Generation gap

Generation gap is the gap between the young and the old. There are many differences between the old and the young in many spheres, in everyday life as well as in life attitudes and priorities. The young are more progressive and they have more courage to try something new, but the old have their experience, the traditional values and traditional way of thinking, so they don’t need new ways or new views…

• Information technology – the gap between the experiences in technologies, because the young can use a computer, digital camera, mobile phone… And the old cannot, because they didn’t have chance to use it when they were young and now they are not able to learn use it and mainly they don´t have a need to learn it. Today everything is available, getting information everywhere; it is not important to know everything, it is important to know where to find it. But there is also a danger of brainwashing – kids spend too much time watching TV, playing computers…
• How much should we remember? Education techniques have changed. We can find everything in medias, in books, we don´t have to remember everything. But it is important to find the right balance, the golden middle way.
• The important historical events – the impact/influence of famous people (Václav Havel, John Lennon, Michael Jackson); Beat Generation, Wood Stock Music Festival, 1969 → a protest against war in Vietnam and the main idea of this protest was „make love, no war“…
• 1989 – the turning point; the World has opened, the barriers were broken down and people started to think, people could start travel wherever they wanted, they could get information which they needed… They could verify information which they were getting for long time.
• Different values – different background and political situation when they grew up… They didn´t have any chance to buy some things, to know many things… but it is not only about things, it is mainly about family, friends, home…
• Travelling – the young people have a chance to travel, so they can get a many new experience or experiences, but the old didn’t have a chance to travel…
• Free time – the young listen to different music, they have a different ideas about their free time, friends, goals of life…
• When to settle down and raise kids? Today there is a single phenomenon; stay single as long as you can… both partners could be independent.
• Divorces causes – bad role models in the family; bad role models in the politicians, celebrities… Everybody is looking down at you… At the age of 30 they have children and they want to start live…
• Establishment – young people fight against establishment. It is a natural tendency, because there are many authorities, which try to influence them (government, advertisement…)
• The feeling of emptiness – today. Looking for goals in our lives, why are we here?
• More tolerant society – the young are more tolerant in globalised world today. There are less racial prejudices, they are more tolerant to homosexuals, to handicapped people…

Homosexuals – what about their parenting? Is it fair to a child? Is it better for a child to live with two mothers or two fathers than live in a children´s home? The society is still developing…

• Ideal partner – what should he have?
• Parents´ mistakes; family problems

Very often it is the cause of the conflict between the child and the parents. There are two extremes – no care and too much care. On the one hand the parents have a too much care about their child and on the other hand they don’t have any care about him, because they don´t realise what an overcare can evoke… It is important but difficult part of parents´ to find the right balance between taking care and giving freedom. In this age a lot of parents don’t have a time for their kids, because they are at work and they are earning the money for their families and they have some nurse or nanny to help them with the kid… There is a problem with communication in the family and it can cause many troubles…

It is dangerous phenomenon when parents want to realize their dreams through their children… The high expectations can harm children. Mutual respect – almost unrealizable part of common life of parents and their kids… – it is easier said than done!

And other question is if it is good, when the parents give the pocket money to their kids? I think, it is good when the kids gets a small pocket money, when they are young, because they can try, how to use the money and what is the value of them and of the products. But when the parents give to the kids a lot of many without cause…

Young

• straightforward
• open minded
• go after things
• progressive
• crazy
• flexible
• courage
• living for a moment
• more tolerant to minorities

Old

• experienced
• conservative
• studied, learned, well-read
• inadaptable, not flexible
• not so tolerant
• not able to learn new things