[71350SS]

Most kids not all are tought entitlement at an early age by parents, teachers, unions and the media. At 12yrs I sorted pop bottles at the IGA after school for $4 a week, picked tobacco in the summer, apples in the fall, shovelled driveways and set pins at the bowling ally in winter. Not everyone did but they were the only options for kids of my economic level. Nowdays I've never had anyone ask to shovel my drive or cut my lawn.

Soda is sold in worthless plastic bottles,bowling alleys have automatic pin setting machines.Tobacco and apples are picked by machines too.Mow the lawn ? most people either have their own lawn mower or pay a landscaper.The same guy probably has a contract to handle the snow.
My point is this generation does not have the same oppertunities for work that we had.When was the last time you even saw a paperboy delivering papers like I did ? even that is now an adult job,and you need a truck or van or don't apply.

There are no decent jobs left for our young people , out-sourcing and greed has made sure of that.

El Toro I'm not pointing you out just using the jobs you wrote about as an example.

 

[6SuperSport7]

Where I work the ages range from 18 to around 60. For my situation, there is simply just a lot of lazy people in all age ranges. It does not matter if they are young or old. I am 28 and I am astonished by some of the people that are hired as well as some of the people that have some how lasted well over 15 years, no work ethic at all. I put most of the blame on the company and management. It seems they cater to the lazy and it pushes out the harder workers. I have told myself many times I will just start doing the minimum like every one else and make it easier on myself. I can never bring myself not to give 100% though. Plus being lazy has to be boring.

 

[Keith Tedford]

A couple of other things I have notice over the years. The people who were lazy and/or hellions as little kids, ended up being the real workers when they grew up. The ones that were workers when they were little, ended up being the slugs as adults. When I was in grade 10 we had 34 of the craziest bunch of kids in our class and the girls weren't any better than the guys. Out of that class, there came three tool and die makers, a guy with his own real estate business, a couple of machinists, a designer in the atomic section of GE, and that's just the ones that I didn't lose track of over the years. You just never know with kids. I did some tool room group leader and foreman work in the past. I can tell you that it isn't just the kids who can be lazy. In general, I figure there are about 20% good workers, 20% slugs and then a spread between the two of the 60% remaining. Then, once you get past your mid '60s, you find that the old body starts acting like that bottom 20%. That gets me PO'd with myself when I am trying to get a bigger job done.

 

[thunderstruck507]

You're talking about kids working low-paying dead-end jobs. Of course they should do a better job but what incentive do they have?

...

Give me a towel and give me my lunch. Done. See you tomorrow.

Bingo.

If you were having to do a lot of the stuff those people do and get yelled at and hassled by a large portion of the clientele all to earn minimum wage, you would be pissy too.

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

I asked my 14 year old what he expected to make after getting out of college, he said minimum wage. We had a long talk about that, he now knows he is going to have to bust his tail to get a head.

He also helped me move 24 landscape cross ties yesterday by hand, he has sore muscles (as do I) so he got a good taste on manual labor.

 

[Andy's Auto Repair]

Look at the bright side. For every lazy POS you are forced to deal with, there are a dozen more that make life easy.


But back to technology ruining a childs social skills, I took my father in law to a steakhouse for his 72nd birthday with most of the family. The table next to us was also having a birthday dinner. The child was evidently five Saturday afternoon. He had an iPad set up at the table and was watching Lord of the Rings the entire hour we were there. Nt for nothing, the kid never said two words to his family. Drives me nuts.

 

[rsanchez91]

I am in this generation and I work with these lazy people and its really annoying. Companies see this and can only try not to hire these kind of peoplei

 

[jpete]

I went on a job interview last week and the guy actually said he was glad I dressed right.

I've been out of the game a while so I wasn't aware that black pants, white shirt and a tie was anything special but he said he has people that looked like they "rolled out of bed, dragged themselves through the town dump and came in for a job."

So just like everything else, the poor service you're getting could be worse!

 

[1966_L78]

I've often found the same people who are critical of us lazy kids, are often the ones who are the most difficult to please, or they are the ones who seem to have a chip on their shoulder when dealing with younger people. During my time working at the gas station if the customers were polite and courteous I was the same, but if they were being difficult for the sake of being difficult I did whatever it took to get them to leave. I didn't do it with a smile, and there were times it showed, some times quite obviously. How many of you guys maintain an upbeat attitude when you are constantly getting talked down on just because you work a menial job?

Sure, the customer's attitude can wear on you, but it is a Customer Service job... And I think this is part of the problem with todays youth... IF a customer talks down to you, you suck it up, and continue on with a smile... If you don't like it, then inform your manager and/or quit the job... I think its a great catalyst (being tlked down to) to get people to be inspired to move up and out of a "menial" job, but you really do need to act with tact and class...

