thinking
thoughts, I hope they step up and act in the world that needs their
energy.

They may be more career focused because they are entering an
world-wide workplace that is intensely competitive in a way that we
did not face.  With even white collar jobs being outsourced, they are
going to struggle to make a living and they had better be prepared. 
The global communications web has brought English speaking, brilliant
minds to our shores to compete directly with us.  That is the job
market they are facing.  It will be a struggle.

On the big negative side are those freak'n video games!  Worse than
any of the drug use of the 60's for soul crushing, mind numbing
effect. (Now gramps is going to take my walker over to my cassette
player to listen to some old blues so you kids keep that video game down!)











--- In [email protected], "wayback71" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "Robert Gimbel" <babajii_99@>
wrote:
> >
> >  <snip>
> > > > > The current younger generation in college now is not
> > > > > only career minded- but also service minded, as in
> > > > > volunteering and "doing good deeds."  Much more so
> > > > > than the Boomers, who wanted to do good by meditating,
> > > > > getting doped up, refusing to go to war.
> 
> I wrote the above.  I had just been to an orientation seminar for
parents of children who 
> are college freshman,and the slide show was based on research done
on today's new 
> college students.  I suspect that the idea that this young
generation does so much 
> volunteering comes from the fact that many seniors and juniors in
high school DO 
> volunteer a great deal more than we Boomers did. One reason for this
is that in getting 
> ready to apply for college, students are told by guidance counselors
that doing lots of 
> volunteer work helps to get you in - so it is not entirely selfless.
 Some travel in the 
> summer with church groups to poor nations or Appalachia, many many
work regularly 
> with local Habitat for Humanity projects, help in soup kitchens
nearby, and some even go 
> on expensive summer trips to poor areas of the world to help out
(there is a howleindustry 
> offering these trips).  Regular volunteering is now fairly standard
activity for middle and 
> upper middle class kids. It is a big part of the college resume. Of
course, their parents 
> (Boomers) are the ones who have arranged all this and encouraged
their children to 
> participate and drove them around to do it all! Many of these
opportunites just weren't 
> available to us when we were young. And we looked at grades and
things like being in the 
> French Club as the things that get you into college.
> > 
> > Believe me, if there were a draft now;
> > You would see them refusing to go to war.
> > You have a whole culture of dopers and rappers now; nothings changed..
> > Many of the 'Boomers' became career minded; yuppies, I think they are 
> > called.
> 
> Yes, but the Boomer/yuppies are the ones doing some good stuff, too.
 The move to take 
> care of the environment is mostly Boomer/yuppie driven, isn't it?
The same group that 
> protested Vietnam is protesting Iraq.
> > 
> > The current generation are just not interested in sittin' still.
> > They have been over-whelmed with video games, ritalin, Godless 
> > education, heroes like Paris Hilton, brain-washed by corporate greed, 
> > this generation is completely lost.
> > They haven't got a clue; they live in a world driven by chaos...
> > Everything about the art and music expresses this.
> 
> This sounds like what was said about Elvis and the Beatles and the
Rolling STones, 
> marijuana and TV watching habits when we were young.
> 
> > High prices for TM, just reflects their lack of interest.
> > If it were offered for free,
> > These younger people haven't got the time;
> > For such nebulous things, like meditation...
> > R.G.
> >
> Yes, they are very focused on getting jobs and making a living. I
think one of their 
> priorities is to have work that they enjoy and that makes a good
income. Nothing wrong 
> with that, it is just missing the inner life component. Don't give
up. Things go in cycles, 
> and at some point, this generation or their children will really
really need some silence. 
> Meditation may seem intriguing, especially if future brain research
has some good things 
> to say.
>







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