Do you find that most young people are disrespectful of their elders?
I'm 37 years old, not a senior citizen yet, but it disturbs me to see the trend of the younger generations disrespecting their elders the way they do. My own son does it once in a while, he got on here not too long ago and posted a nasty question to the seniors group. I went through later and apologized to everyone who answered (of those who allowed email). All of my grandparents died before I was born, except for my paternal grandmother, and she was an alcoholic.Anyway, I wish I had had grandparents to sit at their feet and listen to their stories about the "good ole days" and share their wisdom with me. So many young people take our elderly for granted, not realizing that if they'd just open their minds we could learn a lot from each other. Do you know in China the elderly in society are held in high respect and honored and cherished? Nursing homes are unheard of there because families take care of their own. If only we were more like the Chinese.
Senior Citizens - 36 Answers
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1 :
Only a scarce few kids respect elders. From about age 5, kids really don't care about what their grand parents have to say, as long as they get stuff from them.
2 :
Yes there is no respect for seniors these days it makes me sad. Just yesturday a couple of 7yr old boys walked past my house screaming at this other poor kid calling him a f2cking c7nt!! I was shocked! Kids are outof control these days, obviously I'm not going to say ALL kids but quite a few.
3 :
At this day, and age, YES!!!! Dam kids are outta control. My Martial Arts teachings taught me respect at an early age.
4 :
I think that is a broad generalization. I would consider myself in the younger generation, even though I am not that young. I respect my elders and I feel that my friends do too. However, I can see why you may think that young people treat older people that way. Some people do, but certainly not most.
5 :
I actual do study china and it is pretty cool. But back to the question. Its nothing new that children will always disrespect their elders. It is because the years are so far apart that it hard for them to comprend each others feelings or thoughts. I personally did not like having my grandparents over. But I did like my grandpa not because of his stories because of his humor and quietness. I don't disrespect my elders just dont like them that much.
6 :
It depends on your influences at a younger age so don't blame it on the kids. Of course, most Asians are taught how to behave, whereas some people are expected to learn in school.
7 :
kids learn and act how their parents teach them to. If they do not have alot of contact with elders from an early age, how can you expect them to show respect? Our society as a whole does not respect older people, but to be fair, older people rarely respect younger people also. My 6yr old neice has grown up with almost constant contact with her grandparents and great-grandparents and she is very respectful, but if a child only sees old people at christmas, and other holidays, then it is up to the parents to teach them respect, they are not going to learn it on their own.
8 :
Its because parents no longer teach manners and how to respect people. That is one thing I do not tolerate is lack of manners and disrespect for elders. My parents taught their children well, and we in turn have taught our children well.My daughter who will be 24 next month gets just as disgusted at people her age who act disresptfully to others. She aasks me why do they act and treat themselves like garbage. She doesnt understand it either. The kids now adays have no respect for anyone including themselves. I see it day in and day out. Even their lack of respect for themselves. This generation of kids absolutely sickens me and to think they will be the leaders of our country.
9 :
Very much so. But it goes further than sassing old folks, teachers and parents- they are direspectful of each other and of themselves. There is very little personal integrity in this country.
10 :
What we do is what they learn, what we teach is what they might listen to. Respect,Kindness, Honor, Good is best taught by doing and then is learned by example.
11 :
China isn't a great example...considering all the negative social attitudes of years gone by...maybe the seniors are honored and cherished because they actually survived horrid traditions gone by. Kids are better off taught to respect all ages, gendres, etc. Lifestyles and attitudes have changed so much toward all kinds of people, not just seniors. Teachers, the law, business owner's, anyone who represents any authority or direction. What would happen if anyone told the parents of these misguided kids...for the most part I believe nothing. As a middle-aged adult I still believe in respecting all people. I like all people until done wrong by... which by the way leads to another part of kids and seniors...I hated Grandpa and all old people after he molested me. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it - I knew I wouldn't be believed. It's all over now, thanks to lots of counselling. I think the issue of disrespect is bigger than just bratty kids going overboard. We can only hope to guide our own, and protect the vulnerable. Pointing fingers at one specific group won't do any good, in my opinion. And thanks Yahoo for the chance to give that opinion. xo
12 :
No I don't. Seniors too have to share the blame for they are generally mistrustful of the younger lot. I suppose it is the generation divide which the society for ever has found it impossible to bridge. Yes, I agree it is for the parents to inculcate proper values for once the kids are through their tumultuous years, they will come back to those values. Haven't we all passed through it? Rebelled and come back to the old values? The difference is in our time we had much more stable family relationships - they are so fragile now. And it indeed is difficult for kids of broken homes to inculcate any kind of values for they received none and were too busy sheltering themselves from all kind of adversities, physical and mental. No wonder they have a totally irreverent attitude. That group specially believes in giving it back to life and that includes elders too. I think the onus is on elders, not to be overly sensitive and overreact, but to be patient and put and view things in their proper perspective. After all, we have the advantage of age and experience which they don't have. As for the Chinese model, that is an Asian trait ,only the Chinese one gets talked about more for they are getting noticed even otherwise for various other reasons.
