# Why Are Young People So Angry and Violent These Days?



## SeaBreeze (Apr 26, 2014)

This boy stabbed and killed a girl in school for not wanting to go to the prom with him.  Something's terribly wrong here, I wonder if is he was on prescription drugs for depression or something else. http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/25342312/prom-date-denial-investigated-in-school-killing


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## That Guy (Apr 26, 2014)

My thoughts exactly, Sea, and I no idea what the hell is going on.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 26, 2014)

They seem to have very little social skills or sense of reality.  Maybe too many hours immersed in violent video games has not let them mature normally, or have empathy for others as some have suggested in the past.  I guess we'll find out more about why this kid blew like that, and if he was on anything.  In the olden days, the boy may have just kicked something and stormed out of the building, then his family and friends would help him cool off and gain perspective of the rejection.


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## SifuPhil (Apr 26, 2014)

I read an article last week about the declining real-world social skills of our adolescents, and it placed a large part of the responsibility not only upon the video games but electronic communication as a whole. Facebook is a biggie in this - it offers "friendships" that can not only be started and stopped instantly, but also bought (paid advertising for "Likes"). 

Cell phone texting adds to the problem, according to the article. All of these vicarious social interactions do not prepare the kids for the real world, and when their coping mechanisms suddenly stop working they blow a gasket.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 26, 2014)

Seems like man is slowly destroying itself with all the new technology.  I hear that babies are set in front of TVs and computer monitors, and given tablets to use/play with as soon as they're able to...that's gotta be a bad thing for them both physically, emotionally and mentally.


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## SifuPhil (Apr 26, 2014)

... but great for the media behemoths and Microsoft!


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## Fern (Apr 26, 2014)

Seabreeze;





> They seem to have very little social skills or sense of reality.  Maybe  too many hours immersed in violent video games has not let them mature  normally, or have empathy for others as some have suggested in the past.


I agree entirely. We had our g/kids over the Easter weekend, and got a big incite into the reasons why (some) of the  younger generation become suicidal. The g/kids are 17 & 13 and their whole life revolves around Facebook, Twitter and the likes, plus spending all day & half the night texting to all and sundry. They do not have the maturity to be be able to cope/handle all the nasty comments that come their way. 
The 17year old through a hissy fit because she was not allowed, at the start, to go out and buy a dozen eggs to throw at each other, !! true. They saw their 'mates' doing it on FB,. 
She knows how to manipulate her mother, so mother gave in, & handed over $10 dollars for eggs.
I was so taken aback, then quite stroppy, there was no way they were going to throw eggs around my house or even outside. Their mother's suggestion was, 'get your mates around when you get home, it will be fun'.!!
Where is the guidance, where is expecting them to fit in around the home,? it doesn't exist. 
All my questions over the years were answered with this visit. I'm far from impressed.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 26, 2014)

I had my grand-nephews visit me when they were 7 and 9 yrs. old.  They had trouble putting down their little game toy, even when they were at the dinner table.  From what I understand, they both have Facebook accounts.  I don't belong to facebook, twitter or my space, and don't intend to ever join.

 It seems that the kids (and sometimes their parents) don't even live 'normal' lives anymore.  They post what they had for breakfast, take selfies of themselves at the shopping mall, and can't do anything really without relating to posting it on Facebook, and maybe outdoing the last person.  Those social sites seem to be very competitive, and very hurtful by those who like to bully.

I don't have kids, but I would definitely limit their computer/video-game time if I did.  The egg throwing thing would have been less ridiculous, if they just sat around talking to each other in person, and decided to do it for fun.  The fact that they were copying someone who did it on facebook makes it creepy, IMO.


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## hollydolly (Apr 27, 2014)

You know what I think as well as everything that you all have already posted?

When we were young if we got turned down for a date we smarted a little, perhaps embarrassed a little, but we got over it after spending a day in our rooms with the latest romantic record playing in the background.

