Generation X parents of highschoolers, do teens party less now than we did?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But they ARE, you dipshit. There are entire subreddits devoted to suicide ideation, how to do anorexia, etc etc. and teends DO hang out there.

And for the record, I AM in a position of authority, and I CAN tell the difference between a kid who is legitimately troubled and those who've just been conditioned by weak-ass adults who are afraid of upsetting them. You sound like the latter type. Can I suggest you buck up, learn to parent, and stop coddling so much? You're NOT doing them any favors.

A few more posts from you, PP, and I'm going to have Personal Responsibility!!!!!!!!!!!!! bingo.

[Anonymous]

I think the consequences of wild behavior are so much worse now—I wasn’t wild at all in high school but get my FH and his brother and his best friend from high school together and they have some crazy stories. “Borrowing” a parent’s Porsche and driving to California without having licenses. A neighborhood being taken to the hospital via helicopter for alcohol poisoning. Fights, parties, more alcohol and drugs, etc.

My in-laws weren’t particularly attentive parents, DH was the third boy, but a lot of what happened back then the cops would just turn kids over to their parents, say it’s just kids being kids, and nobody who wasn’t there would even hear about it. Now there would be arrests, suspension, expulsion, news and social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the consequences of wild behavior are so much worse now—I wasn’t wild at all in high school but get my FH and his brother and his best friend from high school together and they have some crazy stories. “Borrowing” a parent’s Porsche and driving to California without having licenses. A neighborhood being taken to the hospital via helicopter for alcohol poisoning. Fights, parties, more alcohol and drugs, etc.

My in-laws weren’t particularly attentive parents, DH was the third boy, but a lot of what happened back then the cops would just turn kids over to their parents, say it’s just kids being kids, and nobody who wasn’t there would even hear about it. Now there would be arrests, suspension, expulsion, news and social media.

I think this is mostly why, it was just different then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But they ARE, you dipshit. There are entire subreddits devoted to suicide ideation, how to do anorexia, etc etc. and teends DO hang out there.

And for the record, I AM in a position of authority, and I CAN tell the difference between a kid who is legitimately troubled and those who've just been conditioned by weak-ass adults who are afraid of upsetting them. You sound like the latter type. Can I suggest you buck up, learn to parent, and stop coddling so much? You're NOT doing them any favors.

A few more posts from you, PP, and I'm going to have Personal Responsibility!!!!!!!!!!!!! bingo.

You sound completely unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

See, someone who buys into that bullshit wouldn't throw around the word "crazy" so cavalierly.

Just wait until they spend an entire month on things like suicide prevention in high school. It's complete overkill and it's counterproductive. There's a fine line between awareness and fetishizing it, and I am afraid that a lot of the "awareness" activities cross it. Factor in entertainment (series like 13 Reasons Why and other movies that sort of glamorize mental illness) and social media with access to cesspools like Reddit, and, yes, it's hard to separate the legitimately mental ill from the attention seekers. Some of these kids just need to toughen up and suck it up and take some personal responsibility rather than be enabled by adults when they go looking for excuses for their poor behavior/performance, etc.

What a choice of words, PP.

I choose my words very carefully and deliberately. Much of the "awareness" actually gives them ideas and appeals to the underdeveloped teen brain that craves drama.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the kid now just like it did we were kids.

My freshman year of college was pretty darned wild. My own college age son is just not into the whole party scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the consequences of wild behavior are so much worse now—I wasn’t wild at all in high school but get my FH and his brother and his best friend from high school together and they have some crazy stories. “Borrowing” a parent’s Porsche and driving to California without having licenses. A neighborhood being taken to the hospital via helicopter for alcohol poisoning. Fights, parties, more alcohol and drugs, etc.

My in-laws weren’t particularly attentive parents, DH was the third boy, but a lot of what happened back then the cops would just turn kids over to their parents, say it’s just kids being kids, and nobody who wasn’t there would even hear about it. Now there would be arrests, suspension, expulsion, news and social media.

I think this is mostly why, it was just different then.

I think so too. I'm glad there are more consequences now, especially regarding the "boys will be boys" or "she was drunk, so it was okay" mindset from the past. Although, there is still a lot of double standards for UMC white kids, especially boys. (like Brock Turner).

[Anonymous]

Less autonomy now. More consequences, too. Social media is the devil. Many kids post other kids doing bad things. No modesty anymore either. Kids will do their business in the bathroom while facetiming friends. It's all out there now.

[Anonymous]

When I was my kids' age, it seemed like a lot more kids drank, smoked, got high, dated/had sex, were out late on weekends going off with their friends, etc. Now it seems like that's relatively rare, when I tell my kids some of the things that I did at their ages, (and I wasn't a wild kid) they are pretty shocked. I know that there are some kids who still do some of the things that I mentioned, but they seem like their the "bad" kids, whereas when I was that age, it was pretty much the norm. Do other Generation X parents notice this as well?

Why are things like "dating" and "hanging out with friends" considered "wild" and in the same category as drinking, smoking and getting high? Do you really have kids who are shocked that you didn't go to bed at 9 pm and only hang out with your parents?

My teen had a lot of activities (2 or 3 hours, 6 days per week) and did well in school, but he didn't have a bedtime in high school and he had girlfriends, time to hang out with friends, a pretty late curfew on weekends, and went to a few parties, esp. during the second half of senior year, where I'm sure he kicked back with a light beer or two. Almost everyone he knows has tried drinking, vaping and/or weed, including the 4.4 GPA types who are now at top colleges and whose parents probably think they never did any of these things.

[Anonymous]

I think it's probably comparable, but looks different. Apparently mine has smoked the pot and done the sex. They are overall a good kid with a solid moral compass and goals in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re using pills instead. less messy and easier to hide.

You act like Gen X'ers did not pop pills.

We drank cough syrup with codeine

we sure did

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re using pills instead. less messy and easier to hide.

You act like Gen X'ers did not pop pills.

We drank cough syrup with codeine

we sure did

Slightly tangential question. Am I the only idiot on here who actually tried to smoke banana peels?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re using pills instead. less messy and easier to hide.

You act like Gen X'ers did not pop pills.

We drank cough syrup with codeine

we sure did

Slightly tangential question. Am I the only idiot on here who actually tried to smoke banana peels?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re using pills instead. less messy and easier to hide.

You act like Gen X'ers did not pop pills.

We drank cough syrup with codeine

we sure did

Slightly tangential question. Am I the only idiot on here who actually tried to smoke banana peels?

Yes.

...Damnit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re using pills instead. less messy and easier to hide.

You act like Gen X'ers did not pop pills.

We drank cough syrup with codeine

we sure did

Somehow I had the impression this was just something a group of idiot boys in my high school had come up with on their own. Color me surprised to discover it was an actual thing!

Although I think they were just drinking entire bottles of over-the-counter Robitussin, not the good stuff with the codeine.