Tim and I went walking this morning and it was mostly very quiet out. There were a few people leaving for work, and a few pockets here and there of school age children waiting on the bus.
We spoke to a couple of the kids in passing, just a simple ‘Hello’ or ‘Good Morning’ and both noticed (as we have many times in the past), that the kids don’t acknowledge us or speak to us or smile or anything. We started discussing how sad it is that kids have to be so cautious in today’s world, so wary of strangers. I’m sure it’s been told over and over to these kids in our neighborhood, “don’t talk to strangers”. Which is a good thing, I think, overall. But, I thought it was sad that they can’t respond when someone is being friendly to them, or show respect for their elders, or just sheer politeness in returning a greeting. Sad that they have to be so wary of people and their surroundings at such a young age.
Tim brought up an angle that I had not thought of. He said…
That it’s probably just more that people know now what’s going on. In that, there is so much in the news, the newspaper, all over TV and movies, and even video games, about how much violence and bad things are in the world, that kids are sucked into it at such a young age. Tim suggested that the world has always been like this – there have always been “bad people” and bad situations and horrible things going on, but before the advent of 24-7 news and all the other amenities we enjoy today, that people were more isolated from what was going on in the world, especially the bad stuff. They just didn’t realize it and so they existed happily in their little Beaver Cleaver style bubble. So they didn’t know enough, or realize it was out there, to know better and caution their kids about it.
I know I didn’t really grow up like that. I don’t ever remember my parents preaching “don’t talk to strangers”. It was more along the lines of being respectful to your elders, being polite. Speak if spoken too. Things like that. I don’t remember growing up and being afraid of speaking to a stranger in public, on the street, in a store, etc. I see what Tim is saying, and thought it was an interesting point, but my overriding point is still the same – it’s a difficult world to raise children in today. They have so much thrown at them so young, and isn’t it sad that they have to be so wary and cautious of people that they can’t even smile when someone says “good morning” to them?
It might not be so much that those children had “Don’t talk to strangers” drilled into them….it could be that they just aren’t very friendly children. I know that some kids these days are so spoiled and not taught to be courteous to people. That has been more of my realization of late!
I was going to say the same thing as Amanda! I think kids aren’t nearly as courteous these days as they used to be and may not know good manners as much. Not all are like that by any means but I think you see it more and more.
Add A Comment