13 :
I agree that many are, but that is reflective of their upbringing.
14 :
No more than any other generation. I was taught to respect my elders but that was my family and grandma would not let you treat her any other way but right. Kids are you and they think old people really don't know anything they can use today because they are old and information changes so quickly. But then again there are the older people that disrespect the younger crowd without giving them a fair shot too. I really wish the gap could be closed and a generation of healthy younger people can learn from healthy older people and vise versa
15 :
this is the same old story i got when i was a kid ,, they are no more disrespectful then when us oldys were teenagers, you do not have to be young or old to show respect for other people, it is more in the way we were bought up
16 :
I have to be honest with you. I believe this generation of parents have less control and have disciplined their children less than I've ever seen in my entire life. It seems kids control the parents, not the other way around. I think we are just reaping the consequences of not bringing up children to respect other people in general. Instead, the focus seems to be constantly asking for, and getting, whatever they want at the moment.
17 :
This disrsepect for the elderly has even got into the churches. If your church is a Rick Warren church you'll know what I mean. Young people here are pandered to with their noisy music, chasing about, encouragement to tear down the traditions of the church, KJB and organ and quiet moments abandoned, hugging and kissing and slobbering other themselves in fashion, children put onto church councils, the elderly side-tracked and ignored, called wrinkleys to their faces, old-fashioned (with a snear), and all this encouraged by the with-it vicar or preacher who has made his church into a personality cult. But the Seniors are expected to provide the money!
18 :
Yes they are,. I don't remember the last time a child or teen said thank you or held the door for me or looked me in the eyes while talking. I realize this begins at home, the teaching of manners and respect but my 12 y.o. grandson tells me things that happen in class that amazes me and the teachers won't correct them or send them to the office. They just ignore them. Now if the child doesn't have a good roll model at home and school where can he/she learn from?
19 :
Kids these days are not taught by their parents they"re taught by TV and their peers. They learn that if it's not new it's worthless... just throw it over their shoulder and get a new one (a better one). Never mind that the old one has been doing the job for twenty years without failing... The new one is shiny and new... So what if it breaks the second time it's used It's shiny and new AND broken throw it away and get another. Everything around them is disposable... why not the old people too? I live in California and one can tell when kids from the Midwest and south come into a place... They say yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir and no sir... They have manners... But out here they lose most of them in a big hurry. And I deal with the "good ones" a big percentage of the time... I deal with them in church. End of Rant
20 :
I was taught as a child to respect my elders. I am now 49. I taught my son to respect his elders. I think that it has mostly got to do with the way kids are raised. I only had one problem with my son growing up not respecting an elder or authority figure. It was a teacher at school and when I got through with him he never went there again. Teach a child manners, insist on them, insist on respect and you will get it. Leave them to their own devises and you will get something totally different.
21 :
As I learned, at a young age on a front porch, respect is earned and you are taught how to be respectable and also how to give it and receive it. Thank heaven not all kids are disrespectful but the few do stand out like a sore thumb. I am 62 and have a son age 9. Yup! He is nine, and he has manners but also knows how to handle folks (of any age) who don't. He shows by example (quietly) and knows that somethings you can't control or change. He maybe only 9 but he is a smart kid and his examples have made him many friends in both genders and age groups. I'm a wildlife artist and sometimes I also teach private group lessons. Get lots of kids & adults and sometimes a child gets in my class that is a total horror of disrespect (even to his own folks). That child learns right off the bat (in a firm way) that I will not tolerate his mouth or his actions. The rest of the group backs me up and the child gets the picture real fast. Each and every day I, like others, have to earn respect and how we do it is the key. TV, movies, music, and now the computer have opened the world to everyone and some of the stuff isn't fit. We grew up on our own brand of music etc. and to some degree it formed us too. What and how we deal with it is up to us and how it will affect the younger crowd. We only hear about the ones doing wrongs but I assure you, they are in the minority.
22 :
Was that the question asking if seniors still have sex? That was pretty rude, but i probably would have thought it was funny a couple of years ago. Im 18 and i love elderly people! My grandparents are all dead and i wish they weren't, i find the elderly really interesting, and a lot nicer and friendlier than a lot of people out there. Although in saying that there are a lot of mean old people too.
