# Did we have it better?



## bobmac (Mar 22, 2015)

Endless summers playing outside
Morecombe and Wise
The 2 Ronnies
The Jungle Book (1967 )
The Good life
4 sweets a penny
Abba
Sweet
Elvis

No central heating
3 day week
Margaret Thatcher
no jobs
Walking to school
snow in the winter
2 to a bedroom
One B/W tv per house with 2 channels

Rose tinted hardship?


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## Foxholer (Mar 22, 2015)

Early lesson cancel? 

Or is TV on the blink?


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## Pin-seeker (Mar 22, 2015)

I certainly think i had it better as a kid (I'm now 33) than kids have it these days. 
No FaceBook,smart phone,internet,online gaming...
We use to play football,build dens,ride bikes....
And if we did play computer games we were playing them together. 
People now (not just kids) seem to be constantly on their phones.


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

bobmac said:



			Endless summers playing outside
Morecombe and Wise
The 2 Ronnies
The Jungle Book (1967 )
The Good life
4 sweets a penny
Abba
Sweet
Elvis

No central heating
3 day week
Margaret Thatcher
no jobs
Walking to school
snow in the winter
2 to a bedroom
One B/W tv per house with 2 channels

Rose tinted hardship?
		
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Life was certainly different and at times a lot harder


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Mar 22, 2015)

bobmac said:



			Endless summers playing outside
Morecombe and Wise
The 2 Ronnies
The Jungle Book (1967 )
The Good life
4 sweets a penny
Abba
Sweet
Elvis

No central heating
3 day week
Margaret Thatcher
no jobs
Walking to school
snow in the winter
2 to a bedroom
One B/W tv per house with 2 channels

Rose tinted hardship?
		
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The four sweets for 1d was only good if they were fruit salads and not black jacks


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## Fish (Mar 22, 2015)

I think you appreciated things more but kids today just want, want, want and expect, they won't value things with that attitude IMO and later life can then become a huge car crash.

I hear the term, "I want them to have what I didn't" far too much, but does that stand them in good stead for the future by spoiling them too much?

How many of your kids have daily or certain chores, do the washing up, help with the garden, put the washing machine on, I don't mean skivvying but realising early doors that there's life outside of sitting playing games on the internet or being on the phone in the bedroom!


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## JustOne (Mar 22, 2015)

Fish said:



			I hear the term, "I want them to have what I didn't" far too much, but does that stand them in good stead for the future by spoiling them too much?
		
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I want my kids to have what I didn't - will it stand them in good stead? I don't know until 30yrs from now.


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## srixon 1 (Mar 22, 2015)

Fish said:



			I think you appreciated things more but kids today just want, want, want and expect, they won't value things with that attitude IMO and later life can then become a huge car crash.

I hear the term, "I want them to have what I didn't" far too much, but does that stand them in good stead for the future by spoiling them too much?

*How many of your kids have daily or certain chores, do the washing up, help with the garden, put the washing machine on, I don't mean skivvying but realising early doors that there's life outside of sitting playing games on the internet or being on the phone in the bedroom!*

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Well said Robin. In my youth, my jobs were lighting the fire, cutting the grass at weekends (that was a 3 hour job) and taking the dog for a walk. I also had a job on a dairy farm at weekends as I didn't get pocket money from my parents.

And when that was all finished "I had to lick road clean with me tongue".


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## AmandaJR (Mar 22, 2015)

I think we had it simpler - and that could also mean better...

We weren't poor but my Dad worked hard to provide for 5 kids and we did fine and learnt the value of "stuff" which has stayed with me. I think being a kid was less pressured than now and more just being a kid and having fun. Home was a sanctuary if things got rough at school but nowadays social media means there is no sanctuary.

Oh - for me it was 2 Black Jacks and 2 Fruit Salads  Plus a pack of Savoury Vinegar crisps (Smiths I think)!


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## JustOne (Mar 22, 2015)

I used to be out of the house by 6am to do a paper round, fell off my bike numerous times when the paper-bag hit the spokes. Used to get home 7.30am frozen solid in the Winter, close to tears, only to get ready and go stand at the school bus stop for 30mins.

There's NO WAY I'm going to do that to my son. No paper round, and I'm happy to give him a lift to school.


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## c1973 (Mar 22, 2015)

srixon 1 said:



			Well said Robin. In my youth, my jobs were lighting the fire, cutting the grass at weekends (that was a 3 hour job) and taking the dog for a walk. I also had a job on a dairy farm at weekends as I didn't get pocket money from my parents.

And when that was all finished "*I had to lick road clean with me tongue"*. 

