NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello there. I've heard professors, random middle-agers, and other folk of generations before me claim that my generation is generally complacent. Colleges are no longer centers of major social change, and, while many still have issues with the ruling authorities, most people just don't take the time and effort to try and change things.

Thinking this criticism over, I have an honest, non-hostile question:

Given that protests against segregation and Vietnam involvement were a good thing, *how* did students make time for them? I know that I would fail college and lose my job if took an extended trip to Washington, D.C., even if I felt it was for a good cause. There are plenty of people who would willingly take my place in the compliant/productive world if I went on any sort of major strike.

Was the situation different back in the day? Or is that just one of the risks you take?

Good question. That never really does seem to be mentioned, does it?

More than anything, I think they're just out of touch ;-) I live near a couple universities and they're always protesting something or another. There's a lot of change around here, and most of it brough about because of the college population. However, it could also be the surroundings. I mean, some states are simply "yeah, we follow the rules, no matter what" and they're not going to pay much attention to the kids on the corner with signs.

They always say that.

Imagine it this way-they have a telescope that they look through that only faces one way, to thier past. There everything seems larger in thier past, but while looking towards you everything looks smaller. Both are exagerations.

Here in Israel, children and university students strike almost every 4 months, but the press gives it only from half a minute to 3 minutes on the TV. 4 months ago the university students stood in front of the university and shouted about that everything that's sopposed to be for free(Student parking, books, etc.) is for cash so because of that, only people who can afford going to university goes, and there are not enough scholarships.

Or is that just one of the risks you take?
I would think this is it. The students who went on these large protests and actions were probably not the ones who were overly academically active.
The ones that were instead did business degrees and now sit at the top of Halliburton, Enron etc

But at least here in Australia one can observe that almost every major university is lead by right-winger ex-business people who don't have a problem with complying with any policy the Federal Government puts forward. My university makes A$20million a year in profits! WTF?

I would have to agree that this generation is apathetic. I am an 18yr old university student and I see almost no interest in politics at my univeristy or among any of my work mates. Even most adults I know pay little attention to politics or the shape of the world and certianly in no detail. I am constantly frustrated by the amount of ignorance and apathy that surrounds modern society.

While I expect it would be better in Western Europe (I am Australian) I still think this generation can not be compared to the last in terms of change.

This is likely for a number of reasons. Firstly there are less fundemental issues to protest. Minorities have been franchised in the western world, women have the same rights, being gay is legal, abortion is legal and divorce laws are generally fair. Thus the younger generation has less to fight for or against. The istitution has already been liberalised for them.

I would also point to the rising level of conservatism within society. More people are voting for the right and for left conservatives, more people are attending right wing churches and we are constantly bored to death by new moral panics.

However I belive that a large section of blame has to fall on the current mood that surrounds our socities. We have been kept in fear since 9-11 by governments wishing to stay in power, few media outlets actually provide a level of insight avaliable to us in previous decades as the media is monopolised, the government limits media access to all most everything and as people turn from main stream balanced journalism to sensationalism.

Furthermore we are bombarded with commercialism day and night, the starving children in Africa pale in significance to buying your next car, getting the right look, the right phone, the right lifestyle. We are pressured to work work work and to buy buy buy. Life is measures by material asset rather than personal character. The corporations encourage apathy becuase it increases sales, a more alientated and less infomred person is more liekly to fall for adverstising than an aware and active one. While I know this sounds a little socialist the reality is that I am speaking truth not fiction. Coroprations now target children from about the age of 2 or 3 rather than waiting for them to become tweens. As a child I grew up without a television becuase my parents believed that it would be a negative thing. As a result I was always behind in fashions, could never dicuss the lastest fads or what shows were on televsions, in other words I was the kid with no friends. That changed as I grew older but it never the less brought my attention to how strong the campaign to buy is and how early it starts.

This generation is so apathetic partially becuase the issues do not exist, partially becuase the media is failing its ideal role, becuase conservatism is on the rise and becuase it is a defence mechanism. When you are constantly being told that the only way to be happy is to get this, buy this, wear this then apathy becomes a protection against mental collapse.

I find this terrifying and it is a constant worry to me that our society is seeding its own downfall by it its treatment of the young.

Of course we are all not apathetic as these forums show but the informed and aware are certianly a minority in this day and age. Perhaps it has always been that way and the wieght of the world falls upon our shoulders.

I would think this is it. The students who went on these large protests and actions were probably not the ones who were overly academically active.
The ones that were instead did business degrees and now sit at the top of Halliburton, Enron etc
Sad but probably true


But at least here in Australia one can observe that almost every major university is lead by right-winger ex-business people who don't have a problem with complying with any policy the Federal Government puts forward. My university makes A$20million a year in profits! WTF?

Yeah I know what you mean, universities are no longer academic places but degree factories dominated by conserative views. Personally I currently hate university becuase it has let my expectations down completely. There is no radicalism, just a few token lefties and a mass of boring apathetic wankers who talk more about who goes out with who and how great there new hair do is. I get more personal satisfaction filling shelves at wollies than I do in tutorials becuase I am one of the few students who actually has opinoins or isnt burdened with the wieght of political correctness to the point were they fear saying anything.

