i didn't figure my shit out till I was like 23. Go easy on them OP. Life is hard and they're teenagers
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I’m seeing a concerning trend among high school students and their visions for their futures
- Thread starter mellow_jack411
- Start date
When I was a kid everyone thought they were gonna be movie, rock, or sports stars too OP. Reality hits eventually and then they accept a regular crappy life like everyone else don't worry
it's hard when on one side they see a fucked up school system that they cant afford designed to make money more than it educates, while on the other hand they're being bombarded with a bunch of bullshit get rich quick schemes that they arent smart enough to understand yet
like obviously in the face of responsibility and debt theyre gonna dream to find another way
reminds me of the kids in highschool who thought cutco would save them, there's always a scheme
but soon enough theyll either succeed (a few sometimes do!), or reality will grind them into a normal job. it happens to all of us
(or it wont and they'll flounder for years living off inheritances but there's always a few of those regardless)
not everyone needs to go to college to get good work out there, there are alternatives that still result in good livings without resorting to get rich quick schemes. but i dont think college admissions have gone down all that much in recent years actually, indicating there hasnt actually been much change in post-HS behavior.
this behavior isnt even exclusive to kids of today. dont forget how many middle aged dweebs are out there right now hoping NFTs of ugly bullshit will make them rich
or how many kids did you know in highschool who knew their band would make them rich, or said they didnt need grades because they'd be playing for the nfl
cant stop kids from dreaming all you can do is try to support their interests while also preparing them for alternatives
like obviously in the face of responsibility and debt theyre gonna dream to find another way
reminds me of the kids in highschool who thought cutco would save them, there's always a scheme
but soon enough theyll either succeed (a few sometimes do!), or reality will grind them into a normal job. it happens to all of us
(or it wont and they'll flounder for years living off inheritances but there's always a few of those regardless)
not everyone needs to go to college to get good work out there, there are alternatives that still result in good livings without resorting to get rich quick schemes. but i dont think college admissions have gone down all that much in recent years actually, indicating there hasnt actually been much change in post-HS behavior.
this behavior isnt even exclusive to kids of today. dont forget how many middle aged dweebs are out there right now hoping NFTs of ugly bullshit will make them rich
or how many kids did you know in highschool who knew their band would make them rich, or said they didnt need grades because they'd be playing for the nfl
cant stop kids from dreaming all you can do is try to support their interests while also preparing them for alternatives
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Teachers just need to make tiktoks about how those careers are either artificially made or impossible to succeed at.
I had aspirations that were just as dumb coming out of high school. Nobody wants a bullshit job to just pay the bills but that's what everyone gets in the end. They'll be fine.
I'm not on board with the idea that everyone has to go to college. It's way too expensive for someone who doesn't know what they want to do and a lot of degrees aren't even that marketable. I spent $23k in student loans before landing a decent job in tech and dropping out and now I'm left wishing I just didn't go in the first place and I wouldn't have all this debt.
That being said, aspiring to be an influencer is dumb and kids should aim higher than that
That being said, aspiring to be an influencer is dumb and kids should aim higher than that
-- the kids will be alright
-- no, they won't be living their lives completely on camera and on social media. gen z is actually the first cohort to report using less social media over the past 12 months. i expect this trend to continue with the next generation, having seen their parents' brains melted by facebook, twitter, insta, and now tiktok
-- i worry about the youtube set, though. that algorithm is the scariest.
-- the boss / parent class has always said this about younger generations, it's really an artifact of 1) wanting their kids to do better than they did and knowing how hard it is (genuinely), 2) swift moving technology changing the nature of work between generations, 3) profiteering wage thieves blaming the poor instead of themselves
-- i don't doubt OP or many of the anecdotes here, but they don't sound that much different than what many of us said as kids.
-- the difference between them and us is that high tuition scam is up since they've grown up watching their parents saddled with student loans
-- i do worry about what the same portion of this younger generation who would have gone to college but probably won't will be doing, especially in absence of manual labor jobs
-- if I were Biden and wanted to be FDR, I'd start a public works program for this cohort to 1) build out renewables (wind, solar), 2) rebuild our native permaculture basically everywhere and 3) replace the national highway system with high speed rail and charging stations for EVs
-- kids are already living at home with their parents much longer, delaying buying their first home, delaying getting married, delaying/forgoing having children, and this is all of a piece. i wont' be surprised if we see multi generational single dwellings surge in the next 20 years
-- it's not that they don't want those things, it's that they've grown up in a world of biblical-ass sized catastrophes and can see the collapse happening in real time, and it's not their fault. it's the richest 1% and the exploitation of humanity.
