Seriously Worried About The State Of Mind The Single & Married Young Adults Have!

[Ahab]

Actually, this clarification regarding your viewpoint being exclusive to "your" world, and not the world in general, goes a long way in explaining why you consider the world a worse place now than in the past. I thought that we were discussing the world, and humankind, in general, not in relation it's personal affects on you.

In essence, "your world" might be on the decline. But "the world" is certainly not.

Not "my" world, as if it's a different world than the real world I live in. I am talking about my viewpoint and what I have observed of the world, though. You citing statistics and numbers doesn't change all of that. I know what I've seen and what I ssee now is worse of a world than it once was, even though we do have some nice things to enjoy now.

[Ahab]

I'll tell you what I think is scary. When I hear person on the street interviews and how utterly ignorant people are of what is going on even today, much less historically. We are failing our kids and adults aren't much better. If this kind of ignorance grows we are doomed to extinction.

You touched on a biggie for me. Stupidity is running rampant in the world now, and it wasn't always like this before.

Just look at all the stupid movies and stupid TV shows that have come out in recent years.

It's as if stupid is considered good, or at least popular. I'm not talking about silly things, although silly isn't all that far from stupid.

I can't think of anything specific now but when I sit in a movie theatre watching the previews for upcoming attractions there's usually at least one stupid movie coming out soon, and I'd rather not think about all the stupid stuff unless I have to.

[Tacenda]

I'll tell you what I think is scary. When I hear person on the street interviews and how utterly ignorant people are of what is going on even today, much less historically. We are failing our kids and adults aren't much better. If this kind of ignorance grows we are doomed to extinction.

I miss my mom, before she passed away I'd ask her everything, now I have to do the same for my kids, I'm not so good at it. They have google so they and I can be lazy.

[canard78]

I know someone already pointed out the urban legend/hoax of the "razor blades in apples" story, but I thought it quite telling with regard to our current society, it's relationship with the media, and the never-ending premise that these are the last days.

If you look at the statistics and the facts, American society is safer now than it was even 30 years ago. FBI and numerous other law-enforcement statistics will tell you that major crimes in this country (murder, rape, etc.) have decreased significantly. According to a an August article in the Economist, violent crime has decreased 38% since 1992. We are actually safer now than we were just 20 years ago.

Likewise, more people in America and around the entire world have access to freedom than in any time in world history. Heck, in the 1950's (those good ol' days!) a black man had to drink water from a separate water fountain than his white counterpart. In the 1960's, American political leaders were assassinated at an alarming rate. In the 1970s and 1980s, gang crimes and murder rates increased exponentially, mostly the result of the increase in the drug trade, especially after the introduction of crack cocaine in the 1980s.

I get a chuckle out of those from my parent's generation (raised in the 50s & 60s) who lament the "good ol' days", when blacks suffered from segregation, crime rates were statistically much higher than they are today, and American political leaders were being shot and killed every few years (or multiple times a year in the mid to late 60s).....what a wonderful world!

So why all the glum faces with regard to the present and the future? Simply put, it is the result of a media machine that has grown exponentially over the past 30 years and has learned that the simple recipe for ratings success is fear. The media needs people to live in fear so that they will keep tuning in to their news outlets to find out where where the latest calamity has occurred and when and where they will be targeted by any number of murderers, rapists, kidnappers, etc. It doesn't matter that statistically, rates for violent crimes have dropped 38% in the past 20 years....the media needs you to think that crime is everywhere and peril is just around the corner, so that you will then tune in to see how much longer you have until disaster strikes. The media has learned the simple lesson that fear is our greatest motivator, and they use that fear like a hammer to stoke viewership.

