...lacking athletic, artistic and intellectual pursuits... That's what current generations are... Just look at average teenager
You must be looking at very different teenagers from the ones I am.
I have literally never seen a more athletic, more artistic, or more intellectual generation than ever before.
My parents' generation played one sport, if that. Now teens play four sports and go to pre-professional sports summer camps. My parents' generation didn't know art if it hit them on the head. These days being interested in design is a totally normal thing for teens, whether it's graphic design or interior design or fashion and so forth. My parents' generation all listened to the same music, and played in some pretty bad bands. Now teens create and share insanely creative new music -- across the world, not just limited to their small town. And intellectual pursuits? The proportion of teens applying to Ivy League universities, with all the intellectual rigor that requires, has never been higher. And the academic standards for getting in to those places has never been higher.
Now does this describe all teens? Of course not. But the point isn't to compare teens to some kind of level of perfection, it's to compare them to past generations of teens. And in the areas you're describing -- athletic, artistic, intellectual -- they seem to be doing better than ever before in history. I mean, come on -- think about teens in the 1990's, the 1980's, the 1950's. Hanging out in the parking lot, drinking beers, smoking cigarettes, getting high, wasting time at the mall. I don't know what kind of artistic-intellectual athletes you seem to remember.
The area they're doing worse in is mental health. Because the pressures and expectations on them also seem to be greater than ever before.
So perhaps be a little more charitable and understanding, rather than so judgmental and critical.
Nope. I'm describing the changes within middle-class and upper-middle-class culture across a couple of generations.
All of these changes are extremely well-documented, whether it's the increasing rigor in university admissions, the rise of helicopter parenting and all the associated activities, in sports camps, math camp, robotics camp, etc.
My gut feeling is the gen-Zers doing well intellectually / athletically are probably top 10%, and they dont correlate much with mental health issues. The average teenager is shallow and dumb, constantly looking for validation.
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You must be looking at very different teenagers from the ones I am.
I have literally never seen a more athletic, more artistic, or more intellectual generation than ever before.
My parents' generation played one sport, if that. Now teens play four sports and go to pre-professional sports summer camps. My parents' generation didn't know art if it hit them on the head. These days being interested in design is a totally normal thing for teens, whether it's graphic design or interior design or fashion and so forth. My parents' generation all listened to the same music, and played in some pretty bad bands. Now teens create and share insanely creative new music -- across the world, not just limited to their small town. And intellectual pursuits? The proportion of teens applying to Ivy League universities, with all the intellectual rigor that requires, has never been higher. And the academic standards for getting in to those places has never been higher.
Now does this describe all teens? Of course not. But the point isn't to compare teens to some kind of level of perfection, it's to compare them to past generations of teens. And in the areas you're describing -- athletic, artistic, intellectual -- they seem to be doing better than ever before in history. I mean, come on -- think about teens in the 1990's, the 1980's, the 1950's. Hanging out in the parking lot, drinking beers, smoking cigarettes, getting high, wasting time at the mall. I don't know what kind of artistic-intellectual athletes you seem to remember.
The area they're doing worse in is mental health. Because the pressures and expectations on them also seem to be greater than ever before.
So perhaps be a little more charitable and understanding, rather than so judgmental and critical.
OTOH you might have changed your social class to one where those activities are more available.
Nope. I'm describing the changes within middle-class and upper-middle-class culture across a couple of generations.
All of these changes are extremely well-documented, whether it's the increasing rigor in university admissions, the rise of helicopter parenting and all the associated activities, in sports camps, math camp, robotics camp, etc.
My gut feeling is the gen-Zers doing well intellectually / athletically are probably top 10%, and they dont correlate much with mental health issues. The average teenager is shallow and dumb, constantly looking for validation.
I'm so sorry you feel that way. But I think it says more about your unfortunate perspective of the world, rather than how the world really is.
I hope you can learn to have more empathy for others at some point, regardless of their age.