To think the world's becoming a horrible place

[Curiouschlo]

All you hear and see is gloom and doom.

Every week there's videos circling Facebook off teenagers battering each other. Today a local one was circling. I couldn't watch it. But I read the local comments. 3 lads beat up an autistic lad after school. Kicking him in the head etc. A girl filmed it. It's becoming a regular thing where I live to be robbed and beaten up in the street. Older Kids spit on the floor and swear and smoke Infront of my small children when we walk home after school. They shout swear words to their mates ahead. They do wheelies Infront of my children and others without any considerations of their actions.

A care home is circling at the moment for abusing a vunerable person in there so called care.

All you hear about is war and coronavirus at the moment. More attacks have happened in London this week.

I'm normally ok but this week I just keep hugging my kids and watching them play, worrying for their futures. I mean what is the future going to be for them? The world's a horrible place. Obviously there's alot of wonderful things in this world. But it breaks my heart to think they have got to be teenagers. My eldest is 5. Will she be happy and safe in 7 years time at secondary? Or will her life be made a misery. At least while they are little I can keep them safe. I'm absolutely terrified of the future and what could happen.

I'm not depressed by the way. I am just abit concerned

There are a lot of awful people of all ages. Teenagers are no worse than adults. Or than older people. Some of the most unpleasant entitled people I have met have been pensioners. On the other hand the teenagers I know - and as a parent of teenagers I know a lot of them - are lovely, polite, kind young people. I hate posts that sweepingly demonise a whole age group. It's bollocks.

I know what you mean. Even though the world have almost certainly always been quite a bit worse. From the big things like war, humans buying and selling each other, genocide, abusing the planet and living things within it, the suffering that happens everyday. To the little things that make me sad for DS, that we can't use any of our local parks as theyre permanently trashed, that round here swastikas are routinely tagged on bus shelters, that he will likely be exposed to porn before he's a teenager, that he will go to a school that's chronically underfunded, that our country lanes are littered with any old shit thrown from a car or van. Many people are good but I very much relate to feeling like an alien. Even my parents seem to have become very open with their racist and bigoted views, as though they believe that everyone feels this way. I feel that I see more and more inequality which might be my own age and losing my naivety. Maybe it's that that makes it feel worse!

Disclaimer: I'm probably overly emotional due to my baby.

i'm sure kids did wheelies back in the 70's....80's......90's as well as nowadays!

For example, entirely from my own point of view, obviously others will not have to put up with this.
I'm a goth. So I've been called for many years. I was doing the school run a few weeks ago when a group of teenagers on bikes (must have been all of 14 years old) rode past me up onto the pavement when they'd previously been on the road. I had earphones in, as always. One made sure to shout "FUCKING GOTHHHH" leaning over right in my face. I certainly heard it then. I realised as I kept on walking that they'd obviously been shouting at me for days, but they got closer to make sure that I heard them over my earphones.
I've since left ten minutes early to avoid them, but due to an unforeseen emergency a few days ago I was late. Luckily only one teenager from the usual group rode past me. I've never seen such hatred in the eyes of someone I don't even know directed at me. He stared me down.
I'm 30 years old.
I'm certainly no stranger to this. I've been spat at, egged and had my nose broken in the past. All this for a bit of black eyeshadow and clothing. Diversity has become so celebrated now, I thought all of this was behind me (barring a few odd looks and nudges). Sadly not.

Of course nobody is on the breadline or in actual poverty in 21st century UK are they?

Well... Yes, they are, but... you know.. "average"

I can remember doing wheelies. I even used to be able to hop on my front wheel.

Wouldn't have the core strength now. I also ride a big fat cruiser if we are cycling and she is not built for such things. 😁

DH is a full blown MAMIL and can still hop his mountain bike. He did have that terrible moment when you realise your kids are much stronger and faster than you though on a recent bike ride.

The world's always been a horrible place. We just hear about it a lot more now and are bombarded with news and information constantly.

Can you actually think of a time period when the world was a 'nice' place OP?

The 50s... Them were the days! Everyone was dutiful and respectful. People minded their Ps and Qs and there was always a friendly word to be had at the bus stop. You could leave your front door open and never worry about getting burgled, and children could play out all day safe in the knowledge that the bobby on his beat would soon stop any nonces. The worst thing that happened was a clip round the ear for scrumping for a few apples. We all knew what’s what and all was right with the world.