Getting back to the original premise, why are young adults putting off marriage and opting to have smaller families? IMO, it is a result of greater competition in a global economy, increased costs of raising a family and the deterioration of the relationship between workers and companies/corporations. The increased competition in the new global economy requires workers to be more educated, and thus young adults are putting off children until after they have their educational goals realized. Likewise, costs for everything from fuel to college tuition have increased at an exponential rate, easily outpacing wage increases for the working class. Finally, the deterioration of the worker-corporate relationship over the last 40 years has transformed common attitudes and ideas about careers. In the 1950 & 1960s, one could get a job for a large corporation and be assured of a job security, regular wage increases and nice pension to retire with. Such things no longer exist in the new economy, which increases worker apprehension, and contributes to parent's being worried about being able to afford to have children.

These were the considerations that led my wife and I to marry at the ripe old age of 27, wait 4 years before having children (we waited until after we had bought a home and completed all of our degrees) and limit ourselves to having only two kids.

The fact is, there have been people lamenting, anticipating and prophesying the "end times" for centuries. Likewise, the view of the older generation that the younger generation is going to hell in a hand-basket is as old as time.

Can we have an Amen brother! To all of the above, yes, yes, and a thousand times, yes!

Just because the media report crimes more often doesn't mean there are more crimes.

There's a miserable paper back home that essentially reports two things: celeb twittle twattle and murders. (Dailymail.co.uk if you can stomach it)

[cinepro]

Not "my" world, as if it's a different world than the real world I live in. I am talking about my viewpoint and what I have observed of the world, though. You citing statistics and numbers doesn't change all of that. I know what I've seen and what I ssee now is worse of a world than it once was, even though we do have some nice things to enjoy now.

Here's the real test. Pick any time period in the history of the United States during which you "think things were better".

Then, pretend that you were going to be transported back to that time, but you couldn't pick the state or city.

Then, pretend that you were going to be a different person, with at least four of these characteristics:

- poor

- woman

- black or other minority

- diabetic or asthmatic

- under 18

- non-Protestant religion

What are the odds that you would end up in a situation better than that same person today?

Edited October 18, 2012 by cinepro

[blackstrap]

For all the great improvements over the last 30 years,there is one problem. As the world gets more interconnected it become more susceptable to what I would call the "butterfly flapping its wings " syndrome. One small event far away can can have large ripple effects elsewhere if not everywhere.

[Tacenda]

For all the great improvements over the last 30 years,there is one problem. As the world gets more interconnected it become more susceptable to what I would call the "butterfly flapping its wings " syndrome. One small event far away can can have large ripple effects elsewhere if not everywhere.

True, no news is good news, most of the time.

[Scott Lloyd]

Here's the real test. Pick any time period in the history of the United States during which you "think things were better".

Then, pretend that you were going to be transported back to that time, but you couldn't pick the state or city.

Then, pretend that you were going to be a different person, with at least four of these characteristics:

- poor

- woman

- black or other minority

- diabetic or asthmatic

- under 18

- non-Protestant religion

What are the odds that you would end up in a situation better than that same person today?

The opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities come to mind.

[Tacenda]

Here's the real test. Pick any time period in the history of the United States during which you "think things were better".

Then, pretend that you were going to be transported back to that time, but you couldn't pick the state or city.

Then, pretend that you were going to be a different person, with at least four of these characteristics:

- poor

- woman

- black or other minority

- diabetic or asthmatic

- under 18

- non-Protestant religion

What are the odds that you would end up in a situation better than that same person today?

That little reality check was very enlightening. Thanks, I feel better already and will pass this on. Edited October 18, 2012 by Tacenda

[cinepro]

That little reality check was very enlightening. Thanks, I feel better already and will pass this on.

Or, to put it another way, anyone who talks about "the good ole' days" is imagining life as a wealthy, white, male, healthy non-Jewish adult.

Edited October 18, 2012 by cinepro

[The Nehor]

Or, to put it another way, anyone who talks about "the good ole' days" is imagining life as a wealthy, white, male, healthy non-Jewish adult.

I do not think wealthy is required there unless you meant that by the standards of much of the world most of the US is wealthy by default.