What pisses me off more is that I am told "it is Australian to be apathetic". I feel like going insane every time i hear that. My family has been in Australia since it was founded (free men not convicts) and politics has always been part of my family. It is just an excuse for "I am an ignorant fool with no real idea what is happening".

I swear my own generation angers me more than I can say. I feel more at home with the old buggers than with my own peers.

This is likely for a number of reasons. Firstly there are less fundemental issues to protest. Minorities have been franchised in the western world, women have the same rights, being gay is legal, abortion is legal and divorce laws are generally fair. Thus the younger generation has less to fight for or against. The istitution has already been liberalised for them.

See, abortion is an issue I would protest against, as I consider the child a person who deserves rights.

But no reason to argue about that specific topic here: my purpose in emphasizing it is that perhaps disagreement among potential activists is another cause of nonaction. Of course, such disagreement must have existed beforehand as well....

Of course we are all not apathetic as these forums show but the informed and aware are certianly a minority in this day and age. Perhaps it has always been that way and the wieght of the world falls upon our shoulders.

But what does it mean to post an opinion on a forum? There's no real push for change.

By the way, I agree with every other bit of your post. Very well stated.

Hmm attend rally or study so you can get your CPA?

Bushes come and go but student debt is forever (or rather, feels that way).

What our generation lacks is a competent rebel leader. Most people of this and every other generation are sheep that would follow anyone strong-willed and charismatic enough to win them over. You think everybody who marched on Washington was as socially conscious as Martin Luther King?

BTW, my interest here is purely philosophical. I am the stereotypical apathetic young man. I'm also a hardcore cynic.

Given that protests against segregation and Vietnam involvement were a good thing, *how* did students make time for them? I know that I would fail college and lose my job if took an extended trip to Washington, D.C., even if I felt it was for a good cause. There are plenty of people who would willingly take my place in the compliant/productive world if I went on any sort of major strike.
they didn't. my dad was a major vietnam protestor in london in '69 (plus a big hippie), and he got expelled from King's for it :eek:
the protests and social change were more important than their petty degrees


nowadays, with everyone taking degrees (unlike then), you'd think the trend would be the other way... but no, attaining some stupid bit of paper, jumping through the right hoops and passing yet another exam has become all-important. i think we're generally quite a short-sighted generation. plus, if 40%+ of the population are getting degrees now (thats the target in the UK) it becomes less of a choice compared to back then.

but of course simple apathy plays a major part too

look up social engineering. apathy is very important for maintaining control of the masses. im sure the television was not meant to be a devious device when it was first designed,but it was quicky discovered how much influence it had on the population. you are force fed ideas and "information" all day long,most of which you never stop to question. the truth is,even with the news you are not getting a pure product. the television has become a powerful tool for those who wish to influence our thinking processes. i think people need to unplug,but thats me.

each year that goes by,the americans lose more rights under the constitution,and most of them are not even aware of what is happening.(im american) one day they will wake up from the illusion of freedom and realize they have been tricked,but it will be too late. in the mean time,they keep their heads in the sand and completely trust the government to take care of them...

look up social engineering. apathy is very important for maintaining control of the masses. im sure the television was not meant to be a devious device when it was first designed,but it was quicky discovered how much influence it had on the population. you are force fed ideas and "information" all day long,most of which you never stop to question. the truth is,even with the news you are not getting a pure product. the television has become a powerful tool for those who wish to influence our thinking processes. i think people need to unplug,but thats me.

each year that goes by,the americans lose more rights under the constitution,and most of them are not even aware of what is happening.(im american) one day they will wake up from the illusion of freedom and realize they have been tricked,but it will be too late. in the mean time,they keep their heads in the sand and completely trust the government to take care of them...


Actually its the states getting more power then the federal government recently, the laws are turning in favor of the state and for the first time a congressional act was deemed 'Unconstitional' by the Judical Courts; something that has never happened in American history.

Apathy you say?

Meh.

Apathy you say?

Meh.

HAHAHAH! We can blame all that our on trophy-giving card-carrying commie parents for that part of apathy. They told us we were all special and perfect as we are, no reason to rebel if your already great huh?! The next generation is going to be SERIOUSLY messed up cause of our parents. Then our kids generation will be super conservative and nice because our generation is terrible to them and they grow up hating it and won't repeat our actions.

Isn't that the same damn trend throughout the world's history (when religion doesn't keep you in check)!? Grandparents were super strict on most of our parents and hit them and everything. They hated it! So they had kids (us) and give us everything they never had and try to live through us to get ahead in life, so we are all messed up and our kids are neglected or abused and we teach them not to be like us cause how horrible most are! The cycle of life!

I would have to agree that this generation is apathetic. Definitely. I can't say that I am proud to be a member of this generation at all. It sickens me actually watching TV these days, my TV doesn't get SBS (special broadcasting service, government subsidised TV station that is supposed to cater to special interests like international media, and the only News that seems even remotely unbiased) so I pretty much don't watch anything.
Firstly there are less fundemental issues to protest. Well, I agree Australia isn't too bad off, I could think of a couple of issues eg. our involvement in the 'war on terror', poverty in aboriginal societies being amongst the worst in the world etc. There are plenty of problems with the rest of the world, not sure what protesting about them would do. Still, the number of people who just don't care about problems with the world in general, like poverty, AIDS pandemic, terrorism (either by Muslim extremists or Western government), human rights abuse, etc.
Average person just doesn't care. "Not my problem."