Today youngsters chat up each other in public, all over social networking sites FB et al, so if they are given a rejection then it's there for all to see, and the public humiliation is too much for them to bear...and having little or no social skills due to the electronic way of living their lives, they cannot accept what they perceive to be humiliation in front of their peers, hence the anger and rage from so many of them over what we would in our day have perceived to be something very trivial.


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## rt3 (Apr 27, 2014)

It is ironic that such an incredible increase of knowledge provided by the internet, personnel hand communicators, and other electronic devices, has led to a dumbing down of humanity. Until FB and such are regarded as the social disease they are, not much will change.


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## Davey Jones (Apr 27, 2014)

*Why Are Young People So Angry and Violent These Days? 


One word.....parents,they are both so busy working 8-10 a day to give junior everything he wants.*


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 27, 2014)

hollydolly said:


> Today youngsters chat up each other in public, all over social networking sites FB et al, so if they are given a rejection then it's there for all to see, and the public humiliation is too much for them to bear...and having little or no social skills due to the electronic way of living their lives, they cannot accept what they perceive to be humiliation in front of their peers, hence the anger and rage from so many of them over what we would in our day have perceived to be something very trivial.



I agree.  Also the fact that parents praise them all the time for doing nothing, giving them an inflated feeling of self-worth.  Even their clothing says things which give the appearance that they have very high self-esteem, and they are better than others around them.  It's a shame that a young girl can't refuse a date without losing her life or ending up in the hospital.



Davey Jones said:


> *
> One word.....parents,they are both so busy working 8-10 a day to give junior everything he wants.*



I agree it all starts with the parents.  Only problem is some aren't busy out working and making a living, they're busy sitting at home in front of the TV or their facebook, collecting their welfare checks and food stamps.  They have no interest in teaching their kids right from wrong, and what goes on in the real world, many of them don't know themselves.


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## Fern (Apr 27, 2014)

SeaBreeze said:


> I had my grand-nephews visit me when they were 7 and 9 yrs. old.  They had trouble putting down their little game toy, even when they were at the dinner table.  From what I understand, they both have Facebook accounts.  I don't belong to facebook, twitter or my space, and don't intend to ever join.
> 
> It seems that the kids (and sometimes their parents) don't even live 'normal' lives anymore.  They post what they had for breakfast, take selfies of themselves at the shopping mall, and can't do anything really without relating to posting it on Facebook, and maybe outdoing the last person.  Those social sites seem to be very competitive, and very hurtful by those who like to bully.
> 
> I don't have kids, but I would definitely limit their computer/video-game time if I did.  The egg throwing thing would have been less ridiculous, if they just sat around talking to each other in person, and decided to do it for fun.  The fact that they were copying someone who did it on facebook makes it creepy, IMO.


 why 2 girls would want to get in a mess from throwing eggs at one another,! 2 littlies yes, but not secondary school girls.Never mind the cost of the eggs, $8 for 1 dozen, forget it. 
Their next idea was to fill their mouths with easter eggs to see how many they could get in and be able to talk as well.(& perhaps choking on them wasn't considered, it couldn't happen, yere right. )


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 27, 2014)

Sounds like these kids are pretty bored. :dunno:


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## Knightofalbion (Apr 28, 2014)

On the contrary, I think most young people these days are perfectly decent if you give them a chance. 

As for the lad in question. Very sad but a minority case. I'm thinking maybe he was on some pharmaceutical drug or steroids. A growing number of out of character behaviour and ultra violent outbursts occurring with people who take these substances.


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## littleowl (Apr 28, 2014)

The do gooder's great social experiment as failed.
They have taken all the powers off the Police, Schools and the law.


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## ClassicRockr (Aug 4, 2014)

Guns have replaced fist fights/shoving each other around. When kids don't get what they want, some run away while others go to the highest extreme and kill their parents. Then, there are kids like the boys that shot/killed a jogger and when asked why they did it, they said "we just wanted to know what it would be like to kill someone". America is a *WILD* society today and isn't getting any better!