23 :
It is so true what you have written......Some cultures do have more respect than others...... I have raised five boys and feel that it is important that you teach your children to respect elders and human being in general.......so I tend to think that respect is mostly learned at home, from reminding the children of other people feelings and of course also of what you see......If you practice what you preach then more than likely you will raise children that care and respect elders......If yourchildren see you interact with elders in a positive way, with respect and letting them express themselves with out ridicule then you can demand respect.........Apparently you had a good upbringing......and are trying to teach your child.
24 :
With "rudeness" being the new cachet, EVERYONE is treated with disrespect. Also, I get disrespect from my contemporaries, so it may be more pandemic than you realize
25 :
They sure will be on this section...But why?...I don't know.
26 :
Not the young people that I know. They love me. Hug me. I cook for them. I take them places. They buy me cards for my birthday. My grandson said his friends like me better than him. I told him that I believe it is my pancakes that they like and the crispy bacon that I fry. They call me Grandma just like my grandson who is 17. Believe it or not, but he is white and his friends are one black, one hispanic and two white and one tomboy girl. They skateboard together. Go bowling together. My grandson is very handsome and last year he had girls everywhere, but this year none. I asked him why and he replied that they cost too much money. He said girls are too bossy and they want to run his show. He plays the drums. He's been in baseball, football, basketball and now bowling. He's a championship bowler and being trained by a professional. Once, one of his friends smarted off to his mother and my grandson took him home in his car and we've never seen him since. I don't know if my daughter told him that he couldn't come back or if my grandson just dropped him as a friend. This is the only disrespectful young person that I have heard about. I often make them watch their mouth in front of me and they do. They are good kids.
27 :
I'm almost 54 & the last thing I want is to have a society that is more like the Chinese. We have the freedom to choose in America & why put the pressure on our children to give up their lives in order to care for us? That's just wrong, in my eyes. I raised my child to be an individual & take care of themselves. I don't want them taking care of me. I want to die with dignity & not be a burden in my last days. The younger generation has every right to disrespect us because of the simple fact that we have dumped a lot of stuff on their plates that they will have to deal with long after we have left this earth! Respect is a 2 way street. You get what you give. It has no age limits or restrictions. The generations don't communicate on a level of sharing & this makes trust difficult. Families are changing & so is society. I don't think it's fair to expect the younger generation to take the blame for their so-called "disrespect" of the Elders of society. Many older people need to shut-up & listen sometimes before they just assume that they are correct due to their age!!!!!!!! Many of the children of the current generation are Warriors & they will be fighting for their own freedom in a world full of hate & mistrust. They will have to kill to survive. Please & thank-you won't matter when the time comes to defend yourself & your community. We live in the age of an upcoming Civil War within the United States. There will be no room for what you refer to as "respect". It will be a time of truth that these disrespectful kids will be able to deal with better than the rest of polite society!
28 :
I'm a younger person and I give respect as it is given to me. If anyone asks something of me politely I will reciprocate but if someone is disrespectful to me such as if a old people who happens to be senile(sp) is ill-tempered then I'm mean in return.
29 :
At this day, and age, YES!!!! Dam kids are outta control. Its because parents no longer teach manners and how to respect people. That is one thing I do not tolerate is lack of manners and disrespect for elders. My parents taught their children well, and we in turn have taught our children well.My daughter who will be 24 next month gets just as disgusted at people her age who act disresptfully to others. She aasks me why do they act and treat themselves like garbage. She doesnt understand it either. The kids now adays have no respect for anyone including themselves. I see it day in and day out. Even their lack of respect for themselves. This generation of kids absolutely sickens me and to think they will be the leaders of our country.
30 :
Do young people curse the elderly? Do young people mock the elderly? Do young people respect their parents? Do young people seem to think older relatives are just a source of money? Do young people check on the elderly(visit) and help them even when they are helped by them?
31 :
I never hear from my grandchildren unless it's their birthday or Christmas. Kids aren't like they use to be. They sass, make obscene jesters, they never offer you a seat if all the chairs are taken, they never open a door for you, they run you over instead. Not only do they disrespect their grandparents. I have seen how they talk and act towards their parents as well. So who is to blame? I say the parents of course. They allowed this to happen. It's sad and only going to get worse. Just think how THEIR kids will turn out. Hopefully by then a good swat on the rear when needed will be allowed by society. That's the best cure all.
32 :
I also notice this. I treat senior citizens with respect and also have been teaching my children to also be respectful. It is disgraceful how so many kids these days are not taught to respect their elders and they turn out to be very rude and inconsiderate towards them. What a shame b/c they deserve the utmost respect. China is doing something right-better than the USA. We could learn something from them.
33 :
I agree with you. its sad the way our youth are turning out..
34 :
Hi. Happy Sabbath. Yes... Take care.
35 :
Absolutely, bring back the Waddy Stick I say!
36 :
In this society very much so........................
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