There does seem to be a lot of people going back to conservative religions, probably much more apparent to me since until about two years ago I lived in a little seaside town, where I was only aware of a small handful of religious people, and all of them were either pretty liberal or didn't talk about it. 99% of people were either atheist or agnostic. I didn't know anyone who went to church until I moved to the city.
It was great. Then I realised that the rest of society were ignorant, religious zealots (well, comparatively).

So who cares?

Here in Israel, children and university students strike almost every 4 months, but the press gives it only from half a minute to 3 minutes on the TV. 4 months ago the university students stood in front of the university and shouted about that everything that's sopposed to be for free(Student parking, books, etc.) is for cash so because of that, only people who can afford going to university goes, and there are not enough scholarships.

This individual has just explained the underlying reason College students do not protest effectively in the United States anymore. If the press covers it indepth it means something, if they don't, Well if a tree falls in a forest & no one is around to hear it did it make a sound?

To answer the original poster, you're takin too many classes if you don't have tiome to protest a little bit! There are also some serious dating possibilities at those type events

The reason that colleges are no longer the cradle of social change is that the people who want to change things aren't specifically going to college now. Back in the sixties and seventies you had all sorts of people going to college whose demographic hadn't been allowed or not bothered to go before. Way I see it, the revolutionries that are out there today are the ones who are actually avoiding college.

Apathy?

No, there are protests here and there.

Losts of Pro-Life rallies and days of support. Thats about it, aside from the Tsunami aid.

Hello there. I've heard professors, random middle-agers, and other folk of generations before me claim that my generation is generally complacent. Colleges are no longer centers of major social change, and, while many still have issues with the ruling authorities, most people just don't take the time and effort to try and change things.

Thinking this criticism over, I have an honest, non-hostile question:

Given that protests against segregation and Vietnam involvement were a good thing, *how* did students make time for them? I know that I would fail college and lose my job if took an extended trip to Washington, D.C., even if I felt it was for a good cause. There are plenty of people who would willingly take my place in the compliant/productive world if I went on any sort of major strike.

Was the situation different back in the day? Or is that just one of the risks you take?
Why waste your time? Concentrate on your studies and become the best you you can be. That'll show 'em! :D

To answer the original poster, you're takin too many classes if you don't have tiome to protest a little bit! There are also some serious dating possibilities at those type events
Don't discourage him/her. If they are conscientious enough to take a heavy course-load and do their best at all of them, they will have time enough for dating and other frivolities later. Chill. :p

What intrests me is that people seem to think that politics is something that never will be of any concern to them, that's the problem when you take your rights for granted. It will be a problem if the goverment ( in Sweden ) would start to limit civil rights in the name of whatever. People think that politics is so boring that they barely know anything at all about their rights and how to use them.

The mindset has changed somewhere in the 80s.

In the 80s, everyone was a yuppie. The idealistic view of the 60s, where everyone thought they have to change the world turned into one where everyone thought they have to buy the world.

The 90s turned into the decade of consumption. You were what you wear, what you buy, what you have and what you can spend.

This is the time where today's college students grew up. They learned that success is measured by your wallet, not by your achivements. Colleges aren't anymore places where you come together to discuss and to "grow up", they are places where you get trained and primed to become productive.

That's your place in corporate America. Produce and spend.

I would have to agree that this generation is apathetic. I am an 18yr old university student and I see almost no interest in politics at my univeristy or among any of my work mates. Even most adults I know pay little attention to politics or the shape of the world and certianly in no detail. I am constantly frustrated by the amount of ignorance and apathy that surrounds modern society.

Well, I gotta say. I'm a 13 year-old New Zealand student and I and my friends are really intrested in world poltical events and all that uh, stuff. Ecspecial since we just had a general election for our new Prime Minister (Well actually she stayed in government) :confused:

HAHAHAH! We can blame all that our on trophy-giving card-carrying commie parents for that part of apathy. They told us we were all special and perfect as we are, no reason to rebel if your already great huh?! The next generation is going to be SERIOUSLY messed up cause of our parents. Then our kids generation will be super conservative and nice because our generation is terrible to them and they grow up hating it and won't repeat our actions.

Isn't that the same damn trend throughout the world's history (when religion doesn't keep you in check)!? Grandparents were super strict on most of our parents and hit them and everything. They hated it! So they had kids (us) and give us everything they never had and try to live through us to get ahead in life, so we are all messed up and our kids are neglected or abused and we teach them not to be like us cause how horrible most are! The cycle of life!

Wow, my parents were born in 1948 and 1950 and they are two of the most liberal parents I know, they support Greenpeace, they vote for Greens and Labour, they protested agaisnt Vietnam (My dad was actually in the army at the time) and they protested agaisn't Apiedtied* South Africa in the '81 Tour here in New Zealand and many of those people were beaten.