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## Misty (Aug 4, 2014)

Video games are so violent and lifelike, and also many movies, that life is not valued...kids and even adults are becoming desensitized to violence and death...life doesn't seem to  hold as much value.  Many times, if you don't want to be married anymore, don't divorce, just kill the wife or husband, and at times, the whole family and then themselves. 

The media sensationalizes the violence, producing copy cat killings. Many times violence can be happening on our streets, and people just ignore it, and go about their business, even to the point of stepping over the victims. Scary times. 

As others mentioned the medication given to the young, causes a certain amount of loss of feelings, and the lack of real time with friends and family and too much dependence on tech toys take over lives.


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## Justme (Aug 4, 2014)

Some kids were angry and violent when I was growing up in the 50s, but most kids aren't that way inclined, imo!


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## MrJim (Aug 4, 2014)

A lot of interesting & spot on observations by all.

My two cents: Not only is it the violent imagery they are being constantly bombarded with via video games, TV, movies & even the "music" they listen to, but they are constantly being reminded by the spineless, limp-wristed, panty-waist adults around them, that they are fragile, precious & so easily bruised, both physically & emotionally, that to even so much as look at them too sternly, might cause them to suffer such irreparable damage to their self esteem, that it would ruin their lives, destroy their futures & only be corrected by their parents hiring a lawyer & filing a lawsuit against whoever the monster was, who dared cast a scowl their way.

Case in point, there was a 12 year old girl in a nearby town who, a couple of years or so ago, after being harassed & bullied on Facebook by a group of her peers, snuck out of her house one night, climbed up a metal tower at a nearby concrete plant, & jumped to her death. It was just reported on the local news yesterday, that the family has filed lawsuits against the families of the children who harassed her as well as the school board.

Really? We're suing children now?

My question, & the one I would ask if I were the lawyers for the defense, is, "Where was this girl's mother when she should have been instilling a sense of self confidence in her daughter? Why was this girl allowed to believe that she was such a fragile, delicate little thing, that she couldn't withstand another day of life in a world where a few other mean-spirited little girls didn't like her??? Why did her mother not teach her to stand up for her self, look those other kids in the eye & say _'I'm better than you & your opinion means nothing to me!!'_

If I were the defense attorney for any or all of these families, I would at the very least, claim contributory negligence on the part of the girl's mother, based on that.

So, not only are parents allowing their kids to be brainwashed by violent imagery in the media, they are at the same time giving them the idea that they are more precious than the rarest of jewels & that offending them is the worst crime another human can commit. Add easy access to guns into the mix & you might as well be storing the gasoline & fireworks together, beneath the pile of oily rags.

No surprise that every generation is becoming more screwed up than the last one.


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## SifuPhil (Aug 4, 2014)

On the button, MrJim.

It seems to be the fashion these days to exhibit the victim personality, and Buddha forbid you call attention to it - you're instantly attacked by all the wishy-washy parents as being heartless and cruel for pointing it out.

According to Wikipedia some of the reasons for teen suicide include:



Eating disorders
Drug abuse
****** abuse/rape
Divorce of parents
Trauma
Household financial problems
Being bullied
Social rejection
Anger/guilt
Relationship breakup
Illness
Disability/deformations
Domestic violence or abuse
Academic failure in school and grade retention
Loneliness
Feelings of being misunderstood
Insecurities
Extreme mood swings
Loss of a loved one
Mental disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Schizophrenia.


Sure we have enough on that list, Wiki? How about losing a video game? Misplacing your iPhone? Light turning yellow as you approach the intersection?

I'm not saying there aren't actual conditions that lead a teen to a suicide attempt; I'm just saying that the conditions have been expanded many times over and include some highly questionable motivating causes.

It's either that, or we're producing succeedingly weaker generations ...


