Kids Today

I’ve heard just about every complaint imaginable about kids. And since we adults do most of the writing, I thought it fair to respond on behalf of young people, to society’s most frequent complaints about them. 

Kids today don’t love God like they used to. The kids I meet and work with today love God a lot more than I did when I was their age.  

Kids today don’t show respect. How much respect do we show them?  

Kids today don’t know how good they have it. This year 10 million kids will be exposed to domestic violence. It is estimated that nearly 1 million kids will be victims of child abuse this year.  

Kids today are all having sex. The vast majority of teenagers I’ve worked with had their first adult conversation about sex with me.  

Kids today aren’t coming to Church. How does the Church go to them?  

Kids today are entitled. I’m entitled. You should see me turn into a four year old at the drive through when they forget to put the cheese on my double whopper add bacon and cheese (diet Coke), supersized value meal.  

Kids today use drugs and alcohol. Again the vast majority of young people I’ve worked with have had their first real conversation about the dangers and long term effects of drugs and alcohol with me.  

Kids today just don’t talk to their parents. American adults watch an average of three hours of television a day, while the average dad spends less than five minutes a day talking with their children.

Kids today don’t know the meaning of sacrifice. I’ve seen enough flag covered coffins carried off of military planes in the past six years to know better.  

Kids today just don’t care. Next January, travel to Washington, D.C. for the National Right to Life March and then tell me kids today don’t care.  

Kids today are lazy. There are hundreds of rebuilt, hurricane damaged houses along the Gulf coast that show otherwise. I know many Mexican people who now worship in real Chapels and live in homes built by those same kids. When was the last time someone you know gave up a week of their vacation to work for free in an impoverished area?  

I know these statements and responses aren’t indicative of every kid. But most of what most people say about young people today are simply unfounded generalizations.   Our challenge it seems is spend more time and energy calling them forward to greater life in Christ rather than being judgmental and condescending toward their generation.