moral decline

While walking through the halls on a typical school day, some of the things I see disgust me. Young teens, thirteen and fourteen years old, are groping and making out with their boyfriends in the lobbies. The girls’ clothes are revealing, skin-tight, or barely there. When did young girls decide to look trashy, instead of classy? Why do they feel they need to dress so revealing, and why are girls becoming sexually active at an increasingly younger age?
Pop culture icons and the media infiltrate the young minds of American society. They dictate what’s “in” or popular, and try to mould and shape these people into the “beautiful” and “normal” teen. During adolescence, it’s normal for teens to want to explore their sexuality. However, by being bombarded with magazines, television, and music about sex, many become desensitized to the gravity of it.
Girls want to feel loved. When they date a guy, often they go into the relationship with the preconceived notion that they’ll need to sleep with him to keep him, or that sex will help them grow closer. They associate sex with love, which is the way it was originally intended, for married couples. Guys, on the other hand, often use “love” to get sex.
Our nation as a whole is declining in morality at an ever-quickening rate. I think it is an epidemic. Kids are growing up twenty times faster than they used to. It’s not healthy for them to need to deal with such adult issues, when half of them aren’t even out of middle school yet. What are the parents doing about it? They deny that their child could be sexually active, or rationalize that “as long as they’re being safe” it’s ok. Even if they practice safe sex, that doesn’t prevent the emotional suffering the kids go through afterwards.
There is a lack of self-respect, and dignity in my generation. I hope that someday soon, a generation will come up, and no longer accept it. But I know it won’t be mine.
13,467 views 15 replies
Reply #1 Top

I think you are looking at a microcosm.  What you say has been around for the last 50 years (I cannot say longer as that is my age). But you are right.  Still, so many have bucked the trend.  From your parents generation to yours.

Yes it is happening,  That you see it and recognize it is great. It shows your character.

Reply #2 Top
Thank God we have a Republican President, and a Republican majority in the House and Senate, they'll preserve those family values for us!

Oh, wait....

Reply #3 Top

Thank God we have a Republican President, and a Republican majority in the House and Senate, they'll preserve those family values for us!

Oh, wait....

Please wait.  This is not politics and this is not the venue.

Reply #4 Top
Please wait. This is not politics and this is not the venue.

Whatever. The gentle ribbing was for your benefit, Doc...



C'mon, smile.

Anyway...It's good to see you picking things apart, jlaur, I remember thinking some of the same thoughts and being just a bit peeved about the whole situation when I was younger.

I've got some opinions on what you've said based on what I have learned since arriving at some of the same conclusions you hold true now....

some of the things I see disgust me. Young teens, thirteen and fourteen years old, are groping and making out with their boyfriends in the lobbies.

Yep, it's just a bit offensive seeing people acting as animalistic as possible. At some point, you'll probably realize, however, the pda is not for your benefit, it's for the people involved. Some get a kick out of making out in public.

During adolescence, it’s normal for teens to want to explore their sexuality. However, by being bombarded with magazines, television, and music about sex, many become desensitized to the gravity of it.

I disagree, instead of desensitizing teens or even other aged people, the media today agitates an already healthy (and possibly hormonally over-stimulated) sex drive. Media isn't the problem, though, it's a symptom serving as a mirror of our obsessive excesses.

Girls want to feel loved. When they date a guy, often they go into the relationship with the preconceived notion that they’ll need to sleep with him to keep him, or that sex will help them grow closer. They associate sex with love, which is the way it was originally intended, for married couples. Guys, on the other hand, often use “love” to get sex.

Guys don't want to feel 'loved'? Girls don't sometimes just want sex? Sex and love should only exist within the confines of marriage?

Face it, these are overly general quick and dirty rules that don't apply to everyone or every situation and only serve to confuse people more when these false rules become relied upon.

Not every guy is after 'just sex'. Not every girl simply 'wants to be loved' there are a vast number of reasons as to why any one couple has decided to maintain some sort of relationship.

Some of the reasons girls have given me for dating (and usually making out with and possibly having sex with some guy):

1. He makes me laugh.

2. He's got a nice car.

3. He pays a lot of attention to me.

I could go on and on, but these are enough examples to illustrate my point:

Men and women, indeed, people in general, often maintain relationships with other people because those other people feed a need that man or woman has. For the man, maybe it is sometimes sex, for the woman, maybe it is sometimes attention, but these reasons are not always the case.