[why me]

Yesterday I had dinner with my very TBM niece. The subject of our national debt came up. My brother in-law described how it would be impossible to actually ever balance the budget since it is about 16 trillion. Can't remember the exact number he stated. And we were discussing the implications of it. My niece has a 2 yr.old and is married. She stated that she really doesn't feel good about bringing another child into the world. She even feels guilty for having her 2 yr. old son. My other nephew and his wife feel the same way with their 1 yr. old. Both of these couples are stopping at one!! What is going on? Also, my sons don't have a huge desire to marry very soon both are dating someone quite seriously. And the one son feels the end is near anyway so why bother too much with the future. It's not coming from me either, not sure where he's gettng his information, I continually tell him he'll have a family, grow old etc.

Is this just within my family or is it a trend that is happening? Have any of you seen this strange phenomenon amongst the young couples/singles you're around? It greatly concerns me and for the first time now I feel like the end might actually be near. Never really felt it before. I feel doom and gloom, help.

Please don't make this political k? Not that you would.

Have them watch this documentary. It is called The Four Horsemen. It explains quite well why the world is the way it is and who is behind it. Once we know the root causes, we can all work to do something about it. It is a documentary. You can read about it here before you watch it below:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1671513/

Now for the documentary:

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zoS69ddvlc

I could only find the complete documentary with Finnish subtitles.

Edited October 18, 2012 by why me

[Ahab]

Here's the real test. Pick any time period in the history of the United States during which you "think things were better".

Then, pretend that you were going to be transported back to that time, but you couldn't pick the state or city.

Then, pretend that you were going to be a different person, with at least four of these characteristics:

- poor

- woman

- black or other minority

- diabetic or asthmatic

- under 18

- non-Protestant religion

What are the odds that you would end up in a situation better than that same person today?

As Forrest Gump says: Aren't I going to be me? Why should I have to imagine having to be someone else?

I get your point, though. In some conditions, some people are much better off today than they would have been in the past.

That wasn't exactly my point, though. My point was that in my perception the world, in general, is now worse today than my perception of it in the past. Who knows, maybe I'm just more sensitive to certain things now that I once thought were okay, or I just didn't notice as much.

That's not all, though, because I also notice that certain things are now more socially acceptable than they were in the past, like "gay" behavior, which I know is evil.

And then there are certain hoops we have to jump through to do somdething that we didn't have to jump through before, like having to go through a "security" check at airports, and all that involves.

Still lots of good stuff, though, and some really neat gizmos, so I'm not saying it's all bad. There's just a lot of bad stuff, too, and I think a lot of the bad stuff is even worse that it once was.

[Ahab]

Or, to put it another way, anyone who talks about "the good ole' days" is imagining life as a wealthy, white, male, healthy non-Jewish adult.

I was a poor child while I was having my good ole days. I was a healthy white male, though, and non-Jewish (I think).

[AddamS]

Oh, and the lack of respect for the "marriage" thing is a direct result of people being more "free" with their bodies, as if they should be able to do whatever they want to do with it, anytime, anywhere, with whoever, whenever they feel like it, for whatever reason.

Agency?

[Ahab]

Agency?

Yes. People use their agency to either respect or disrespect many things, including God's will. Haven't you noticed?

[Gillebre]

I would choose to live in Zarahemla...about 1981 years ago. ish.

[mtomm]

Tacenda: Have them read the following. I really think LDS folks are missing out because of all the doom and gloom they love to talk about. I also wonder if Elder Ballard is being led down to hell, he just seems so optimistic...

As you think about your future, you should be filled with faith and hope. Always remember that Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe, the architect of our salvation, and the head of this Church is in control. He will not permit His work to fail. He will be victorious over all darkness and evil. And He invites us all, members of His Church and others who are the honest in heart, to join in the battle for the souls of men. Along with all else we will do in life, we must also dedicate and consecrate our heart, might, mind, and strength to His cause, walking in faith and working with conviction.

Face the future with optimism. I believe we are standing on the threshold of a new era of growth, prosperity, and abundance. Barring a calamity or unexpected international crisis, I think the next few years will bring a resurgence in the economy as new discoveries are made in communication, medicine, energy, transportation, physics, computer technology, and other fields of endeavor.