Remember, in any job, you are the face of the company. Just because a customer is in a bad mood and maybe taking it out on you, is NO reason to treat the customer in a less than courteous way... Be nice, smile, and then walk in the back room and curse about the A-hole customer...

I usually don't remember my attitude, but I remember the attitude of the workers, and I make sure to relay that to their managers. But I also do the same for exceptionally courteous service too...

Sure, I have been in similar situations in my life (talked down to, while working my menial job), and while I wasn't always a perfect employee, I always tried to put on a smile for the sake of the business and the boss that hired me...
Always reminds me of that scene in Fast Times, where Judge Reinhold gets fired for yelling at the customer, even though the customer was an a$$...

Thats another problem with todays youth (but related to the original post, IMO). While the previous generation might have acted similar at times, it is much more prevalent today.


The current economy is NOT at fault. If anything, people should be more courteous knowing how precious their job is...

 

[1966_L78]

Most are lazy as ****. Most will not ever be what i would concider "real men" im 30 and have always been inspired by my grand fathers generation, and to an extent my fathers too. a time when most men could turn a wrench and build things...even if you pushed a pencil 40 hours a week. not to mention the pride of a job well done. Most people younger than myself engage in zero manual labor, and call AAA when they get a flat...lazy. I even notice more and more boys dont give a **** about cars either. its all electronic gadgets, video games and metrosexuality... Im sure every generation says about the next one, but more valid than ever... WE ARE ****ED... with each new generation the number of "real" men produced is shrinking, and not just in the good ole' USA.

Thats another thing that gets skewed... The young guys (and gals?) on this site, most of them are hardworking... Most are gearheads/hot rodders, but its the rest of society... Its telling when some many people of the same generation, talk about their generation...

 

[rkd]

Big difference in individuals. I see some of both, young, motivated people, and other.

We had a contractor/construction company owner tell us last week that he offered a guy a job, and when the guy got back to him, and turned it down, the answer was that he made more in benefits than the job. Literally.

To paraphrase, "If getting welfare, (or a motorcycle license in my case) was as hard as getting a building permit, we would be better off."

 

[1971ss454Elco]

I'll chime in with my .02 cents if nobody minds.

I have 2 step kids who are both struggling. One is on their own(single mom) and one is living with his biological dad(single).
They both have one thing in common; both claim to "hate" their biologiocal dad. When asked to elaborate they point to the constant berating, belittling, verbal abuse and lack of interest in their lives by their biological dad-hence why I and their mother came into existance.
My step daughter has overcome this on her own and become a wonderful mother, provider and example we could all learn from. My step son, who is a bright individual in his own right...well...continues to struggle which I believe is due to living with his BD who to this day continues to do the same to him even now at age 37.
Although I must that say that my SS has began making responsible decisions now that his mom and I have "redirected" his path twards adulthood.


The day I graduated high school I was given a choice; you will go to junior college, then you will go to college and you will get a job to pay for your own gas, oil, grease, insurance,etc

OR

you will move out!

Schooling costs were split between me and the folks. This was done with constant positive reinforcement and support in many forms.


I know countless parents who adopt the attitude of "you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink" and many others still that have adoped the "BullSh*&t; that freeking horse will drink from whatever dam pond I lead it to or it can find somewhere else to hunker down at night" mentallity and we all know where that one gets us.
Today's public schooling system isnt helping either by telling kids its OK if you dont succeed its the fact that you tried is whats important all the while downplaying competitive relationships/sports, etc. HOWEVER....I believe that the world is competitive and it wont forgive you for failing or tell you its OK and wipe the tears from your eyes. What it will do is spawn/embrace someone else who will then run you over in his/her rotiserie restored triple black 1970 LS6 4speed Chevelle that it built/bought with money it now earns from the 100k a year job they work at as a result of the college/schooling they attended because their parents MADE them go to and then paid back on their own in ten years and then when its all said and..........back up and run over you again.

There are no manuals for parenting, we all know that, but we as parents set the stage for our kids future the day they are born.

My point is that the kids we are knocking, with some exceptions of coarse, are the way they are for the most part because of how their parents treated, encouraged/motivated(or lack there of in this case)them when they were young. In fact I will venture to say that todays parents are trying to hard to be their kids 'friend' than their parent and this is a huge mistake. With few exceptions this has never been more true than this generation.

Marc S

 

[thunderstruck507]

Sure, the customer's attitude can wear on you, but it is a Customer Service job... And I think this is part of the problem with todays youth... IF a customer talks down to you, you suck it up, and continue on with a smile... If you don't like it, then inform your manager and/or quit the job...

