UK teenagers are awful

[Fedupwithteenagers24]

I live between two villages in the UK. Both have playgrounds aimed at under tens. Both are frequently trashed. Broken bottles left there overnight, stuff sprayed over the equipment. This has been particularly bad over the summer holidays. Currently in Germany. Loads of playgrounds, toys are left there anyone can use them. Nothing is vandalised. Why are things so bad in the UK? And before I get asked neither the UK venue or German one have any areas aimed at teenagers. But somehow the German ones don’t wreck their surroundings.

Glasgow isn't all like that. 🫣

There is one playground in our area that gets trashed but it is by adult drug addicts. No teenager would go near it because it stinks of piss.

https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2024/0207/1431003-mapped-the-fires-linked-to-accommodation-for-migrants/

Anyway, I'm in rural South West England and teens here do not vandalise or intimidate others. I'm willing to believe there are problem areas, but that doesn't mean UK teens are awful and we're deluded and unable to disagree. We are sharing our experience.

Why is the focus of these threads kids or 'society'? It's primarily mothers who raise them, so be bold and make a 'British mothers are awful' thread and let's see how that goes.

OP, teenagers can work from 13. Where I live they work in cafes.

I hate it when people say there is nothing for them to do. How about taking up a hobby? Play sports at rhe weekend? I have two teenagers and a 21 year old and it wouldn't occur to them to trash the local park, however bored they are.
However I have always let their fringe come and go freely so they as do some of their friends parents so they have a place to hang out socially.

It's down to poor parenting

Because we are lawless Britain, not enough consequences for people's actions and not enough police

I agree. I lived in Turkey for some years and this just doesn't happen - people would be appalled.

Shops are even able to leave some of their stock outside overnight and no-one nicks it. There is never any rioting that descends into looting and trashing stuff either.

There is a particular 'me first' and 'I'm alright Jack' culture here in Britain and a bitter undertone that I only noticed when I returned - when you live here all your life you have no other experience to compare so you think it's the same worldwide.

It is just two villages though. The playgrounds near me are never trashed. Nor is the one in the village where I grew up. That’s a very fancy one. It received a huge grant fund not that long ago. A group of mums were complaining about it being old fashioned and the council had no money. They did a little fundraising. My father did all the legal work for them free of charge (complicated stuff as the land was in trust) and secured a grant for them. The vocal mothers never even wrote him a card or bought him a bottle of wine. The kids who use it are lovely. The mothers are rude and entitled.

My local playground was vandalised by a group of 20 somethings, who also set a bench on fire.

This ! I live in a large village in the South East, I can get a GP appt, have a NHS dentist, local schools are good, good public transport. I don’t get the UK bashing on this site. Local hospital abit meh, but they are improving it and I’ve heard trying to improve the waiting time. My friend was treated for cancer recently, and everything was done quickly and compassionately (NHS that we all bash)
we drove out early evening last night and saw some teens walking about, looking normal, having a laugh and actually commented on how nice it was to see youngsters enjoying themselves. They were heading to the local park (not vandalised) which is well looked after.

Our roads are a bit crap locally I’ll admit, but yes, I am pretty happy and content.

That’s because you live in a large and presumably very affluent village in the south east.

Move to a crap town in the south west or the midlands then you’ll understand.

I can’t get over how many affluent Home Counties types believe the rest of the country is as lovely and naice as their bubble and anyone who says it isn’t it exaggerating.

All teenagers, of any country, can be awful. Thankfully, not all are. 🤷‍♀️

The parks in my my village sometimes get trashed. Can't be sure who's doing it though.

On teenagers they are bored, we tell them they can't be on screens too much, they need to go out etc etc. but where? Where are they supposed to go.
I'm just over those year's and I don't think my two ever trashed a park but finding facilities and stuff for teens to do that gives independence without it costing a fortune isn't easy. So we are a mess because past primary school we don't do enough for young people in communities

YANBU
Having lived in both countries, it is quite plain to see that generally speaking the Germans have much higher standards.
You won't see any litter in Germany either.

My neighbour likes moaning about the "gangs" of "feral" teens hanging around...

They are literally just sitting there chatting. Admittedly some like sitting on top of the bus stop, but they aren't actually doing anything.

Most of the teens who go to park just want a quick go on the swings or climbing frame... they move off if young kids appear.
Its more likely to be parents leaving litter!

Is Grafitti not a form of artistic litter?

You won't see any litter in Germany either.

You will in many areas of Berlin. I found the parts of Bavaria that I visited including Munich to be incredibly clean but Berlin was much less so.

So lots complaining about nothing else to do. What kind of things in your mind needs to be on offer? Remember any activities will need to be paid for as well.

The truth of the matter is those that are out vandalising have not been brought up properly. Full stop.

Teens are shits almost everywhere, I'm pretty sure they're just as bad in mainland Europe but when you go on holiday you don't tend to visit the areas where people live.
I think the people claiming they're not little shits must live in posh areas, well we already know most of Mumsnet lives in kent. Although actually Ive heard the teens in Kent are little shits too 😂

I said the majority🙄 and from my experience, the ones I have met (and worked with as I work in a high school here), the majority are more mature than the ones I encounter when I'm back in the UK.

So the majority of the ones you personally have encountered then ?

I’ve lived in crap areas as well, thank you. Grew up on a not very nice council estate in the SE, so yes deprivation does exist believe it or not in the South east, who knew that !
Just telling my experience as it is now

Teens are fine round here. Urban area, so lots for them to do. Most of them want to make money. And the playgrounds round here are incredibly busy and used by families from dawn to dusk so anyone who fancied a little vandalism would be hard pressed to find an opportunity.

I read recently that Germany still has youth clubs.. perhaps that keeps them off the streets/out of the play parks?!

Yes. After 14 years living in 3 different areas of Germany, 5 years working in high schools. The difference is noticeable. In schools and on the streets.

Visiting home (Scotland) last year with DH and my two kids, coming home on a city centre bus at 6pm, around 30 teenagers piled onto a single decker bus, started screaming, shouting, banging and rocking the bus. My 3 year old was scared. I also had a 5 month old with me. Though he didn't care as much as had no clue what was going on. My DH was a bit perplexed it was even allowed to happen. Police would've likely been called immediately here. The poor bus driver had to stop the bus and try get them off. They didn't move. Whilst some were concerned my son was scared and yelling for the rest to "shut up there's a baby here" and some lovely teens apologised when they eventually got off, the majority didn't care. The bus driver eventually threatened the police and they FINALLY got off the bus, it took around 30/40 minutes in total.

This is the kind of shit I grew up with in Scotland all the time. I'm not saying teenagers are perfect angels in Germany, of course you get antisocial behaviour here too. From my experience, it's just not as common. It's rare to see things like the above happen (I've never seen it in 14 years as I say whereas I've experienced it multiple times growing up and as an adult too in Scotland).

And yes, this is all MY experience, I can't speak for others.