-- still i think the kids will be alright. they see this all as clearly as anyone.
-- no, they won't be living their lives completely on camera and on social media. gen z is actually the first cohort to report using less social media over the past 12 months. i expect this trend to continue with the next generation, having seen their parents' brains melted by facebook, twitter, insta, and now tiktok
-- i worry about the youtube set, though. that algorithm is the scariest.
-- the boss / parent class has always said this about younger generations, it's really an artifact of 1) wanting their kids to do better than they did and knowing how hard it is (genuinely), 2) swift moving technology changing the nature of work between generations, 3) profiteering wage thieves blaming the poor instead of themselves
-- i don't doubt OP or many of the anecdotes here, but they don't sound that much different than what many of us said as kids.
-- the difference between them and us is that high tuition scam is up since they've grown up watching their parents saddled with student loans
-- i do worry about what the same portion of this younger generation who would have gone to college but probably won't will be doing, especially in absence of manual labor jobs
-- if I were Biden and wanted to be FDR, I'd start a public works program for this cohort to 1) build out renewables (wind, solar), 2) rebuild our native permaculture basically everywhere and 3) replace the national highway system with high speed rail and charging stations for EVs
-- kids are already living at home with their parents much longer, delaying buying their first home, delaying getting married, delaying/forgoing having children, and this is all of a piece. i wont' be surprised if we see multi generational single dwellings surge in the next 20 years
-- it's not that they don't want those things, it's that they've grown up in a world of biblical-ass sized catastrophes and can see the collapse happening in real time, and it's not their fault. it's the richest 1% and the exploitation of humanity.
-- still i think the kids will be alright. they see this all as clearly as anyone.
Living up to your username (which is to say I agree with you).
Interesting. How do these numbers look now, do you know?
And are these students who graduated? (Don't know much about US (?) school system)
I mean, when I was in highschool I wanted to be the lead guitarist for a rock band. It's not that different.
Yeah this is the reason even if they don't understand it 100%. Problem is…it's just not feasible unless you are extremely dedicated and lucky and their anxiety and depression will only get worse.
This was when I was still in Texas and the year before outcomes were tracked federally through what is called State Performance Plan Indicator 14 (post-secondary outcomes). The psych assessment piece was part of SPP Indicator 13 which is a separate thing. Nonetheless, that indicator 14 data is out there even if I don't have it.
Another part of the problem is that we require kids to have their whole life figured out by the time they're graduating high school, or in some cases even earlier when they're applying for colleges.
OP
OP
I've read all these posts and really appreciate the input! The only thing I'm not really observing with the group of teenagers I see is the contemplation of serious matters like covid response and climate change. These kids couldn't care less about those things. All they care about is having Kardashian money and traveling the world and hanging with models like Max Wyatt does (another person I've learned about in the past few weeks) while also doing what they do. They don't care the means to get there as long as it's easy, fun, and fast.
When we were all together a few weekends ago (my friends who are parents along with their kids), one of the boys/former students referred to the business teacher as a "tank ass with a missing molar and drives a Mercury Mountaineer. Who is gonna listen to her?" Yes, people should want to achieve the most they can. Part of me wonders if the school system(s) didn't stay ahead of the game in counter-programming because of the lack of urgency…or something. That's a whole different debate, I suppose.
When we were all together a few weekends ago (my friends who are parents along with their kids), one of the boys/former students referred to the business teacher as a "tank ass with a missing molar and drives a Mercury Mountaineer. Who is gonna listen to her?" Yes, people should want to achieve the most they can. Part of me wonders if the school system(s) didn't stay ahead of the game in counter-programming because of the lack of urgency…or something. That's a whole different debate, I suppose.
Pretty much. When my kid said they wanted to be a YouTuber I told her "Great! What are your videos going to be about?" and just kept peppering her with questions related to all the skills she'd need (video editing, a marketable skill, talking in front of a camera, etc) so if it's still something she wants to pursue she'd at least have an idea of what skills to polish.
Hell when I was a kid I wanted to be a game tester (age 8) till I found out what that meant, then I wanted to make games (age 13), till I found out what that meant, so I "settled" at software engineer (age 15) and I'm pretty happy with how that's worked out (age 38).
No sense in crushing hopes and dreams, but keep expectations realistic so even if that's not how things shake out they'll come out of it with some useful skill like video editing.
