Anonymous wrote:Boo hoo
Y’all just hate to be called out for bullshit, it’s not victimhoid.
Everybody want to be able to be a bad actor without being called out and when they are called out they fall apart.., cry cancel culture, cry victjmhoid caused this.
Don’t be a f’ing a-hole and you won’t be called out.
Pointing it out is not victim complex.
Stop acting like being tested like sh!t and keeping your mouth shut was a badge of honor, it was cowardly.
Exhibit A of why kids are reluctant to open their mouths. There's no room for nuanced discussion in forums like this.
However, my older Gen Z son made me feel better about real-life discussions, which gives me hope for my younger kids. Social media makes it appear as though the world is just a population of groups waiting to attack if you use the wrong language or make an unintentional mistake. The amazing thing about Gen Z is that they can't understand why everyone wouldn't want to do what they can to treat everyone with respect and make them feel included. My son assured me that the real world isn't like social media. Most people appreciate your efforts to be inclusive, use appropriate pronouns, and banish old-fashioned language that is now viewed as offensive but won't humiliate you if you make a mistake. You need to care, you need to try, and if you make a mistake, you need to apologize and resolve to do better the next time. That's it.
Still, as a parent of Gen Zs who aren't adults (and a liberal), I agree with some of what Haidt is saying. To me, the complaints about the impact of social media and victim culture are related, and the problem starts with how our parenting reflects some of our own confusion with a changing world. Haidt is not chastising Gen Zs for being open about mental health challenges. Instead, he is noting that in a world where words are considered to be "violence," it becomes more common to assume a defensive position so as not to hurt others or impact their mental health adversely. We need to care about others, but when any mistake you make can be captured on film and put up for all the world to see, it's hard to have the confidence to put yourself out there.
Here's a quote (note how Haidt is talking about the oldest of Gen Z, not as another poster pointed out, the part of the generation not yet in the working world):
He concedes that his judgment of Gen Z may be premature: “It could be that you’ll see some impact in three or four years, by the time they’re 30. But I’m predicting that they will be less effective, less impactful, than previous generations.” Why? “You should always keep your eye on whether people are in ‘discover mode’ or ‘defend mode.’ ” In the former mode, you seize opportunities to be creative. In the latter, “you’re not creative, you’re not future-thinking, you’re focused on threats in the present.”
That bolded line resonates with me, especially in connection with my parenting. In trying to raise my kids to be good human beings in this world, am I raising them to be unapologetically themselves, or am I raising them to stay safe and not screw up in the moment? Am I urging them not to get in trouble by repeatedly telling them what not to do, say or be, as or am I supporting them as they grow into who they are? If every word and action is subject to being scrutinized and interpreted negatively, it's hard to connect with others and live a fully realized life.