Brief Golden Age?

[Khandro]

I read of a conversation between photographer, David Bailey (82) & Spanish fashion designer and founder of the eponymous high-end shoe brand, Manolo Blahnik (78), it goes;

' Blahnik: So sometimes I just have to sit down and say: 'God, did all this happen?' All the excitement, it doesn't exist anymore, maybe because I'm old.

Bailey: It's not because you're old. It doesn't exist. '


Perhaps you have to be of a certain age to know what they were talking about, but looking around at the status quo, I do, - do you?

[Ringlet]

I do, too. It's nothing to do with the fact that I am now in my seventies. My teenage year old grand daughter doesn't feel the excitement that I felt as a teenager, excitement at the life ahead, the possibilities that existed for me and my generation. what have we done to our young people? We have robbed them of hope, of feeling alive, of feeling excitement at being in the world.

[woofgang]

speak for yourself. I haven't robbed anybody of anything.

[iluvmargie]

Thinking the same myself actually!

[emmie]

some like my nephews seem more intent on their phones than anything else.

[royfromaus]

Yeah, just a ham/salad sandwich.

[cashier]

The internet robbed the young of imagination and dreams, in my opinion.

[Khandro]

Just a few of the hundreds of images of people that Bailey, photographed: The Beatles, the Stones, the Krays; of Micheal Caine and Jean Shrimpton and Andy Warhol, where's the glamour gone?

That age generation of today seem obsessed with tearing down statues and trans gender issues, or am I too missing something?

[emmie]

i don't know what i felt age 16, my first job in a grown up world, excited and couldn;t wait for it to start.

[Mamyalynne]

Those two Gentlemen have had their golden age, lived,worked and played hard - achieved their ambitions and are enjoying the benefits they deserve.

Not all the young are mindlessly tearing down statues and complaining, many have hopes,dreams and ambitions too - some will make it others won't just as in all previous generations.

So often we see the young through the blinkers of our own youth.

A lad on a bus stabbing at his phone may be doing a mega deal via his internet business.

[emmie]

my niece is into horses and watches horse riding, dressage and so on on her phone.

[Mexican18]

Today,a friend told me that her teenage daughter was'harming' herself.
When I was a teenager in the 60s I don't remember any of my friends thinking Oh, I'm fed-up, I think I'll cut myself!

[Paigntonian]

What doesn't exist?

[Paigntonian]

I am perfectly happy being old.

[Mamyalynne]

Mex, that's sad - it's always been around, I am 67 and a dear friend did it too during my school days.

The difference now is that it's more easily spoken about and recognised and there is help.

[emmie]

first time i came across someone who self harmed was when i was i n a hospital, i hadn't heard of it till then. she was a lovely girl and often wondered what happened to her

[Khandro]

//I am perfectly happy being old.//

Me too, but that isn't the issue & a lot of young people are doing good things, but an awful lot aren't. I think a point made above about the internet & social media is preoccupying young people & steering them into an unreal world. I know that the pandemic is exacerbating the situation but things have been like this for a long time before that kicked in.

[rowanwitch]

Trouble is the child harming themself probably saw another more influential child talking online about the relief it brings. Anorexia, self harm and suicide sites abound You can buy a suicide kit for £20 all you need is a bottle of helium also easy to obtain. When parents aren't involved in their children's lives the space can be filled with Instagram and Tik Tok stars, influencers and predators. It happened while our backs were turned, we are seeing a dystopian novel acted out and there is no pause button.

[New Judge]

//A lad on a bus stabbing at his phone may be doing a mega deal via his internet business.//

Of course it could equally be a lass. But if he or she is so successful, what's (s)he doing on a bus?

[Mamyalynne]

Going to school?

[rowanwitch]

Either too young to drive or already banned