Will our generation break the cycle?

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TheTygerfire

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What do novels, comic books, television, Elvis, pro wrestling, heavy metal, MTV, the internet, and video games all have in common? At one point they were all considered the lowest forms of entertainment and the mental poison that would send civilization into a downward spiral of anarchy, violence, and sexual debauchery.

The other thing that they have in common? it never happened. Novels no longer were banned, television became educational, Elvis shook his hips to superstardom, and video games are nothing more than a scapegoat with which teens use to blame their actions.

What shocks me is that every generation doesn't seem to learn from their past. The people that scoffed at the thought of Elvis and Comic books ruining their minds grew up to be just as normal as anyone else, but then would turn their attention to heavy metal and it's "Satan worship". I'm shocked that no one stepped back and realized that this is the exact same thing that happened to them 20-30 years ago, and promptly stopped the crusade.

But again, nothing major happened from all the screaming and, also just as before, the heavy metal generation grew up to be normal, proper, and anti-video game....what? Again, what's the difference? You were cut down for listening and enjoying something that was harmless to the level headed or sane person, and then turn around and do the exact same thing as before.

What people need to realize is that they have no idea what the younger generation is thinking off. I'm a strong advocate of a little concept called PARENTING. If I thought something wasn't appropriate for my child, instead of making a public outcry against it's vary exsistence, I'd steer him/her away from it until I thought they were old enough. I'm learning for the past generation in that making a public outcry over something makes you seem like a complete idiot who's out of touch.
 

Lord George

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No we won't break the cycle every generation tries to be different from their parents and stick it to the man , but the sad truth is real down to earth life takes over and before you know it you've become your parents generation ranting about how some new fad is corrupting your children.
 

FinalHeart95

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People always need something to blame, as they are perfect and do no wrong. This cycle will unfortunately continue, because people never take the blame for anything, and that's not changing any time soon.
 

slevin8989

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The thing is most people are afraid of what they don't know so they like to blame those things because of their ignorance, and the past is bound to repeat itself over and over again
 
Jun 13, 2009
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I've already started ranting about how the younger generations are getting worse and worse, and I'm only 18.

I know a 12 year old who has been involved in some pretty..adult..stuff. And she isn't the only one like that.

My friend also had a 6 year old call him a "F---ing Gay".

Not only does society slowly get worse, it's starting younger too.
 

TheDean

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Sep 12, 2008
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I don't intend to continue a cycle. If i have kids i will let them to whatever they want. Freedom. Equality. I don't tell them what to do.
 

IntoxicatedKnight

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The Maddest March Hare said:
I've already started ranting about how the younger generations are getting worse and worse, and I'm only 18.

I know a 12 year old who has been involved in some pretty..adult..stuff. And she isn't the only one like that.

My friend also had a 6 year old call him a "F---ing Gay".

Not only does society slowly get worse, it's starting younger too.
I'm with you on this. Society is changing for the worse.
 

Ezekel

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I would argue that Tv ,Movies, Video games Etc have desensitized us to violence and sexuality in general. Now this isn't the fault of the medium, its more the fault of how and what is presented through that medium.
 

FinalHeart95

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Macksheath said:
george144 said:
No we won't break the cycle every generation tries to be different from their parents and stick it to the man , but the sad truth is real down to earth life takes over and before you know it you've become your parents generation ranting about how some new fad is corrupting your children.
You sir win this thread, despite it being about 7 posts old.

And I'm 16, and I dislike the modern generation. Its because of that my mum calls me an old man. The rise of celebrity obsession is partially to blame for the downward spiral of society.
Apparently it's not because.... because it gives the folks over at E! a job.
 

ReincarnatedFTP

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The Maddest March Hare said:
My friend also had a 6 year old call him a "F---ing Gay".
This six year old did get punched in the face by your friend right?
Teach children discipline, it's a must.
 

similar.squirrel

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Mar 28, 2009
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I guess progress can't be made without some form of resistance from the previous generation.
Where's the challenge in that?

[very faulty reasoning, but I felt like injecting a little sagacity into my comment]

It also depends on whether you think standards [with regard to art and entertainment] have risen or fallen in the last century or so.
 

Assassin Xaero

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This generation makes me sad... technology seems to be getting better, but people seem to constantly be getting stupider...
 

wewontdie11

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The new iPhone will be the new corrupting force of today's youth, and the incarnate messenger of Beelzebub himself!

(Just calling it now...)
 

The3rdEye

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Mar 19, 2009
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To the OP - Nicely written and a well worded argument.

Just to throw my hat in on the issue: Aside from it just being on of those vicious self perpetuating cycles, imo it's more often that the imposing generation really has no clue what the hell they're talking about when they try limiting the new form of media.

Take the somewhat recent uproar over Mass Effect's supposed abundance of "Graphic sexual content" and the relatively well-known Martha MacCallum/Kevin McCullough scenarios. They had no idea what they were talking about, having failed to understand the technology or actually expose themselves to the game. I'm not saying that it would have changed their minds, but making a public statement based on poor or false information is just wrong in so many ways, but it's somewhat of an inevitability.

As far as the question posed in the OP (to paraphrase) "When is the public evil eye going to turn away from gaming and let it be the new source of entertainment that it was always meant to be", it's already happening. Games are becoming mainstream, and the "casual gamer" (and as someone who considers themselves an avid "real" gamer I shudder at that phrase") crowd of soccer moms and seniors is beginning to disseminate the facts from the "facts". In addition, the generations who grew up playing video games are slowly starting to insert themselves into the higher echelons of society, where they can either assure the few remain alarmists or at least point them to some other more threatening menace. Like grilled cheese and spam sandwiches.

So yeah, rant off.
 

XJ-0461

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IntoxicatedKnight said:
The Maddest March Hare said:
I've already started ranting about how the younger generations are getting worse and worse, and I'm only 18.

I know a 12 year old who has been involved in some pretty..adult..stuff. And she isn't the only one like that.

My friend also had a 6 year old call him a "F---ing Gay".

Not only does society slowly get worse, it's starting younger too.
I'm with you on this. Society is changing for the worse.
I agree with you guys. Things are going to shit, but it's not any form of entertainment to blame, it's a lack of parenting.
 

Krantos

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Jun 30, 2009
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If you're interested in more thoughts along this line I suggest the book "The Way We Never Were," by Stephanie Coontz. If nothing else it provides considerable ammo when confronted by an older person who insists that Society is running down hill (For example, there's the point that the idealized 50's family [think Andy Griffin or Brady Bunch] was only a reality for those wealthy enough to afford it. Alice wasn't a crazy aunt, she was a fucking maid!). The book has other benefits though, since it reminds us that people have a tendency to remember the things they want to. Nostalgia is "like stuffing your mouth with cocaine infused marbles, in that it makes you say stupid things."
And in answer to your question of whether we'll break the cycle: No. Every generation thinks that they're in some way special, but thousands of years of human history can tell you that the old adage is true, "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
 

martin's a madman

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Aug 20, 2008
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TheTygerfire said:
Cut down for size.
I could probably guess that with every generation repeating the one proceeding it that every generation thought theirs would be the one to break the cycle. Just like every generations seems to think their's is the one that will see the end of the world.