Oxford used to be the murder capital of the world.

The Thames has a location called “dead man’s hole” because they used to have to collect the bodies of suicides that washed up there every morning.

People in London used to die from the drinking water, and throw their toilet stuff into the street.

Plague. More plague. Unheated houses riddled with fleas. Great fire of London. Infant mortality rates. Etc etc.

Now we have clean water and free healthcare and almost everyone has a warm house and food to eat.

It’s a lot better than it used to be, OP.

Hi,

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YABU The world is a wonderful place and I generally see more good in people than bad. Historically we are lucky to be born in a time with so many comforts and rights.

Of course nobody is on the breadline or in actual poverty in 21st century UK are they?

Fewer than at any time in history.

You need to binge watch horrible histories.

I understand OP. My boys are 3, they are both autistic and quite severely affected by developmental delays. I worry so much for them - not only if they’ll ever be able to talk etc, but if they do and are then able to live independently they may be so vulnerable and the world can be such a cruel place.

To be fair, where we lived when I was small was pretty terrifying, especially the secondary schools, so my mum moved us all across the country to an area with better schools. It was tough, she had a low paid job but she managed to get a transfer. My sister and I both got a very good education and went to uni, if we’d stayed where we were I’m not sure we would have managed those things.

Children used to be sent to work in dangerous conditions aged 13.

It was seen as a major humanitarian achievement in the early 19th century when dangerous factory and mining work was banned for children under 9!

Please dont get out the rose tinted glasses FGS. Years ago people were just as violent and rude and things were just as awful (WW1 and WW2 for starters). The only difference now is that its filmed and put on youtube. But if you wish to go back to times when women couldn't vote, were considered the "property" of their husbands, regularly died in childbirth, marital rape was accepted as the norm, gay people were imprisoned and child abuse was hushed up and never disclosed then you really need to re-consider that because it was far from rosey back then.

Snort at the 50s being a golden era. Might have been fine if you were white and in a first world country.

I feel the same, OP, although I also agree with everyone saying we hear about it more these days. Sometimes it feels like my local area is full of crime and anti-social behaviour because the FB group for the town has so many posts about it. But I'm sure those things happened 10 years ago and I just didn't know Brenda felt threatened by a guy in the park and John's car was stolen on Monday night, back when there was no FB group...

Snort at the 50s being a golden era. Might have been fine if you were white and in a first world country.

I was being ironic: Homosexuality -illegal. Marital rape - legal. Casual violence towards children - ubiquitous. Sexual abuse - hushed up. Racism - acceptable. People with disabilties - locked away in institutions.

Can I suggest you take a look at 'Factfulness' by Hans Rosling? I've just read it, and found it really interesting and helps with feeling less negatoive about the world.

OP - the facts don’t back you up

www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmar2016/b80b6e16.png

With regards to the anti-social teens I think it’s a lot to do with where you live unfortunately. I grew up in the 80’s in a rough area and gangs of teens would roam around causing trouble spitting/fighting/drinking and generally ‘starting’ on random people. Once when coming home I found a gang of them sat there whilst a car they had robbed burned in front of my house. One of them Threatened to rape me if I rang the police!

Luckily not long after I was able to move to a very nice area about half an hours drive away (due to meeting my dh) and I literally haven’t encountered any trouble at all from teens or anyone else for that matter.
Not saying everyone here is lovely but people seem to generally stick to the rules of society!

@Oakenbeach

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not? My grandad was a policeman in the 50's. Didn't manage to stop all the 'nonces' though. My mum tells me of the 'curb crawlers' - men who would drive slowly alongside schoolgirls walking along the street, inviting them to get into their cars.

The world has always been a shit place, you just hear about it more now becaise of social media.
There have always been arsehole teenagers, I do thinn they are getting worse and can only think it's because people have raised entitled spoiled brats, that get away with far too much.

Yanbu, I too feel the same op. Sometimes I look at my dgc and could cry thinking of the harsh uncertain world they're growing up in. It'll be a world I won't be a part of and I worry for them. Teenagers have got nastier, obviously the majority are good but the stuff that happens now never happened when I was young. The lack of respect shown to teachers, police etc is shocking. It never used to be this horrible. I don't know why people deny it.