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AN ARGUMENT ABOUT OUR GENERATION’S SELFISHNESS AND DEPENDENCE OF MONEY, COMFORT

Important Problem of The New Generation

Merve Özdemir

Anadolu University

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IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF THE NEW GENERATION

Have you also been aware of the fact that the teenage generation in the last ten years is lazy, irresponsible, insensitive and just curious about money and comfort? This is a problem nowadays being discussed by educationists and also it is a subject that concerns our society profoundly. People think that the people older than us were more hardworking and more successful in spite of the bad living conditions. But now it is obvious that there is a contrary situation that new generations grow up in undisturbed way and away from the problems of the real world. So our generation is selfish and concerned with money and comfort because of the developing technologic devices, changing life conditions and the increasing basic things that make our lives easier.

Being selfish, thought of sordidness, acting indolently, being irresponsible in every duty given are the personal characteristics of our generation. It is an important problem nowadays and this situation affects the future of our society so much. But why this generation has these characteristics? Actually, it is easy to understand. Older generations had to do everything by their power and by hand. There weren’t any washing machine, vacuum cleaner, computer or hair dryer. So they tried everything in bad conditions of life, they pushed the boundaries of human power. They didn’t have the chance to be lazy. But making everything in life is getting easier and easier nowadays. Technology and internet are developing and people do even the simplest things with their computers such as shopping, chatting, searching, enjoying, playing games. This virtual world makes people unthinking and lazy. After getting used to be in comfort, everything seems to be difficult to make. Everybody is rival to each other because of the exam systems and school grades. This makes teenagers selfish. There are some important facts that show the reality of this problem. These are teenagers’ seeing money as everything life, their selfish thought in every subject and to avoid their liabilities for being in comfort.

The first point is teenagers’ dependence on money and seeing the money as everything in life. Of course, we all know that money is a indispensable part of our lives and we need necessary money to go on living. ‘’Money fuels our vanity, pride, self esteem, gives us social prestige, gives us the means to attain power .’’ (MONEY - Physical Necessity and Dependence, No Date).Money doesn’t mean happiness, it is just a vehicle for happiness. But the new teenage generations give importance to money more than necessary. They put on airs with expensive clothes, mobile phones and any other things. Teenagers don’t know the value of the things that are enough for being happy without money such as love, loyalty and family. Two years ago, a girl killed her mother as she didn’t give enough money to her. Sordidness, wrong friendships are also results of the dependence of money. For example a high school student committed suicide last year because his classmates made fun of his old-fashioned

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mobile phone. The other example is an elementary school student was beaten by his schoolmates as he has no money for playing games in internet café. These examples show the seriousness of money dependence among the teenagers.

The second point is teenagers’ selfish thoughts and just thinking about their benefits. It is a common problem today and many people believe that this situation is a result of exam systems in education. Especially for ten years in exams, everybody has been competing with each other to be the best. Also, students have been struggling so much to be employed among formidable competitors. Because of these, teenagers grow up with feelings such as competition and opposition. There weren’t such competition in older generations because opponents in business and in schools were less than today. So the new generation has selfish thoughts. Charity, humanity, helpfulness are forgotten feelings nowadays among teenagers. Nobody wants to help for free. Everyone wants to keep their benefits high. Last year, a high school student broke his arm at school as he fell to the ground and he screamed long time for help. But no one helped him, even his classmates. Everybody ignored him and waited for anybody to help him. Nobody wanted to be involved in the event. A student took a video of this situation then video published in news. This is an important example of selfishness of our generation nowadays.

The last and the most important point is our generation’s irresponsibility for being in comfort. It is the most common problem of the teenagers and it has really bad effects about future of our society. Especially parents and teachers are complaining about liability of teenagers.’’ It occurs any time someone complains about his job or life, yet never makes a change.’’(Overcome Your Comfort Addiction Once And for All, No Date) Many teachers say that students are reluctant to do even the simplest homework, they have no expectations from the future and do not have the slightest desire to improve themselves. They hang about and don’t show necessary performance on their homework and activities. I think that this situation is a result of the competitive education system, extensive course program and little time for sport activities. Teenagers are tired under the responsibilities given them. Two years ago I saw in a newspaper that a girl stabbed her mother as her mother forced her to buy bread from the market. It is a shocking event that for not going market, for being in comfort she stabbed her mother. Another unbelievable event is that an elementary school student threatened his teacher to kill her if she went on scolding him for not doing the homework given. These examples are real evidences of selfishness of our generation. The problem is big enough to affect our future badly.

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On the contrary of these arguing thoughts of new generation’s selfishness, concerning with money and comfort, there are some beliefs that are against to my opinions. One is that new generation is not selfish, they are active and helpful on social media, internet and friendship sites. I think it is an absurd idea. Virtual world is totally different from the real world. In the internet, everybody is social, popular, sensitive to social problems. But in real nobody endeavor to change anything, to find solutions to public problems. Some people are enable to help the person who has broken his/her arm in the street like the example I gave. The other contrary idea is that our generation is not more concerned with money than older generations because the money was more valuable for older generations but earning money and finding any job is easier now. This idea is nonsense also. Finding temporary and small jobs can be easier now but it is not available for everyone. Without necessary university education and knowing foreign language, it is nearly impossible to find a job. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be such competition and people wouldn’t struggle so much to enter the universities. Our generation is concerned with money and they exaggerate this as an addiction. They ignore the other ways of happiness, feelings like love and friendship. "It seems that adults might be better at putting themselves in other people's mental shoes and thinking about the emotional impact of actions."( Teenagers thoughtless and selfish, according to researcher, 2006)Older generations attach more importance to these feelings. The other contrary idea is that our generation is not irresponsible but teenagers like taking responsibilities in social and entertainment-related areas. I think this idea is in contradiction with itself. We can’t divide responsibility to different areas. A person should be responsible both studies, homework, lessons both social activities. To be responsible on just one area shows the irresponsibility. Many examples and thoughts of teachers, parents, results of some public surveys show the reality of the irresponsibility of our generation.

New generations’ on money and seeing the money as everything in life, selfish thoughts and just thinking about their benefits , irresponsibility for being in comfort are basic supporter features of this argument. Some real examples, general opinions of parents and teachers confirm them. Having considered both sides of the argument, we can safely draw the conclusion that our generation is selfish and concerned with money and comfort because of the developing technologic devices, changing life conditions and the increasing basic things that make our lives easier.

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Pros Cons

1) Our generation has selfish thoughts and teenagers are just thinking about their benefits.

2) Our generation is addicted to money and they see the money as everything in life.

3) Our generation is always thinking about their comfort.

4) Our generation ignores responsibilities and doesn’t give enough attention.

5) Our generation is unemotional and combative because of the internet and technologic devices.

1) Our generation is not selfish, they are active and helpful on social media, internet and friendship sites.

2) Our generation is not more concerned with money than older generations because the money was more valuable for older generations but earning money and finding any job is easier now.

3) Our generation is not irresponsible but teenagers like taking responsibilities in social and entertainment-related areas.

4) Our generation is more emotional than the older generations because of the increasing daily psychological problems.

REFERENCES

1) Cosmos Magazine Home Page.(2006). Retrieved May 30th, 2012, from http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/637/teenagers-thoughtless-and-selfish-according-researcher

2) My Article Archieve.(No Date).Retrieved June 1th,2012,from http://www.myarticlearchive.com/articles/9/162.htm

3) Vopus Home Page.(No Date).Retrieved May 31th,2012,from http://www.vopus.org/en/gnosis/psychology-self-knowledge/money-physical-necessity-and-dependence.html