Jobs aren't all that easy to come by right now. Even more so trying to find a job that won't put you in a position to take a bunch of **** from pieces of trash.

You are right, a lot of people need to have a little thicker skin these days, but it wouldn't hurt if the rest weren't huge *******s who treat people in customer service jobs like trash.

I've been working at an office that deals with real estate agents for a few years now (all the while looking for a different job) and I must say there might not be a bigger bunch of grown adults acting like children about procrastinating, paying yearly dues, and throwing fits when they don't get their way.


I've never had to work in fast food, but after seeing how my staff gets treated by "industry professionals" I can only try to imagine the crap those kids take from the general public to earn a minimum wage paycheck.

 

[onovakind67]

Monty Python's take...

 

[Stalkingbear]

Totally different generation that has totally different work ethics and does not look at money as a motivator. Our parents looked at a job as a lifelong commitment between the employer and the employee.... we look at a job at an end to a means - I expect to be paid for a job well done and I will do my best for the company and I expect to be compensated in some manner..... the younger generation are not motivated by money and, from what I can see, leaving a job doesn't bother them. HAVING or not having a job doesn't bother them either.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Beaux]

..... the younger generation are not motivated by money and, from what I can see, leaving a job doesn't bother them. HAVING or not having a job doesn't bother them either.

Just my 2 cents.

The younger generation isnt motivated by money? The same younger generation that thinks they will get rich and famous for doing nothing? The same younger generation that believe they will all be pro ball players or "Artists" making music or "rapping" and drivin' benz and ferraris? The same younger generation that idolizes whores like the Kardashians.....simply because they are famous and have money? The same younger generation that all want, desire and rely on things like $400.00 phones and $200.00 sneakers but dont want to work for it?

What rock have you been living under? The younger generation is hands down above and beyond meterialistic and shallow. The ones that are not are the exception to the rule. Used to be the other way around.

Lets not forget here that the "younger generation" is all about the phrases they coined and truly believe in...."pimp", "bling", etc....

I dont believe they are ALL lazy....just most. I dont believe they are ALL stupid....just most. No ability to think critically, no ability to remain grounded in reality. I know this because I see them, listen to them and get annoyed by them daily.

Anyone know what our graduation rates have become in this country? How many of those people graduating have been shown to understand and comprehend math and english at the level required to actually graduate?

The younger generation is partly lazy because they are shown in school that you can be and you will STILL "make it". Add in there learned "entitlement" from their only slightly more impressive parents and you have a mix for "lazy" and "stupid"

 

[jullsplv]

In my opinion it started when people stopped raising their kids... instead of teaching their kids values, right from wrong, and most of all responsibility. Kids are more of an accessory now days. Always dropping them off so the parents can go here or there, to go do things that people without kids do. They pretty much took the "life's too short.." phrase and taking time to raise your kids right under it. All the kids then do is watch tv....Then the kids grow up all messed up and they end up doing the same with their kids...
I only say this because we've been the one has been watching these kids while their parents go out... there are always awkward conversations between my kids and their kids... like my my six year old not knowing what all the "Chucky" movies are... when the visiting 6 year old girl has already seen them all!

 

[onovakind67]

Anyone know what our graduation rates have become in this country? How many of those people graduating have been shown to understand and comprehend math and english at the level required to actually graduate?

It's been fairly constant since the mid-60's. It makes you wonder how we even made it into the 1940's.

 

[jullsplv]

It's been fairly constant since the mid-60's. It makes you wonder how we even made it into the 1940's.

I'm into statistics to a point. I personally know someone that cant read, but graduated high school. Statistics are good to show areas that need improving, but then it becomes less useful in my opinion when you hold someone accountable with them, then it becomes a "meet the numbers" type of game. If graduation is the metric... people figure out... well... if more kids "graduate" we are doing a good job... Only thing i can think of that makes this ok with the school is... well if we dont pass them, its going to hurt our statistics. It seems the goal now days is not to "do a good job" but instead the emphasis is "not look like your doing a bad job, even though you are". I'm not saying all school districts are like this...
Damn i'm grumpy today... and i'm only 33. Imagine when i'm 60!

 

[65 Skylark]

While most of this thread is about the younger generation, and I assume it is because of the title, it's not just the younger generation that acts like that. Around here (NW Florida) that kind of lazy, worthless behavior is rampant not only among the younger generation but all the way up. I know it's probably everywhere but we never noticed it so much until we moved down here from Wisconsin. There are so many people in their 30s, 40s, 50s here that are the most worthless examples of human scum I've ever seen everywhere, anytime. I suspect it's the parent's fault, but this keeps being passed on from generation to generation, getting progressively worse with each one. I don't see a fix for it and it's almost scary to imagine of how the next few generations will turn out.