I had a teacher get upset with the class because no one want to discuss or write about the Ulvade shooting. I was glad no one seemed too bothered because you're a kid you shouldn't be worrying about that yet.
My kid wants to a streamer. He believes that since I used to podcast that he can do online and better than me since I'm just a dorky loser dad. Haha.
So he asked me to buy a PC, then lighting then camera then he needed a mechanical keyboard and now a new mechanical keyboard and yet he's sitting on his bed watching YouTube right now because his set up isn't good enough to be worth a start streaming but maybe he'll fuck and try it despite his "scrub" set up.
So he asked me to buy a PC, then lighting then camera then he needed a mechanical keyboard and now a new mechanical keyboard and yet he's sitting on his bed watching YouTube right now because his set up isn't good enough to be worth a start streaming but maybe he'll fuck and try it despite his "scrub" set up.
On the flipside, I confused the careers councilor I was sent to in High School (this's over a decade ago, and right after the GFC) by saying I'll get nowhere in life and probably just wind up working in menial labour.
I was offended by her not considering I just didn't have ambition. She was offended I'd settle so low.
I was offended by her not considering I just didn't have ambition. She was offended I'd settle so low.
I guess I speed-ran disillusionment since by the time I was in high school (in the late 90s) my grand vision was to make enough money to survive until climate changed screwed us all. I mean I had some personal factors that helped nip dreams in the bud suuuper early in my life, but still...
For da kids these days, I see plenty of optimistic but realistic kids when I do things with Girl Scouts or see mentoring programs. They have dreams but they're not putting aside reality for it.
My nephews wanted to be streamers but reality dawned on them pretty quickly and they moved on to figuring out careers. I expect it'll still be the exception rather than the rule that kids entering adulthood throw everything into those sorta moonshot careers where only a fraction of a fraction of people are successful.
For da kids these days, I see plenty of optimistic but realistic kids when I do things with Girl Scouts or see mentoring programs. They have dreams but they're not putting aside reality for it.
My nephews wanted to be streamers but reality dawned on them pretty quickly and they moved on to figuring out careers. I expect it'll still be the exception rather than the rule that kids entering adulthood throw everything into those sorta moonshot careers where only a fraction of a fraction of people are successful.
I thought I was going to be a touring rock musician with my friends when I graduated high school and now a decade+ later I'm a cpa so…
Don't schools have career days any more? Or like a job shadowing opportunity?
I think those would be super beneficial if they're not already being done and trying to guide the kids to understand that what they see online is not a reflection of real life. Local Job Shadowing opportunities also helps to let them see whats available close to their homes (if thats something they care about)
As a side rant, I've been kind of seeing it trend this way for a while; being an "influencer" or streamer might be an "easy" job comparable to manual labor or a desk job, but its an incredibly volatile market and just because others have made it their livelihood, doesn't mean anyone can do it. I think the "trade" jobs are going to be hot commodities in a handful of years as more and more people pursue so called "higher education" vs more trade jobs, especially as the boomers who have occupied that space grow older and retire. I'm really glad that i found out my cousin who's just nearing the end of his high school career is really enjoying learning about welding because that would be a great opportunity for him.
I think those would be super beneficial if they're not already being done and trying to guide the kids to understand that what they see online is not a reflection of real life. Local Job Shadowing opportunities also helps to let them see whats available close to their homes (if thats something they care about)
As a side rant, I've been kind of seeing it trend this way for a while; being an "influencer" or streamer might be an "easy" job comparable to manual labor or a desk job, but its an incredibly volatile market and just because others have made it their livelihood, doesn't mean anyone can do it. I think the "trade" jobs are going to be hot commodities in a handful of years as more and more people pursue so called "higher education" vs more trade jobs, especially as the boomers who have occupied that space grow older and retire. I'm really glad that i found out my cousin who's just nearing the end of his high school career is really enjoying learning about welding because that would be a great opportunity for him.
OP
OP
But that's admirable! I have a friend who is a CPA and that that is no easy feat at all to achieve that.
It definitely has always been like this, but it's also true that it seems more pronounced because of social media and it's general takeover of…everyone. These kids have grown up in this world surrounded by technology, social media, and influencers, so it's really no wonder.
They'll figure it out, just like we all do.
They'll figure it out, just like we all do.