Many of these discoveries, as in the past, will be the result of the Spirit whispering insights into and enlightening the minds of truth-seeking individuals. Many of these discoveries will be made for the purpose of helping to bring to pass the purposes and work of God and the quickening of the building of His kingdom on earth today. With these discoveries and advances will come new employment opportunities and prosperity for those who work hard and especially to those who strive to keep the commandments of God. This has been the case in other significant periods of national and international economic growth.

And he just keeps going on and on all optimistic and stuff...

[mapman]

It seems to me that some things are getting better and some things are getting worse. It has always been like that. It can always be made better, though. We need to act to make the world better, not be acted upon by getting depressed by all the imperfections. There is work to do, put your shoulder to the wheel...

[cinepro]

I get your point, though. In some conditions, some people are much better off today than they would have been in the past.

That wasn't exactly my point, though. My point was that in my perception the world, in general, is now worse today than my perception of it in the past. Who knows, maybe I'm just more sensitive to certain things now that I once thought were okay, or I just didn't notice as much.

If we're talking about the "world", and whether or not it's getting "better" or "worse", what's the point of talking about our individual perceptions and experiences? My car is in the shop today getting a new radiator. So compared to yesterday, does that mean the world is getting "worse"?

So in what ways is the world "worse" in general today than it was in the past (pick any time frame you wish)?

[DavidB]

When I was I would think "The worlf has gone down the drain, I don't want to bring someone else into this horrible place.". So I can relate , however that prior thinking does not affect my presen procreation thinking.

[MiserereNobis]

The world has always had wheat and tares and always will until the harvest. Some times and some places by some criteria might be better or worse than others, but if one takes a long view humans have always been about the same.

We're not going to perfect ourselves, Star Trek notwithstanding

[Garden Girl]

I often reflect on the statement by Moses after being shown a vision of the world " and now I know that man is nothing,which thing I had never supposed "

This is one of my favorite quotes... and says volumes about how little we mere humans understand about the glory and power of our Heavenly Father, and the blessings that can and will be ours...

I'll tell you what I think is scary. When I hear person on the street interviews and how utterly ignorant people are of what is going on even today, much less historically. We are failing our kids and adults aren't much better. If this kind of ignorance grows we are doomed to extinction.

Me too, Deb.... it's stunning... and sad.

I have to confess... I too sometimes have an attitude of "why bother" when I think of pursuing a goal such as starting up my business again because I get caught in the doomsday scenario about the end times. I do believe we are right in the middle and so sometimes that affects my attitude. But I do put aside such thoughts and continue painting and drawing my designs for my new greeting cards (mainly featuring my cat, Bob... cat cards are always popular). I'm generally a sunny, optimistic person and don't want to get bogged down as I view the world events. And I continue to immerse myself in the beauty that is in my life every day, and how blessed I am.

GG

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Yesterday I had dinner with my very TBM niece. The subject of our national debt came up. My brother in-law described how it would be impossible to actually ever balance the budget since it is about 16 trillion. Can't remember the exact number he stated. And we were discussing the implications of it. My niece has a 2 yr.old and is married. She stated that she really doesn't feel good about bringing another child into the world. She even feels guilty for having her 2 yr. old son. My other nephew and his wife feel the same way with their 1 yr. old. Both of these couples are stopping at one!! What is going on? Also, my sons don't have a huge desire to marry very soon both are dating someone quite seriously. And the one son feels the end is near anyway so why bother too much with the future. It's not coming from me either, not sure where he's gettng his information, I continually tell him he'll have a family, grow old etc.

Is this just within my family or is it a trend that is happening? Have any of you seen this strange phenomenon amongst the young couples/singles you're around? It greatly concerns me and for the first time now I feel like the end might actually be near. Never really felt it before. I feel doom and gloom, help.

Please don't make this political k? Not that you would.

"Children are the heritage of The Lord" (Proverbs) It is a sin not to have them when you can.

[canard78]

"Children are the heritage of The Lord" (Proverbs) It is a sin not to have them when you can.

Can you point out the commandment in there? I must have missed it.