The Polarized Youth Of Today. No More Middle Ground.

The Polarized Youth Of Today. No More Middle Ground.

I've been spending more and more time with my children lately. My husband is currently going through Chemo therapy and I've take a leave of absense from my business in order to stay home and care for him.

That being said, I have also been spending most of my time with my 14 year old son. He's has an Auto Immune Disease which prevents him from going out much and so therefore he's home schooled. In order to prevent him from being extremely lonely, we started a kind of "class" home school.

Various kids from around the city come to our home, where we've retrofited one of the rooms into a classroom, where we've hired a teacher who teaches my son and these kids who are all the same age or just 1 to 2 years older.

Needless to say these children are more from the "free" spirited type of parents. Children of then flower revolution as I say. Being at home constantly I take it upon myself to sit in on the class for a few hours everyday and simply listen to the opinions and views of these children.

Most of their time spent in my house is lecture based.

I have come to a conclusion that there is no middle ground anymore in children. The entire youth has become polarized. There are extremely liberal children and extremely conservative children, there is no such thing as a moderate in today's youth.

Personally I think it's a product of TV parenting and the polarization of our society in general. Turn on the television and try to find a news channel that isn't either conservative or liberal. Try finding even the slightest bit of political or even entertainment/religious dialogue that isn't either far left or far right.

I wanna open a conversation about our youth today and this obvious problem of them being all the way, or no way.

Thoughts?

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Sadly, I basically agree with you. Nuance is dead, not only among children but also adults. Look at the idiotic political shouting matches on ATS...and its far better here than elsewhere on the net.

People have come to confuse simplicity and howling with strength, while they see throughtfullness and pondering as a kind of "dithering." The erosion of attention span and general lack of patience is also at work, and probably also media/computer related.

Even so, it is worth remembering that the human brain doesn't finish development until one's early-to-mid twenties. The brain functions that deal with nuance and "grey areas" are among the last to develop. Teenagers have always been nortious black-and-white thinkers in part because their brains are not fully developed yet. But somehow I think its getting worse, and for some reason it seems like many adults never develop this capacity.,

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Well, while I cannot speak about today's youth per se, I will speak about myself.

As a youth growing up, I was always one way or the other, all the way or not at all.

I grew up having many hard lessons because of this stance.

I was a Conservative Christian, extreme right-wing, military raised child.

My stepfather being a Marine during Vietnam ensured I learned about the military.

I learned the Art of War, politics and, policy, procedure, and protocol.

I learned to find a middle ground for myself through many avenues.

I turned the Art of War into the Art of Peace, and found my Yin and Yang, my center.

As for today's youth, a polarization of one side of the other, is sad to me.

Because as I see it if you are given only two choices, you are being given a false dichotomy.

Which is why I love and respect my way of seeing both sides of the coin.

I see both sides of the proverbial coin, and see there is a third choice, a middle path.

People often miss the third side of the coin, the edge, which can be like a razor.

It cuts out the crap in the middle of the two sides and sees to the heart of the matter.

The center is where everything meets when both sides bash each others heads in.

Because, "left-wing", or "right-wing", America cannot soar as a nation divided.

[edit on 24-1-2010 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

reply to post by SpartanKingLeonidas


I was raised in almost the same setting, minus the military portion of it, but I was always able for some reason to see that 3rd side as you put it.

My children seem to able to do so, I think that's because I have strived to teach them how to do so as soon as I possibly could, but the others in that class, and even those of my daughters age, which are about 20 and up seem to be ridiculously polarized and set in their ways at such a young age.

~Keeper

reply to post by silent thunder


That's a very good point. My husband brought that up just about 10 minutes ago when he came up to see what I was doing lol.

But I brushed him off of course cause I can haha.

No but truthfully I see what you are saying, I do see this line of thinking in the "older" youth as well, those in their early to mid twenties who are just so set in their ways, yet so easily convinced to go to one side or another.

It's a lack or critical thinking I am beginning to realize.

~Keeper

Youth aren't liberal or conservative, Christian or Muslim, their parents are. So it would seem to me that "your generation" is the problem They're a product of living under the American political system where you're either conservative, or extremely conservative... I don't think there are "liberals" in America.

I am completely cut off from the youth of today.

I dont work with any young people.
I dont have any kids of my own.


This is interesting stuff.
I was a peculiar child, so I guess I didnt really have my finger on the pulse of the youth...even whjen I was one.