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## oldman (Aug 4, 2014)

For a long time, I have told my wife that I believe the major issues in children and most adults under the age of 40 have all stemmed from the fact that Mom had to be taken out of the home and go to work to help support the family. A two-family income is almost mandatory today to give the kids all the toys they want, not to mention every new tech device that comes down the road for Mom and Dad. It seems that most families want new or newer cars and all the goodies like top of the line cell phones, TVs, and every app that is available. Most young families and kids want it all and they want it now. 

A lot of kids that are walking around with ADD and ADHD may be better off if Mom were home to be in charge and teach the children what is expected of them as they grow up, instead of learning it from their friends, who have no idea themselves. I fully understand that many Moms today want a career of their own, but look at what we have ended up with. My Mother was a stay at home Mom and I believe my sister and I turned out better than most kids are today. If we had serial killers and rapists, child molesters and predators, I never heard about them. My Mother ran the house. Dad brought home the bacon and Mom spent it paying the bills, buying food and what was left, she maybe put a little away for perhaps a small vacation come summer. If we (the kids) wanted money to go to the movies or skating or whatever, we used our allowance. I can't remember a time when I walked up to my Dad and told him that I needed money to go run with my friends. At 14, I had my first job and I was allowed to keep a little and save a little.

Yeah, those were the days.


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## Meanderer (Aug 4, 2014)

I don't think it's just young people who have this problem.  I think people in general are more angry, including Seniors. It used to be that anger may find its way into a conversation or discussion, eventually, after long while, or even never.  Today it seems like anger is front-loaded into every discussion or exchange.  It's sorta like "road-rage" with out the road and car.


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## MrJim (Aug 4, 2014)

Meanderer said:


> I don't think it's just young people who have this problem.  I think people in general are more angry, including Seniors. It used to be that anger may find its way into a conversation or discussion, eventually, after long while, or even never.  Today it seems like anger is front-loaded into every discussion or exchange.  It's sorta like "road-rage" with out the road and car.



I think you are right about that.


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## MrJim (Aug 4, 2014)

oldman said:


> For a long time, I have told my wife that I believe the major issues in children and most adults under the age of 40 have all stemmed from the fact that Mom had to be taken out of the home and go to work to help support the family. A two-family income is almost mandatory today to give the kids all the toys they want, not to mention every new tech device that comes down the road for Mom and Dad. It seems that most families want new or newer cars and all the goodies like top of the line cell phones, TVs, and every app that is available. Most young families and kids want it all and they want it now.
> 
> A lot of kids that are walking around with ADD and ADHD may be better off if Mom were home to be in charge and teach the children what is expected of them as they grow up, instead of learning it from their friends, who have no idea themselves. I fully understand that many Moms today want a career of their own, but look at what we have ended up with. My Mother was a stay at home Mom and I believe my sister and I turned out better than most kids are today. If we had serial killers and rapists, child molesters and predators, I never heard about them. My Mother ran the house. Dad brought home the bacon and Mom spent it paying the bills, buying food and what was left, she maybe put a little away for perhaps a small vacation come summer. If we (the kids) wanted money to go to the movies or skating or whatever, we used our allowance. I can't remember a time when I walked up to my Dad and told him that I needed money to go run with my friends. At 14, I had my first job and I was allowed to keep a little and save a little.
> 
> Yeah, those were the days.



Certainly a lot of merit in what you say there, but that is only one component of the problem.

When I was a kid growing up in the late 60's & early 70's, both my parents worked. Not so we could have expensive goodies, because we had few of those, but just to pay the bills & maybe have a little left over at the end of the month just in case. This was the case with many of my friends too. And there wasn't anywhere near the drama with us that there is with kids these days.

When I was working as a high school sub just a few years ago, there was one day, on one campus, when every administrator on duty as well as campus security, had to patrol the grounds between & during class looking for & trying to prevent fights that were breaking out. Some kind of gang thing. 

When I was in high school, we didn't even HAVE a campus security patrol!!! 

Wasn't needed.