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I wondered how long it would take for the gents from Yorkshire to make an appearance. 


Was it 'better'? Probably not, I think I just miss it. 

But I'd rather have been playing football, British bulldog, rounders, building dens, building bogies (carties), making homemade bow n arrows etc than playing computer games.


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

c1973 said:



			I wondered how long it would take for the gents from Yorkshire to make an appearance. 


Was it 'better'? Probably not, I think I just miss it. 

*But I'd rather have been playing football, British bulldog, rounders, building dens, building bogies (carties), making homemade bow n arrows etc than playing computer games*.
		
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Add in kick the can , cricket in the summer , tennis , swingball , riding bikes. 

IMO its part of the reason why we struggle at sports - too many playing on a computer instead of playing the actual game


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## c1973 (Mar 22, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Add in kick the can ,* cricket in the summer *, tennis , swingball , riding bikes. 

IMO its part of the reason why we struggle at sports - too many playing on a computer instead of playing the actual game
		
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Yep, agreed.

I remember scoring around 400 runs (no joke) at cricket one day........... I hit the ball below the 'workies' hut and the fielders couldn't reach it. No 'local rule' was in place, the ball wasn't lost, they could see it, so I claimed my runs had to stand! 

Cricket was binned for the rest of that week, bad losers!!


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## bobmac (Mar 22, 2015)

And when your parents or teacher or a policeman told you to do something, you didn't dare question it, you just did it.
Or was that just me?
I cant believe how many times I've seen under 10s argueing with their parents in shops


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

bobmac said:



			And when your parents or teacher or a policeman told you to do something, you didn't dare question it, you just did it.
Or was that just me?
I cant believe how many times I've seen under 10s argueing with their parents in shops  

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If you didnt do as you were told i certainly got a slipper to the ass and couldnt sit for half hour


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## CMAC (Mar 22, 2015)

bobmac said:



*Endless summers playing outside
Morecombe and Wise
The 2 Ronnies
The Jungle Book (1967 )
The Good life
4 sweets a penny
Abba
Sweet
Elvis

No central heating
3 day week*
Margaret Thatcher
*no jobs
Walking to school
snow in the winter
2 to a bedroom*
One B/W tv per house with 2 channels

Rose tinted hardship?
		
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we've still got all that.....

on Dave

..and many parts of the country


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## guest100718 (Mar 22, 2015)

The world of today is incomparable to the world of your youth so to do so is pointless.


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## Qwerty (Mar 22, 2015)

guest100718 said:



			The world of today is incomparable to the world of your youth so to do so is pointless.
		
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You might as well just close the thread Mods.  Paddy has just killed it


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## 6inchcup (Mar 22, 2015)

ah the heady days of youth,long summers, the girl next door polishing your chopper,getting a bike for Christmas,happy days.


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## Qwerty (Mar 22, 2015)

There's no doubt Kids have a hell of of lot more opportuinitys these days but looking back I'd certainly prefer growing up in the era I did.

Loads of friends all out all day pretty much every day.  Bmx's,building ramps, Football, building dens, Fishing, Camping out, garden hopping, building carts/bogies, collecting conkers, climbing trees, Army, travallio, Knock-a-door run, 

Sure beats staring at a screen all day wearing skinny jeans and a quiff looking moody 

Musically it was better..

There has been countless musical/youth movements right back to the 50s, as far as I know.
Rock & roll, 60s type stuff,Punk,ska, prog rock,mods, new romantic, We had Madchester in the north, 80s/90s indie. Rave/ House music.

As far as I'm aware there's been nothing since the early 90s. 
It just seems teenagers have had nothing musically to call their own for some time now.  All a lot of them know is generic American garbage or extremely average stuff like George Ezra & Ed Sheeran.

Like I said.. Loads more opportuinitys but give me the 80/90s anyday.


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## c1973 (Mar 22, 2015)

Qwerty said:



			There's no doubt Kids have a hell of of lot more opportuinitys these days but looking back I'd certainly prefer growing up in the era I did.

Loads of friends all out all day pretty much every day.  Bmx's,building ramps, Football, building dens, Fishing, Camping out, garden hopping, building carts/bogies, collecting conkers, climbing trees, Army, travallio, Knock-a-door run, 
*
Sure beats staring at a screen all day wearing skinny jeans and a quiff looking moody* 

Musically it was better..

There has been countless musical/youth movements right back to the 50s, as far as I know.
Rock & roll, 60s type stuff,Punk,ska, prog rock,mods, new romantic, We had Madchester in the north, 80s/90s indie. Rave/ House music.