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus
Youth aren't liberal or conservative, Christian or Muslim, their parents are. So it would seem to me that "your generation" is the problem

They're a product of living under the American political system where you're either conservative, or extremely conservative... I don't think there are "liberals" in America.

Like I said, I agree that parenting is a factor and that our generation has contributed it to it.

But where is the rebellion that my generation saw in the 60's and 70's? They are so damn complacent.

And I disagree that there aren't liberals in America anymore, there are plenty. I could name some famous ones, but others would argue this is just the face they play on television.

You get a star for adding a great discussion point to the conversation though.

~Keeper

[edit on 1/24/2010 by tothetenthpower]

Originally posted by tothetenthpower

And I disagree that there aren't liberals in America anymore, there are plenty. I could name some famous ones, but others would argue this is just the face they play on television.

~Keeper

There are American liberals, yes, but what makes you liberal or conservative in America doesn't translate to anywhere outside of America's boarders. The most liberal politician in America couldn't cut it as a conservative in Canada, Europe or anywhere else.

The extreme language of the American media uses to describe right and left view points creates the illusion of polarization.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


There are some people who live in extraordinary circumstances... where life is hard and their beliefs are the only things that keep them alive.

Im sorry your beliefs are being challanged.

Wait, I just noticed you live in Canada... you can't be serious, we're polarized? Before I thought you were just a confused American, now I just think you're loony.

Do you live in the boonies of Alberta or something?

Yeah people are so polarized here, some people want to socialize pharmacare and others are happy with regular old medicare When will the polarized madness end!?!

Well, I am apart of today's youth lol I can say that it seems more like a phase and do to poor educational techniques. I'm more open-minded than most, but it seems more of a phase until they reach out for knowledge, otherwise it seems more permanent. But everyone's different so it's hard to confidently say a maxim like that and be correct

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus

Originally posted by tothetenthpower

And I disagree that there aren't liberals in America anymore, there are plenty. I could name some famous ones, but others would argue this is just the face they play on television.

~Keeper

There are American liberals, yes, but what makes you liberal or conservative in America doesn't translate to anywhere outside of America's boarders. The most liberal politician in America couldn't cut it as a conservative in Canada, Europe or anywhere else.

The extreme language of the American media uses to describe right and left view points creates the illusion of polarization.

Ok, thanks the clarifying, I understand now.

Yes I would have to agree, any politican in the states would never last here in Canada and europe. Good old tube of lies messing it up for everybody.

~Keeper

The dualistic black/white nature of mass- and alternative-media is an indicator of the mass-dumbing down of the populace into two-dimensional-thought (as opposed to multi-perspectual normality). Reality is narrowed to "this" or "that" at the expense of a whole spectrum of colors. Thats incredibly Dangerous to the mental health and well-being of society. The more people see it (like the OP), the better

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
I have come to a conclusion that there is no middle ground anymore in children. The entire youth has become polarized. There are extremely liberal children and extremely conservative children, there is no such thing as a moderate in today's youth.

...gosh, you polarized kids yourself by (1) placing them in one of two camps and (2) by making all inclusive statements about them... if you're wondering why some kids think its okay to pigeon hole folks they've never had a conversation with, look in the mirror...

Originally posted by Wyn Hawks

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
I have come to a conclusion that there is no middle ground anymore in children. The entire youth has become polarized. There are extremely liberal children and extremely conservative children, there is no such thing as a moderate in today's youth.

...gosh, you polarized kids yourself by (1) placing them in one of two camps and (2) by making all inclusive statements about them... if you're wondering why some kids think its okay to pigeon hole folks they've never had a conversation with, look in the mirror...

I am not making any factual statements, I am making obersvations about what I see in today's society as far as children go. I apologize if I came off that way, it certainly isn't my intent. I did however mean to open converastion, please add something to it.

~Keeper

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus
Wait, I just noticed you live in Canada... you can't be serious, we're polarized? Before I thought you were just a confused American, now I just think you're loony.

Do you live in the boonies of Alberta or something?

Yeah people are so polarized here, some people want to socialize pharmacare and others are happy with regular old medicare

When will the polarized madness end!?!

Try the boonies of New Brunswick lol

And yes I think our youth is just as polarized, perhaps not in the bigger urban areas like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but in the rest of the country, it's getting ridiculous.

~Keeper