Might be because of western values also, tbh.
www.businessinsider.com
American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey
Children ages 8 to 12 in the US, the UK, and China were recently polled in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
www.businessinsider.com
China's also been doing more space stuff lately right. Probably helps there.Might be because of western values also, tbh.
American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey
Children ages 8 to 12 in the US, the UK, and China were recently polled in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
It's nice there are still a decent percentage that seems to in general want to be a teacher. Good surplus for the meatgrinder that will be education lol
I have noticed the trend on TikTok before for sure. And while I don't think it's a disaster (as many have said, teenagers eventually meet reality), I do think it's a bit sad for two reasons
- a lot of these are get rich quick schemes which make them prey to shitty people (I guess in the same way that modeling/cinema aspirations also made young women be targeted by sexual predators)
- I feel that wanting to be an astronaut / model / movie star is more interesting than pure rent seeking ('passive rent', 'Amazon drop shipping ',crypto type of bs). Wanting to be an influencer is fine.
- a lot of these are get rich quick schemes which make them prey to shitty people (I guess in the same way that modeling/cinema aspirations also made young women be targeted by sexual predators)
- I feel that wanting to be an astronaut / model / movie star is more interesting than pure rent seeking ('passive rent', 'Amazon drop shipping ',crypto type of bs). Wanting to be an influencer is fine.
They will be fine. Once they realize fame is based on luck, they will start shifting to other work.
Every generation has its struggles finding out what they want to do. For us millennials it was the dream of college giving us a solid career, for younger generations it'll be the dream of being an influencer.
Every generation has its struggles finding out what they want to do. For us millennials it was the dream of college giving us a solid career, for younger generations it'll be the dream of being an influencer.
Looking at this, teacher is popular with most cultures. Musicians and athletes are popular with all. Astronaut is a good job goal, but it's also hyper focused and unrealistic. There are more successful youtubers than astronauts somewhat ironically. We don't actually need a large portion of the population aiming to be astronauts. But a sincere interest in the sciences is good.Might be because of western values also, tbh.
American kids want to be famous on YouTube, and kids in China want to go to space: survey
Children ages 8 to 12 in the US, the UK, and China were recently polled in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
While being an influencer is pie in the sky stuff, people have been talking about trades for the last twenty years because Mike Rowe has been a very successful influencer.
But seriously, young people have asperations and dreams and the whole point of youth should be to try those things, fail at most of them and use that to figure out your path forward. It's nothing new, we're all just not hip now.
Can I ask why you regret it despite having an IT job. I know you absolutely do not need college to do an IT job, but more likely than not it's a requirement to even be considered.
Can confirm as a teacher. Much higher percentage now than even five years ago.
Also, Tiktok has been the absolute worst influence on teenagers, at least in our area. It's poison.
Yeah it's a good living but by no means sexy or stress free. Also all I can think about is the song 1985 lol.
Funny I saw surveys showing about the same % of kids saying they want to be streamers in China compared to US. Not a unique trend.
This. Or sports star. Then it seems a lot post 08 dreamed of making a hit indie game or app. Now it's influencers.
I got 2 kids in college and it seems like it gets fucking harder to get in every year with colleges claiming record numbers of applicants. Either there are more kids going to college or less college spaces available.
My oldest graduates this year and just accepted a job in Palo Alto. I'm happy for him, but we are in FL so it's pretty far away. At his age I had no job prospects and bounced around various MLMs after college. Hell, I tried selling dishes door to door.
My oldest graduates this year and just accepted a job in Palo Alto. I'm happy for him, but we are in FL so it's pretty far away. At his age I had no job prospects and bounced around various MLMs after college. Hell, I tried selling dishes door to door.
OP, it's your job to worry about these things so please continue to try to steer the kids right.
Reality will break their little hearts but you can tell them it's okay to dream wild instead of safe because they are dreams. Drop shipping, content creation, so they can earn a good living? Remind them that those are plans, jobs, remind them that dreams can go even higher.
Don't let them get their dreams and their plans mixed up and aim them towards the sky.
edit: if their jobs/plans can help make their dreams come true then tell them to get to work, but don't forget to have a dream for their future
Reality will break their little hearts but you can tell them it's okay to dream wild instead of safe because they are dreams. Drop shipping, content creation, so they can earn a good living? Remind them that those are plans, jobs, remind them that dreams can go even higher.
Don't let them get their dreams and their plans mixed up and aim them towards the sky.
edit: if their jobs/plans can help make their dreams come true then tell them to get to work, but don't forget to have a dream for their future