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## oldman (Aug 4, 2014)

MrJim said:


> Certainly a lot of merit in what you say there, but that is only one component of the problem.
> 
> When I was a kid growing up in the late 60's & early 70's, both my parents worked. Not so we could have expensive goodies, because we had few of those, but just to pay the bills & maybe have a little left over at the end of the month just in case. This was the case with many of my friends too. And there wasn't anywhere near the drama with us that there is with kids these days.
> 
> ...



I guess that I did not make myself very clear, but what you are saying is what I was referring to. I also grew up in the late 50's and 60's, but I was lucky enough to have my Mother home when I got home from school. She ran the house, but my Dad still made most of the decisions. They were a team, of sorts. Later, after I graduated high school and went to college, my Mom went to work to help with the bills, not to buy tech devises because there were none. They just needed more money to live on because everything skyrocketed in those days because of inflation.  Again, luck was on my side. I received some scholarship money and a grant. I took out a small student loan, which my Mother and Dad insisted on paying. After college graduation, I went into the Marines. I should have reversed it and had the G.I. bill help pay for my education. Oh, well. 

It's just really different today. I'm not saying it is worse, but just very different. My parents said the same when I was growing up too. My Mother used to tell me what it cost her to go to the movies or buy candy, go roller skating and so on. I used to think, wow, that's really cheap. What the heck happened?


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## Warrigal (Aug 4, 2014)

My thinking is disappointment and frustration.
Children need to learn how to handle these feelings early in life.
Toddlers throw tantrums because of these emotions and people bend over backwards rather than see them upset.

I'm a terrible parent. I actually refused to do things to eliminate both emotions. Instead, I helped them to suck it up because that is an important life skill. Adults and teens throwing tantrums can be dangerous.


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## Ralphy1 (Aug 5, 2014)

We have moved a long way from the strict discipline of the past to the permissiveness of today in the home, the school, and society in general.  The abuses of the harsh discipline meted out in the past led to the lack of control leniency of today and, hopefully, a balance will be struck at some point.


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## oldman (Aug 5, 2014)

Dame Warrigal said:


> My thinking is disappointment and frustration.Children need to learn how to handle these feelings early in life.Toddlers throw tantrums because of these emotions and people bend over backwards rather than see them upset.I'm a terrible parent. I actually refused to do things to eliminate both emotions. Instead, I helped them to suck it up because that is an important life skill. Adults and teens throwing tantrums can be dangerous.


It's like Dr. Bill Cosby once said, "Not every kid needs to make the Little League team. Those that don't have to learn to deal with rejection." Or, "Not every player on the Little League team needs to be awarded a trophy for Best Player. There can only be one Best Player. The others have to learn to work hard to get better."


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## MrJim (Aug 5, 2014)

Ralphy1 said:


> We have moved a long way from the strict discipline of the past to the permissiveness of today in the home, the school, and society in general.  The abuses of the harsh discipline meted out in the past led to the lack of control leniency of today and, hopefully, a balance will be struck at some point.



I think that sums it up pretty well. As a society, we have engaged in a collective knee-jerk (over)reaction to those excesses & are now, reluctant to engage in even a hint of actual & occasionally necessary discipline. Kids today know it & (many of them) take full advantage of it, while laughing up their sleeves.


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## ClassicRockr (Aug 5, 2014)

Kids need to be kept more busy and that doesn't mean the electronic stuff. Unfortunately, a lot of parents, especially the single moms, can't financially afford those "keep more busy" activities. A mom, who was discussing her young son's past criminal problems in a tv interview, said a friend of hers told her to get her son into Scouts or some type of sports. She said she told her friend, "are you going to pay for the membership and uniforms? And, if I'm working, who's going to take him to this stuff?" 

One thing I will say.......from being "farm raised", farm and ranch kids do get into trouble, but not nearly the trouble suburban and big-city kids can/do. Farm and ranch kids have responsibilities of taking care of livestock, etc. Many are in 4-H and FFA.


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## Lon (Aug 5, 2014)

Listening to angry and violent music might be the reason for their behavior.


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## MrJim (Aug 5, 2014)

Lon said:


> Listening to angry and violent music might be the reason for their behavior.



