# I despair of today's youth. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 7, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415 "2012-06-07T19:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/1 "2012-06-07T19:00:54Z")
Your friends [were killed in a car crash](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18351532). So do you mourn them sensibly, or do you gather at the site of the crash, by the side of the road, spilling onto that road, dashing over the road in turn to take photographs? Need I mention that the road is a dual carriageway? Used by juggernauts? Going downhill on a bend? Need I mention that not only was this the evening, but there was a [haar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haar_(fog)), with visibility being as little as 50 feet? All I can do is shake my head and despair. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/2 "2012-06-07T19:12:13Z")
It is as it ever was. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/3 "2012-06-07T19:54:45Z")
Every generation despaired of “today’s youth”. There are stupid people in every generation. There were stupid people in your generation, too. What amuses me, though, is there’s three things in that OP that are new to me: never heard of in this context: juggernaut dual carriageway never heard of at all: haar ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/4 "2012-06-07T20:07:58Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > What amuses me, though, is there’s three things in that OP that are new to me: > > never heard of in this context: > > juggernaut > dual carriageway > > never heard of at all: > > haar Kids today. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/5 "2012-06-07T20:13:43Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > Kids today. Kids yesterday! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/6 "2012-06-07T20:13:46Z")
I’m 36. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/7 "2012-06-07T20:15:17Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Kids yesterday! Hardee haar haar. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/8 "2012-06-07T20:16:47Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Every generation despaired of “today’s youth”. There are stupid people in every generation. Yep, every older generation thinks the younger generation is making society worse. Unfortunately, they’ve all been right. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/9 "2012-06-07T20:24:35Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Yep, every older generation thinks the younger generation is making society worse. Unfortunately, they’ve all been right. Matter of opinion. I think we live in the best of times, especially for women. I think it can only get better. ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/10 "2012-06-07T20:30:54Z")
‘‘It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times? YOU STUPID MONKEY!!!’’ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/11 "2012-06-07T20:31:05Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Your friends [were killed in a car crash](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18351532). So do you mourn them sensibly, or do you gather at the site of the crash, by the side of the road, spilling onto that road, dashing over the road in turn to take photographs? At least this is probably a one-time thing. I live near the “wine country” in California, and you haven’t seen young and dumb until you’ve seen groups of young women (pre-bridal parties, guessing from the way they are dressed) running into the roads to take pictures of each other. Every damn time I go through I see more of them. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/12 "2012-06-07T20:35:31Z")
> [@boomerwang](#): > > ‘‘It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times? YOU STUPID MONKEY!!!’’ I don’t understand this at all but it makes me snicker. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/13 "2012-06-07T20:53:14Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’m 36. [I did say sorry about the “old woman”, but from behind you looked…](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/quotes?qt=qt0470590) ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/14 "2012-06-07T21:13:04Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t understand this at all but it makes me snicker. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcSUWP0QNeY&nomobile=1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcSUWP0QNeY&nomobile=1) ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/15 "2012-06-07T21:30:33Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Your friends [were killed in a car crash](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18351532). So do you mourn them sensibly, or do you gather at the site of the crash, by the side of the road, spilling onto that road, dashing over the road in turn to take photographs? Taking pictures? Of the crash?? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/16 "2012-06-07T21:33:09Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Taking pictures? Of the crash?? 😕 Probably of the (whatever) they hit and/or the pile of flowers/teddy bears/photos/other mourny crap piled in a heap at the site. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/17 "2012-06-07T21:43:44Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > Hardee haar haar. Get off my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/18 "2012-06-07T21:53:10Z")
Used to give the Err Apparent shit about so much X-box time. Then he talked me into playing Halo. He should go to the library more often. Play outside. Go somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/19 "2012-06-07T21:58:47Z")
Could be worse. He could have sucked you into World of Warcraft. Seen some good ones go by the wayside over that! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415/20 "2012-06-07T22:00:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Used to give the Err Apparent shit about so much X-box time. Then he talked me into playing Halo. He should go to the library more often. Play outside. Go somewhere. Yes, definitely. They have a lot more video games there. Books? Not so much anymore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-despair-of-todays-youth/624415.md?page=2)