Are teens more respectful now?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
Are teens more respectful now?
4
Sun, 01-28-2007 - 9:22am

I started thinking about this while answering another post and thought it was worth asking.

Do you think that today as opposed to the 90's, young teens are more respectful and polite? I don't necessarily mean a troubled teen or your teen because we know what a handful they can be but a teen that may be a friend to your teen. I am finding it so. To me, they seem to be deeper and more thoughtful. I'm wondering if its just the friends that my DD's choose or is there a change happening? Any opinions?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sun, 01-28-2007 - 10:39am
Huh? It's the opposite. Too many kids are growing up believing in the concept of "relative morality".
Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 01-28-2007 - 10:47am

Not really. I think it has more to do with what choices your teen is making in friends overall. I have encountered some very seemingly respectful teens only to find out later that they had that "eddie haskel" syndrome...kwim?

My kids have both had some really great, thoughtful, sensitive, socially concious, mindful, and caring friends. I'd trust them implicitly. OTOH, they've also been friends with bossy, selfish, domineering, lying, offensive people (those friendships don't usually last very long).

So, I don't think it's more or less - I think it's just a matter of who our kids choose to hang with. It takes all kinds...

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Sun, 01-28-2007 - 11:23am

I'd say teens are pretty much what they always were....as diverse in their behaviour as adults! We focus alot on teens because they are in this "middle of the road" time of life when we think they should listen to us like they did as kids and we can't figure out why they don't pay attention anymore. I'd say we forget they are turning into adults and just as with adults you can expect a variety of responses vis a vis concern and politeness and respect you can expect the same with teens.

I remember being a teen in the 70s and 80s when parents were stupid and clueless and the people who started the vietnam war or iran-gate and didn't get our music and were trying to censor our lyrics and hated our tight vidal sassoon jeans etc etc. Every generation has teen/adult conflict and the only reason you may perceive a teen a more or less respectful than you might have been is your perspective....you're on the other side of the issue now...

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
Mon, 01-29-2007 - 1:58pm
Do you honestly believe that kids are ruder and more self-absorbed than before? I guess it is just the friends that my DD's are choosing. I honestly thought that they were more polite and deeper.