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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think children are now in charge

319 replies

Itsmeagainandagain · 01/04/2021 07:25

The school kids protesting in London, how things have changed when we were children we done what we were told, now the kids are laying down the law and dictating to adults.

We already know children know they are above the law and untouchable, we had Greta Thunburg blame the older generation for all the faults of planet earth.

AIBU to think that children are being disrespectful and have no idea how the real world works? These are the same children who would be in floods of tears screaming if you changed the WiFi password to their gadgets, WiFi that us adults work to pay for!!

OP posts:
CloudFormations · 01/04/2021 09:20

Why should young people respect you? You clearly don’t respect them.

yeOldeTrout · 01/04/2021 09:21

"weakness"?????

UsedUpUsername · 01/04/2021 09:21

Cultural revolution of the 60s

I hope you don’t mean the Cultural Revolution, which also was a youth movement ....

TheKeatingFive · 01/04/2021 09:21

And she still has a massive carbon footprint and offers no real solutions.

So who is qualified to speak about climate change then? Probably no one according to your criteria.

Giving up air travel is a big step. Fair play to her.

Cam2020 · 01/04/2021 09:21

*Yes I definitely agree with you there! That's much harder isn't it - learning how to listen and problem solve without getting angry or overly wedded to your own opinions.

It's not just our kids that need to learn these skills - any aibu thread will show you many adult women need to learn it as well!!*

Without a doubt!

UsedUpUsername · 01/04/2021 09:23

@TheKeatingFive

And she still has a massive carbon footprint and offers no real solutions.

So who is qualified to speak about climate change then? Probably no one according to your criteria.

Giving up air travel is a big step. Fair play to her.

Giving up air travel when that was actually the option lower in emissions? Really, what was the point other than a huge PR exercise?
Cam2020 · 01/04/2021 09:23

*Cultural revolution of the 60s

I hope you don’t mean the Cultural Revolution, which also was a youth movement ....*

I meant sexual freedom, fashion, music, feminism...

Emeraldshamrock · 01/04/2021 09:23

Well I'm the opposite I think it's absolutely fantastic to see your people stand up for what they believe in. Then again I'm not one who thinks children should be subservient do-as-they're-told robots until they're 18
I agree. DC are respected now not seen as objects. My Dad would call us downstairs to change tv channels before he had a remote older siblings got the coal rain/hail/snow. DC can be respectful without being subservient it is possible.
I personally think they're fabulous.

BuggeringBugger · 01/04/2021 09:24

Greta thunberg wasn't wrong.

TheKeatingFive · 01/04/2021 09:27

Really, what was the point other than a huge PR exercise?

She went on one significant trip. Not by air.

But this is such a classic and transparent attempt to silence debate on this issue. No one can speak about climate change / are posturing unless they’re absolutely perfect apparently. It’s a pathetic argument.

Conditionconditioncondition · 01/04/2021 09:29

@Itsmeagainandagain

things that are important right now, bullying in schools Increasing and worrying knife culture Grooming gangs targeting children Child trafficking The rise in child suicides County line drug smuggling

Not important at the moment.. Hairstyles, headscarves, flags, gender

But those are easy targets to protest about.. God forbid going against your peers

Ahhh I understand now

You don't have the brain power to realise that what is important to you isn't always the most important to others

I understand, you're just thick

Proudboomer · 01/04/2021 09:29

If they cared that much about the environment then they should start by giving up their iPhones but I bet that is not on their agenda.
Much more fun to ship school and have a party in the name of protest.

BiBabbles · 01/04/2021 09:31

There have been many protests against FGM, both here and in other nations. Your lack of knowledge about them doesn't mean they aren't happening and people can protests and have feelings on more than one topic at once, even on the 'little things'.

In 1992, Severn Cullis-Suzuki - at 9 - gave a speech at the Earth Summit. She's now 41. This isn't new, it sadly hasn't been dealt with since that speech where she asked adults from around the world to answer why they do not do the things they teach children like not to be greedy.

I was brought up with stories of a lot of protests, largely how they go wrong, but also how they're only part of any step towards change and solutions are always a collective effort.

