Are college kids less fun these days?

[Anonymous]

Seems like a lot of parents think a college seems fun, but their kid says it's too social or Greek. Did you have more fun in college than your kid is?

[Anonymous]

Nephew is at Hopkins and is not having any fun. But not sure if that is just how Hopkins always is, so not a fair comparison.

[Anonymous]

I feel like parents equate fun with drinking and partying. My dd is having a much better time in college than I did, but she spends way more time doing schoolwork and way less time drunk.

[Anonymous]

Well if you define "fun" as in getting drunk and partying, none of us in the family were/are that sort, DH and I and our kids.

And if you just think of "fun" in terms of free time, or not worrying as much about the future... I think it's the nature of our modern times, with more economic pressures and the 24hr news cycle, that young people are more attuned to what they should be doing for their future careers.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine Greek life would be fun for the majority of students. At least the Southern ones. The Greek life there is racist and rigid. Some sororities don’t allow men in their rooms and no alcohol. To dance and have a few beers you need to go to fraternities where you can’t always trust what you’re drinking.

We had fun way back with a combination of drinking and partying, going to concerts, hanging out with our friends, activities. No Greek at my school luckily.

[Anonymous]

I have a HS senior and I wonder about this too.

I spent a lot of time alone in my freshman year of college, because I didn’t have many friends at first and didn’t have a cell phone to text “hey wanna meet up at the cafeteria?”

So the phones seem helpful for that.

But, I imagine they don’t seek out connection in the lounges etc if they can just watch a movie on Netflix on their iPad or text their high school friends to keep them entertained.

Ultimately, I think it’s up to the kid, not a general sociological issue.

[Anonymous]

They don’t talk as much. Before class, after class, during breaks in class, they go right to their phones. So it’s harder for them to strike up friendships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like parents equate fun with drinking and partying. My dd is having a much better time in college than I did, but she spends way more time doing schoolwork and way less time drunk.

Yeah, I went to a school known for being fun, but I was pretty miserable and drinking way too much to pretend like I was having fun.

[Anonymous]

There are way more things to do now than when I was in college. We basically drank at frat or other parties or just hung out. Drinking is no longer the focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine Greek life would be fun for the majority of students. At least the Southern ones. The Greek life there is racist and rigid. Some sororities don’t allow men in their rooms and no alcohol. To dance and have a few beers you need to go to fraternities where you can’t always trust what you’re drinking.

We had fun way back with a combination of drinking and partying, going to concerts, hanging out with our friends, activities. No Greek at my school luckily.

This is the issue. My DD is at a Virginia school and already knows girls who have been drugged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don’t talk as much. Before class, after class, during breaks in class, they go right to their phones. So it’s harder for them to strike up friendships.

Just like there are cafes that block mobile reception, I think the idea of a section of a student center where people gather that is inside a faraday cage or something would be cool. Or even something more deliberate like putting phones in a pouch or some other digital detox game nights or events are good.

It's something to look for when touring and researching colleges along with other wellness programs.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the way us "xers" and Millennials need to look at this is that the drinking age and drinking culture was VERY different when we were coming up than it is today, and as a result, what is considered fun and social is also very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the way us "xers" and Millennials need to look at this is that the drinking age and drinking culture was VERY different when we were coming up than it is today, and as a result, what is considered fun and social is also very different.

They smoke lots of weed now to have fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nephew is at Hopkins and is not having any fun. But not sure if that is just how Hopkins always is, so not a fair comparison.

I think it was always known as a “not fun” school, unless you play lacrosse.

[Anonymous]

I was slightly introverted, didn’t drink much, didn’t rush and honestly I didn’t have that much fun in college. I did meet DH senior year and for that I am eternally grateful.