AIBU to be thoroughly depressed some days when I read/watch the news and see what is happening in the world and concerned for the future of my child?

[shimoo]

AIBU to be thoroughly depressed some days when I read/watch the news and see what is happening in the world and concerned for the future of my child? Well just that really, some days I think have I done the right thing bringing a beautiful, innocent human being into this world of insecurity, terrorism and unrest? I am not depressed, just sometimes struggle to see how things will change for the better.

YADNBU ... It's soul destroying to think about what state the world will be in when DD is my age.

It is depressing. But then again, if you're in your 30s your parents were raising you with the shadow of the cold war. My parents are in their 80s and were children during WW2 and went to school with a gas mask in their schoolbag.

I don't really think the world is getting worse as such, it's just that we're much more aware of what is happening worldwide than we used to be. The threats to us are changing in nature but there have always been threats to us. 700 years ago it was plague, 70 years ago it was war, now it's terrorism.

It really frightens me and I dont see how things can change...ever...things seem to get worse not better. I know all generations have had instability, problems, terrorism, WW1, WW2 and more, but the threats these days seem less quantifiable, some sophisticated, some medieval but they are there and increasing.

I think that it has always been the same, going back thousands of years.
The reality is that there has not been war in this country for decades.

I dont think that things will ever change. In the bible it is described as there will always be wars and rumours of wars.

The best thing is to see and deal with how things are now.
Right now, the sun is shining, and I wouldnt say that there are any more wars right now than average.
[No consolation if you are in one of those areas or have friends and relatives there, I know].

Has something happened ion your own life recently?
Though I well remember myself having the same thoughts and feelings when my los were young.

Same as it ever was

But if you'd lived 500 years ago, you'd probably have lost half your kids in infancy and you'd have been lucky to live to the age of 40.

70 years ago people were living with the very real threat of invasion, concentration camps and if that happened, extermination if they were from a particular ethnic background.

I was a child in N Ireland in the 1980s, it was always in the back of our minds that if you went into town to do your shopping you might get caught in a bomb and not come back.

I'd rather take my chances with the world as it is now than live under the shadow of those.

I think feeling this way is normal. I can remember my Grandmother expressing the same sentiment about me and my sister 30 years ago. I think it's just a function of awareness which comes with adulthood and responsibility rather than things being objectively worse. It is natural that the issues in the world seen through your eyes as an adult will appear more serious than your perception of events you experienced as a child.

My view is that things are much as they ever were. Most people are fundamentally good and have positive interactions with the rest of humanity but there will always be areas of instability caused by greed, corruption and power. Fortunately these things will not impact on the day to day lives of most, particularly in the west. I personally have never perceived these risks as being so great that they are worth sacrificing all the things that make my life great, and I hope will feature in my children's lives (love, friendship etc), by never having been born

Cut down in watching the news.

I'm in my late 40's, I've watched the same stories all of my life.

What is getting better is the reaction to a village/settlement being raided and people raped and slaughtered.

When I was growing up, the kidnap of the school girls would have been an after mention and "one of those things".

My Dad was from SA and told some terrible stories, which were never reported, it was just how things were. They would make the news, somewhere, now.

There is a lot of change happening, it isn't all just violence.

Think of Miriam, who was released, just a few weeks ago, she would of been in prison until her BF days were over, then killed.

The women who have made the news lately, because the've been murdered/raped wouldn't of been thought as main stream news.

I've signed up to "38 Degrees" which links to campaigns, it helps to recognise that change is happening.

The news is depressing but the world is no worse than your parents yesterday I saw on the news a young woman had been murdered byvher boyfriend it was horrific he was sentenced yesterday it was heartbreaking but that doesnt mean the whole world is bad when you have children we are naturally protective yabu though

I'm on the older side I've lived through the very real threat of nuclear war, the ira bombing campaign which impacted on my life, I recall being stopped and the car searched by police with very big guns on the way to my first scan with my eldest. My life has been touched by the murder of people I know one was a little girl killed by a paedophile, another was a young woman murdered by her boyfriend. I don't think things are any worse now but I do think there is more awareness.

I guess its parental reasonability but I think there seem to be more issues than ever before. I suppose we are more aware because of the changes in ways news is reported. Im not saying all the world is a bad place, nor we are all in danger but years ago did kids take guns and knives into schools? Were kids from Cardiff becoming Jihadists? There just seem to be more things happening at an alarming frequency.

More reporting and faster media communication makes the masses more aware.
As a child in the 60s and 70s, we all worried about nuclear war and being blown up by the IRA.
Parenting has always been scary.

I think we are knowing about things quicker the radicalisation of young men is the latest one but young men have always been targetted for things the ira national front etc so
its not new but it is happening through other ways the internet, but we are aware of it which is a good thing iyswim, it is scary though I agree

Ronald Ragen (sp) had his finger hovering over the red button when I was a teenager goblin is right there was always something

yes, kids were taking guns and knives into school and kids were joining the IRA, and before that the communists, and before that the anarchists. It was ever thus. I know it feels like it is worse though. Stop watching the news :)

Remember that the media makes money by getting people's attention, and it's the big scary things that get the most attention. It's not an accurate representation of the world.

You might like a book by Stephen Pinker called 'The Better Angels', which argues that looking at the long view, humans are actually less war prone and violent than at any point in history.

It's natural to worry but try to balance it out with positive news as well.

I know what you mean, OP. I tend to worry more about smaller stuff rather than war/terrorism (which, although terrible, doesn't affect my life day to day). Things like: how will I protect my sons (still only little) from porn and violence on the internet? How will they make their way in a world in which jobs are scarce, housing is extortionate and public services and the education system are slowly being chipped away at by the Government? How do I bring them up to be men who respect women and don't treat them like shit? That sort of thing.

Think of all the millions and millions living happy decent normal lives. Birthdays, sunny days in the park, picking kids up from school. None of this is reported just the proportionally small areas of unrest.

Read your history books. Things aren't "getting worse". They have got hugely better as pointed out up thread. Dd asked about Israel today so I googled a kids explanation. There has been fighting in that area between warring tribes since 1800 bc!

Me too OP. Mostly, I just try to avoid thinking too much about what state the world will be in in the future.

I worry a lot about terrorism, but I think global warming and finite resources is scarier. The way we live now, with the rising birth rate (not here but in other countries) is absolutely not sustainable, as far as I can see.

Op you sound overly anxious

The world is no worse than it has ever been

I am a 70's kid...nuclear war, the IRA, power cuts, strikes etc

The chances of YOU or your child being caught up in it all are slim to none x

Yeah she does sound anxious its about getting things into perspective really

OP look at it the other way. WE are raising the kids who might just be able to change the world!

""but years ago did kids take guns and knives into schools? Were kids from Cardiff becoming Jihadists""

OP, go onto the thread about unreported rapes and the sexual harassment, girls/women could expect as normal (I have contributed), that has changed for the better.

I grew up with DV being the norm, child neglect and abuse was rarely reacted to.

As said, the IRA were active, my relatives were suffering worse around the world and it wasn't making News.

Football violence was something to do at the weekend.

The National Front provided a legal outlet if you wanted to kick shit out of someone, as did other sub groups.

There is a change in consciousness, which is needed before a change in behaviour, so the future is positive.

The belief that the EU "has done nothing for us" and people wanting to opt out (which includes the Rights Acts etc) is what scares me.

We can only fight against that via education.