I have few feelings about Greta, I haven't really followed her though I do remember there being a whole thing about her not flying. I've more followed the actions of Autumn Peltier, the Anishinaabe water activist, Xiye Bastida, a Mexican environmental activist, among others. I think it's easy to dismiss Greta due to her background, but she isn't the only one by far.

Yeah, some teenagers know fuck all and like to jump on a bandwagon with little if any solid information -- just like some adults. Some teenagers actually do have experience and have been contributing, possibly more than some of us, to the world around us. It can be easy to ignore them compared to the louder bandwagoners - again, much like adults, but they're there and no I don't think they're in charge.

TheKeatingFive · 01/04/2021 09:31

Much more fun to ship school and have a party in the name of protest.

Because that’s all they’re doing. 🙄

UrAWizHarry · 01/04/2021 09:32

@Proudboomer

If they cared that much about the environment then they should start by giving up their iPhones but I bet that is not on their agenda. Much more fun to ship school and have a party in the name of protest.
Even more fun to generalise about an entire generation whilst sitting on your arse, isn't it?
tangerinelollipop · 01/04/2021 09:32

Who controls this 'Academy'? Where's the governance structures? How does it work?

Tinydinosaur · 01/04/2021 09:33

Well it is the older generations fault the world is in such a mess isn't it. Its certainly not the fault of the younger generation. You lived beyond your means, you pillaged the planet, and now they've been born into the economical and ecological shit show you created.

Thank god they care so much to demand change, to force change, because if they don't succeed, our species is going down and taking the planet with it.

As for "respect your elders" absolute bullshit, you don't get respect by being bigger or older than someone else and I'm glad we've done away with that too.

RoSEbuds6 · 01/04/2021 09:35

I think its great and gives me hope for the future.

crossstitchingnana · 01/04/2021 09:37

@tangerinelollipop

I bristled at that. It's our flag, warts and all. That's where I drew the line.

Who's driving this madness?

These kids obviously feel so alienated they don't see it as their flag. But they're British. I did feel pissed off when the student said she wanted it down. I am guessing it's up there to make a point. But, it pissed me off. It's our, all of our, national flag. If there's that much alienation we're in trouble.
jessstan2 · 01/04/2021 09:40

crosstitchingnana: These kids obviously feel so alienated they don't see it as their flag. But they're British. I did feel pissed off when the student said she wanted it down. I am guessing it's up there to make a point. But, it pissed me off. It's our, all of our, national flag. If there's that much alienation we're in trouble.
.......
I can remember feeling as they did when I was young.

UsedUpUsername · 01/04/2021 09:41

@TheKeatingFive

Really, what was the point other than a huge PR exercise?

She went on one significant trip. Not by air.

But this is such a classic and transparent attempt to silence debate on this issue. No one can speak about climate change / are posturing unless they’re absolutely perfect apparently. It’s a pathetic argument.

No my point isn’t that she needs to be perfect.

It’s that her team made a big fucking deal about a boat trip that ended up costing far more in carbon emissions than an economy class plane trip.

Theworldisfullofgs · 01/04/2021 09:43

I think the current fetishism of the flag and patriotism is deeply uncomfortable. We getting to the place where criticism is seen as disloyal and enquiry reports are odd (understatement).

People should be worried. I'm glad that young people are much more politically aware. We've sleep walked into this situation.

tangerinelollipop · 01/04/2021 09:46

We getting to the place where criticism is seen as disloyal

Yes, from both sides, right? People have lost their jobs and been cancelled for daring to criticize others (ermmm about a couple of weeks ago, not in the 1960s)

TheKeatingFive · 01/04/2021 09:46

It’s that her team made a big fucking deal about a boat trip that ended up costing far more in carbon emissions than an economy class plane trip.

That’s only, presumably, because air travel is so widespread.

If everyone took boats, that would have the same economies of scale as air and would be the better option overall.

So leading by example.

Alsohuman · 01/04/2021 09:47

@Proudboomer

If they cared that much about the environment then they should start by giving up their iPhones but I bet that is not on their agenda. Much more fun to ship school and have a party in the name of protest.
Ffs 🙄
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