Certainly _ONE OF_ the reasons.


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## WhatInThe (Aug 5, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> I read an article last week about the declining real-world social skills of our adolescents, and it placed a large part of the responsibility not only upon the video games but electronic communication as a whole. Facebook is a biggie in this - it offers "friendships" that can not only be started and stopped instantly, but also bought (paid advertising for "Likes").
> 
> Cell phone texting adds to the problem, according to the article. All of these vicarious social interactions do not prepare the kids for the real world, and when their coping mechanisms suddenly stop working they blow a gasket.



Technology leads to instant gratification day in day out. When they don't get it watch out. They are like a junky that didn't get their daily fix.


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## MrJim (Aug 5, 2014)

And cell phones have added yet another responsibility & challenge to the daily life of public school teachers. Every day is a constant battle with them to put away their cell phones in class. Texting each other the answers on tests has created a whole new way of cheating as well.


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## Bettyann (Aug 5, 2014)

I agree with you, KnightofAlbion... I know some may be very angry...but not all. I think much of it is how they are approached. I also agree with Davey. I hold parents MUCH more responsible than electronics or any of the social media sites. 
To too many parents, kids are 'in the way' and too much responsibility...and to 'give them stuff' is the way they try to compensate. 
Some young people may be 'angry' ... but maybe disillusioned is a better word...just like adults are becoming more savvy as to what is REALLY going on with government, control of religion, media programming, etc... most kids are not buying into this...and neither are they buying into the talk-nice-bullshit-politically-correct approach. THIS could be a good thing. It all depends upon how much real attention and love they receive from parents and other positive support systems.


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## Athos (Aug 9, 2014)

I strongly believe it is connected to all the excessive violent movies. Movies have become more and more violent in the last 20 years
or more. In some movies like "Cold Mountain" there is one or more senseless killings every 10-12 minutes, I actually counted this out
through the movie. Take out your watch next time you are in the movie theatre and count the time intervals. I don't think parents
should allow their children to see such films, even animated ones. This point has been made many times before, and the movie
industry execs just say don;'t censor us, we are giving people what they want under the first amendment. This is also true for some
TV shows. The situation will continue to get worse as years pass.


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## Davey Jones (Aug 9, 2014)

Athos said:


> I strongly believe it is connected to all the excessive violent movies. Movies have become more and more violent in the last 20 years
> or more. In some movies like "Cold Mountain" there is one or more senseless killings every 10-12 minutes, I actually counted this out
> through the movie. Take out your watch next time you are in the movie theatre and count the time intervals.* I don't think parents
> should allow their children to see such films, even animated ones*. This point has been made many times before, and the movie
> ...



*Parents today allow it for the simple reason is they want to rest after 10-12 hours a work day to give the kids everything they ask for.
*


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## MrJim (Aug 9, 2014)

Athos said:


> I strongly believe it is connected to all the excessive violent movies. Movies have become more and more violent in the last 20 years
> or more. In some movies like "Cold Mountain" there is one or more senseless killings every 10-12 minutes, I actually counted this out
> through the movie. Take out your watch next time you are in the movie theatre and count the time intervals. I don't think parents
> should allow their children to see such films, even animated ones. This point has been made many times before, and the movie
> ...



Yes & don't forget the violent TV shows, video games & music.

We are a violence worshipping culture.

We should not be shocked or surprised at what we are turning our kids into.


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## WhatInThe (Aug 20, 2014)

In defense of SOME  of the young ones anyway I know a lot of seniors who are pretty nasty, have attitude and a time bomb temper but they work at controlling it more on their own without drugs(sometimes) and they at least try to be courteous even if they can't stand someone's guts. The young ones operate on shear impulse now a days, there is no discipline. Again many nasty seniors out there but at least they know to extend an olive branch or courtesy if they just don't plain ignore you.

One test for anger, rudeness or ignorance is self control or lack there of. If I see an actual tantrum or fit at something relatively minor you drop down a notch on the truly nice scale.


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