[nabsgood]

Tm, the post wasn\'t meant to imply that one generation is necessarily better than another, but just to make people think about the differences between then and now. You and Franki are absolutely right, the generations of the 40s-70s set the stage for the technology of today. The dicoveries and innovations created were meant to make our lives simpler... to give us more free time so that we could relax, enjoy life, have more time to spend with family and friends, basically on the things that make life worth living. Just the opposite has happened. Think of it, we\'re working harder, stressed more, and heaven forbid we see anyone. Individuals are more isolated than at any other point in history! In this brilliant age of technology and communication, we spend most of our time a slave to what we created rather than utilizing it to make our lives better. Shame on all of us (myself included, for here I sit typing this on a cold impersonal computer rather than using my hands to hug a child, caress a face, build a home).

The generations of the 40-70s are the Dr. Frankensteins of today. Look what we have wrought. Children spend all their time tethered to a machine, hitting buttons as fast as possible to try to \"annihilate\" electronic generated items from a screen... mindless, passive, apathetic. I don\'t blame the children, I blame the parents. They are the ones too wrapped up in their own lives to take accountability for their children. Ahhh, there\'s the word Belgareth posed.... it\'s a very powerful one, is it not? Belgareth that was a gem you laid down!

Tm you speak of \"brats\" but brats aren\'t born, they\'re raised. Children become brats due to the apathy of their parents, who would rather ignore the behavior than teach their children differences between right and wrong, the golden rules, accountability. Much of it has to do with \"acceptable\" practices of rearing young today. Kids in the 40-70s actually were punished for misdeeds, not reasoned with, not \"timed out\", not ignored. The punishment was enough to disuade us from ever wanting to do the misdeed again... it wasn\'t a \"beating\", we weren\'t \"abused\". I remember getting my mouth washed out with soap (boy do I remember!), but it didn\'t kill me, and it definitely dissuaded me from mouthing off again. What was standard punishment for our generations is now considered abuse. I don\'t profess or encourage violence as a punishment, but I also don\'t believe in trying to reason with a 2 year old! There is a middle ground, but it would take time and effort which many parents today are unwilling or unable to expend.

It scares me witless to think of the future, when these children raised in apathy become adults and have their own children.