d deth of soc

Periodic text message table (click)

"The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are tyrants, not servants of the households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers."

--Spuriously attributed to Plato quoting Socrates though probably made up in the 60's.

The current older generation grouses about how the current youth have forgotten what's important in life. They're wallowing in selfishness and shallowness that will degenerate society with things like texting and internet socialization and underwear hanging out of their pants.

It's always been that way. The current group of grousers were complained about by the adults of their generation. The youth would never amount to anything because of that awful dissolute rock music and the long hair and weird clothes made it impossible to tell the girls from the guys.

And, as also happens, as each generation of teens becomes adults they change society by integrating what's important to them.

What's absolutely certain is that the current group of teens will grow old and grouse about the hopelessness of the teens around them.

So what will they complain about -- text about as they cling to their ancient, but supposedly superior technology?

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint."

-- Spuriously attributed to Hesiod (8th century B.C.)