I remember one couple back in jr. high that had gotten together. One day, in 8th grade, they just started sitting next to each other, they'd just quietly sit and often stare straight ahead, barely ever even moving until it was time to dump their hot lunch trays.

Some people couldn't figure it out. The couple in question were ugly. Slovenly, even. Neither one had ever participated in band, football, or any other school activity. They never spoke to anyone and nobody ever spoke to them, they were just faceless, useless people to everyone I knew.

A year passed. The couple were still together. Some students wondered why - maybe it was the sex? There was a lot of speculation as to what the two could've have seen in each other when no one else could, but I always believed it was simply due to the fact of their being so shunned by everyone else that they were the only options available to each other, and so, had their needs met by their common bond.

What I'm getting at is that it can sometimes be very easy to dismiss your peers as only wanting 'sex' or 'love' when oftentimes there is a variety of reasons for them to be together.

Does sexual activity mean a loss of morals? Does age validify or improve the value of the morality of sexual encounters? Emotional suffering occurs with any love; won or lost, one cannot escape love's joys and pleasures without suffering it's pain.

There is a lack of self-respect and dignity in the world, it is not specific to your generation, don't allow this to add to your woe, but take it as comfort, for the world has not drowned in it's immoral lack of self-respect - yet.
Reply #5 Top

Please wait. This is not politics and this is not the venue.

Whatever. The gentle ribbing was for your benefit, Doc...

Best to learn your audience.  That was my point. One you have yet to understand.  And for that, I am sorry.  For you and your audience.

Reply #6 Top
Best to learn your audience.

I attempt to neither limit my audience or myself, Doc., a contingency you have yet to understand or apply.

Or not really.

This is not the venue, please wait and a customer representative will be with you shortly....

*beep*

Reply #7 Top

Reply By: Deference

Too bad. You could have made a point.  Sorry.

Reply #8 Top
but these reasons are not always the case.


Aye, however, I think its clear jlaur65 was making a generalization. Girls (In general) tend to 'want to be loved' more. That does not mean guys dont 'want to be loved,' but the trend is that girls want it more than guys.

2. He's got a nice car.


What a sad reason for having a boyfriend...
Reply #9 Top
You could have made a point


whattaya expect from a guy who wasted so much time and effort--not to mention all them words--actually making several very good points in comment #4 (all of which seem to have escaped your notice).

if only you hadda dog like lassie who could help you read and alert you to stuff you missed.
Reply #10 Top
I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Kingbee swattin' flies!

..and yes, I did spend some time and effort...thanks.

I've got a little sister who has just recently turned 14 and a little brother who will be turning 18 this May. I'm involved in their lives and attempt to give them as much practical advice as possible to help guide them through their early times so that they won't have to suffer the same amount of confusion and backtracking as I did when I was their age.

I would have spent another ten paragraphs in my post #4, but I've little time and wish to only guide the author of the thread, not proselytize.

What a sad reason for having a boyfriend... - EventHorizon

Yes, I agree. I also take into account that females will often judge the suitability of a male by certain outward appearances. From this they may believe this male to be socially capable, of good stock, or upwardly mobile. Good qualities indicating a justification for their time against a variety of other possible suitors.


Aye, however, I think its clear jlaur65 was making a generalization. - EventHorizon

Clear to whom?

For jlaur, those observations and the conclusions following them may be written in stone at this moment.




Reply #11 Top
it was a generalization. while i read your comment and understand the points you were making, i am well aware that this is not the case in every situation. but being surrounded by these people day after day, this is an impression i've gotten from many. everything is very superficial.
Sex and love should only exist within the confines of marriage?

sex, yes. love, no.

Reply #12 Top
Girls (In general) tend to 'want to be loved' more. That does not mean guys dont 'want to be loved,' but the trend is that girls want it more than guys.

exactly.

Reply #13 Top

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Kingbee swattin' flies!


Swing and a miss!
Reply #14 Top
sex, yes. love, no.


good answer jlaur!!

Reply #15 Top
Wtg, girlie... I love you. Nice article. You are definitely a young woman who knows her mind, and I like what's in it.

Proud to call you mine...

Mom