Teenagers – are they collectively happy?

Posted by on

Teenagers are drinking and smoking less than previous generations, are taking fewer illegal drugs, and are less likely to fall pregnant. Good news!

But according to a British Government paper, they are also increasingly prone to self-harm: a third of 15-year-old girls are believed to have deliberately hurt themselves. Many teens suffer from a chronic lack of sleep and get alarmingly little exercise (because school sports grounds have been sold off). In 2012, the proportion of teenage boys taking the recommended amount of exercise was 21%, down from 28% in 2008. There has also been a rise in cyber-bullying, and  teenagers are increasingly exposed to pro-anorexia and self-harm websites.

Is Facebook a culprit? Young girls feel they have to put a photo of themselves on their Facebook page. If the photo isn’t flattering they are in danger of being bullied and having their self-confidence sapped; and if she  is pretty she can get inappropriate (in my language, disgusting) suggestions thrown at her. If we are not careful we will go down the South American route, where women are once again judged solely on looks, figure and dress, and no woman is expected to be intelligent, capable or funny (I have heard this point, mainly from Brazilians). It takes character to fight against a culture such as this.

“Social media breeds insecurity and a desperate wish to be liked”. (Lucy Mangan, The Guardian).  Is this fair?

In a nutshell….

Posted by on

“A big part of the problem these days… RT @TheTweetOfGod: The less you know the more you don’t think you need to”.    (Twitter 8:10am – 3 Oct 15)

The grammar might be iffy, but the opinion is spot on.  The less you know the less you think it important to know anything.  This is an indictment of education, and starts with our collective attitude towards teachers.  In  a truly Epicurean world good teachers would be the most highly rewarded people in society, and bankers would, well, be getting by.  The mark of a truly civilised society is an informed population interested in learning and able to think for itself.  Regrettably, this does not suit the people who these days pull the strings.  They want uninformed consumers who consume and who shun the polling booth.  Is it my imagination or it getting worse, not better?

 

Military spending

Posted by on

Rep. Alan Grayson is a Florida Congressman, now standing for the US Senate.

TV interviewer:  “Some defend military spending by justifying the jobs it produces. So how do separate job cuts from military spending?”

Rep. Alan Grayson: “Well, there is a simple answer to that.  When you put people to work making bombs, what you end up with are bombs.  When you put people to work making bridges, what you end up with is bridges. When you put people to work making schools, you end up with educated children.  Military spending to create employment is an utter dead end.  You might as well have half the population digging ditches, and the other half filling them in.  The important thing is to unleash people’s work, their time, their creativity, what they have to offer,  so that they can serve others”.

Well said.  Too many people already depend on warfare for their income.  If I may repeat myself: if you are not shooting people there is no need for the manufacture of more bullets.

“A great country can have no such thing as a small war”. (The Duke of Wellington).  Or a small military machine-industrial complex, he might have added

Even-handed policing

Posted by on

Police in the English county of Leicestershire have been investigating burglaries only at even-numbered homes.   The scheme is said to have reduced workload with no effect on convictions, or public satisfaction.  Five more counties are eyeing a similar cost-saving measure. (Source: The Daily Telegraph).

I suspect that that the burglary clear-up rate is small enough that one could choose to investigate one, a few burglaries or none, and it would make little difference to clear-up statistics. Secondly, I suspect that the public is resigned to the burglary rate, and its expectations of having the robbers apprehended approaches zero.  So, naturally, the change affects neither the rate of conviction or of public satisfaction.

But the new policy does  present an interesting dilemma for would-be burglars: if you suspect the local force has this policy in effect, is it better to stick to odd or even-numbered homes, or spread your risk by alternating between the two?

A footnote: the job of the police is not to prevent or solve crime; it is for a male officer to sit behind the wheel of a car all day, chatting to a  young, female colleague.  Now, how is that for an Epicurean life?

( Just a joke.  Don’t take me seriously.  I deeply admire the selfless community work done by the police everywhere)

 

Guys

Posted by on

“I took my mum out to lunch recently. The youth behind the bar greeted us with the words: ‘Hi guys.’

I’m 51. My mum is 79. You could see what the pub was trying to do. Some manager had told the staff: ‘Listen, guys, we want to create a kind of informal vibe. So no “sir”, or “madam”. It’s “guys”. OK guys?’ There is no word that grates quite like guys. It reeks of cheesy musicals, of Cliff Richard trying to sound with-it (if with-it is still in fashion). And it is the last word I’d associate with my mum, a Lancashire woman about to celebrate her 80th birthday – and it is the last word I’d associate with me, a morose, middle-aged man in a stained cardigan.”   (David Griffiths, The Oldie)

It’s a joke, but it resonates.  Many older people feel highly invisible, if not disrespected.  The effort to be chummy is grating. One sometimes has the impression that you are regarded as having “had it” if you are over 50, as opposed to possibly having acquired a bit of wisdom and a successful career.   I think everyone should be treated pleasantly and respectfully, whatever their age.  Barmen should say “Sir” or “Madam”.  It puts just a tad of distance between customer and server.