Is Society moving forward or backward?

[tripplej]

Typically, as each generation grows, society benefits. We see innovation, political/social movements leaning toward justice for the oppressed, environmentalism to protect the earth, etc. (essentially for the betterment of society)..

But now, I see a lot of news nowadays especially with the younger generation and their inability to handle challenges and grow to overcome those challenges like previous generations have had in the past..

Reason I ask this question is because earlier today, I saw an interesting news article about the younger generation and how society is further protecting them from outside pressures... (see below).

According to campusreform,

"A University of Georgia professor has adopted a “stress reduction policy” that will allow students to select their own grades if they “feel unduly stressed” by the ones they earned.

According to online course syllabi for two of Dr. Richard Watson’s fall business courses, he has introduced the policy because “emotional reactions to stressful situations can have profound consequences for all involved.”

As such, if students feel “unduly stressed by a grade for any assessable material or the overall course,” they can “email the instructor indicating what grade [they] think is appropriate, and it will be so changed” with “no explanation” being required."

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Is this generation getting a disservice by all of this "protection"?

How can we as a society grow if the younger generation today can't and don't know how to handle pressure?

Any thoughts?

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I think we are going down... big time. This younger generation has no idea how blessed beyond what we deserve we are. Too many people are looking for something and don't want to do anything for it. If they could go back and live for a few years in the 40's and 50's... even the 60's, they would likely appreciate life more and realize how easy they have it nowadays... and quit holding their hands out. I don't think I'll be around to see it all go down as far as it will go, but I do think it will eventually happen, and other countries will be enjoying hotdogs and American pie, while our country is suffering.

 

[tripplej]

Yeah, I agree Sonnie.

I hate to say it but there needs to be suffering to humble one self which would then allow the individual to grow and prosper.

Historically, every nation that had long periods of prosperity eventually ran into trouble and thru economic collapse, war, famine, something tragic that impacted everybody in that country, they were able to overcome and achieve greatness.

The problem today is the younger generation don't know how good they have it and how easy things are as you mentioned.. Once something bad happens at a grand scale (economic collapse, famine, war, etc.) when everybody is impacted, they will not know how to cope let alone survive.

I don't know what we can do to correct this before something bad in a grand scale happens so that the younger generation can stop being cuddled and start to learn to stand up by themselves and face challenges head on..

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I am not sure it will ever get fixed, unfortunately... we will have to hit rock bottom as a nation before anyone is going to realize it. Too many people want the government to bail them out... and fix things... and we've seen that don't work... and you can't get enough people to agree on how to fix things anyway. It's always going to be split and it will never get fixed, not until it's broken down completely.

 

[tripplej]

Yeah, I agree.

I am not sure how we got to this point..

But, I believe the one thing that is missing and that needs to come back is individual responsibility.

No more of this over sensitivity whereby the younger generation don't get hurt. Getting hurt is part of life. How we overcome that hurt is what makes youngsters grow into a productive citizen.

But alas, not sure how this individual responsibility will transform from the entitlement mentality that many folks have now..

 

[phillihp23]

Never once was greatness born without struggle.

 

[phillihp23]

It's gone to extremes now by trying to erase history or rewrite it to ones liking. Tearing down monuments etc., which are reminders of our past wrongs or rights. Without a reflection on past history we are unable to make good decisions going forward.

 

[tripplej]

What is that saying, History repeats itself if you don't know the past.

 

[Tony V.]

Here in Canada most government levels are in the mindset that the more they control the better society will be however with this control comes a lack of parenting because many parents think its not their problem (let the school or work deal with it) I come from the belief that discipline and guidance comes from the home first. There is nothing that the schools can teach my kids that I cant do better when it comes to problem solving and understanding boundaries.
Todays schools dont give failing grades and give participation awards just for showing up. If your late for class nothing is said and when you dont hand in an assignment you get multiple extensions.
What is that saying to our young people going into the workforce, It says thats its ok to be late, its ok to just show up and not try, its ok to play hooky from work and so on. There are no boundaries any more.

 

[tripplej]

As time goes on, we are slowly but surely heading toward what was portrayed in that movie "Idiocracy"

lol.