As far as I'm aware there's been nothing since the early 90s. 
It just seems teenagers have had nothing musically to call their own for some time now.  All a lot of them know is generic American garbage or extremely average stuff like George Ezra & Ed Sheeran.

Like I said.. Loads more opportuinitys but give me the 80/90s anyday.
		
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You seen your avatar?


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## MegaSteve (Mar 22, 2015)

Well, I wouldn't swap anything that's on offer now for what I had during my childhood except [perhaps] central heating...


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## Jabba (Mar 22, 2015)

We certainly used our imagination more.  I was the proud owner of a real, shop bought cricket bat and in summer we would play Test matches that lasted for the full 5 days, from just after breakfast until "The umpire" deemed the light unfit for play.

Now I recall, the umpire always looked remarkably like one of your mates Mum and "bad light" always coincided with tea time. 

Simple times and I remember them fondly.


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

Jabba said:



			We certainly used our imagination more.  I was the proud owner of a real, shop bought cricket bat and in summer we would play Test matches that lasted for the full 5 days, from just after breakfast until "The umpire" deemed the light unfit for play.

Now I recall, the umpire always looked remarkably like one of your mates Mum and "bad light" always coincided with tea time. 

Simple times and I remember them fondly.
		
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Brilliant times - Used to hate going in when you got the shout 

During the summer hols we were from the first light to that last light up to all sorts.

Hated when it was raining and you were stuck inside


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## Tiger man (Mar 22, 2015)

Childhood innocence is getting much shorter sadly, do you think most parents now would let their kids get up to the unsupervised things listed in this thread. Community spirit is dwindling with most going home at night and just shutting the door rather than socialising in pubs, clubs etc. sad but true and I am sure high levels of immigration is one of the main reasons. 
Prepares tin hat.


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

Tiger man said:



			Childhood innocence is getting much shorter sadly, do you think most parents now would let their kids get up to the unsupervised things listed in this thread. Community spirit is dwindling with most going home at night and just shutting the door rather than socialising in pubs, clubs etc. sad but true and *I am sure high levels of immigration is one of the main reasons*. 
Prepares tin hat.
		
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Why are you sure of that ?


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## Tiger man (Mar 22, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Why are you sure of that ?
		
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From personal experience of listening to people's opinions. Not saying the whole country is the same as I have no experience of anywhere else but there is tension around me for sure.


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## Jabba (Mar 22, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Hated when it was raining and you were stuck inside
		
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Especially as there was no telly during the day.  I played 1,000's of games of Monopoly and Take the Brain with my brother.

Anyone else remember the board game Take the Brain ? It was like chess on LSD


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## 6inchcup (Mar 22, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Why are you sure of that ?
		
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could be down south full of scousers,get a few quid and they cant get away quick enough,then alaways say "ARR INIT GREAT LA"when anyone mentions scotty rd.cilla that w ***er TARBY most ignorant man in the world,played in a 4 ball with him many moons ago,never spoke a word unless spectators near then arm around you and banter.


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## User20205 (Mar 22, 2015)

Does no one see the irony of referencing monty Python in this thread?? 

That sketch must be 40 years old, and a parody of the moaning old buggers of that time.


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

Tiger man said:



			From personal experience of listening to people's opinions. Not saying the whole country is the same as I have no experience of anywhere else but there is tension around me for sure.
		
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But why does immigration stop kids playing football outside instead of playing it on the playstation ?

How does immigation stop kids from enjoying themselves outside instead of being stuck in front of the telly or on a games console ?


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 22, 2015)

6inchcup said:



			could be down south full of scousers,get a few quid and they cant get away quick enough,then alaways say "ARR INIT GREAT LA"when anyone mentions scotty rd.cilla that w ***er TARBY most ignorant man in the world,played in a 4 ball with him many moons ago,never spoke a word unless spectators near then arm around you and banter.
		
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Can someone translate that for me please


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## Sponge1980 (Mar 22, 2015)

Pin-seeker said:



			I certainly think i had it better as a kid (I'm now 33) than kids have it these days. 
No FaceBook,smart phone,internet,online gaming...
We use to play football,build dens,ride bikes....
And if we did play computer games we were playing them together. 
People now (not just kids) seem to be constantly on their phones.
		
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I agree and I'm 35. Also when we did watch tv there was Airwolf, Knight Rider, Street Hawk, the A-Team, Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum PI, the Fall Guy etc etc.


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## Sponge1980 (Mar 22, 2015)

bobmac said:



			And when your parents or teacher or a policeman told you to do something, you didn't dare question it, you just did it.
Or was that just me?
I cant believe how many times I've seen under 10s argueing with their parents in shops  

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When we were in Primary 1 and getting to the age that we were losing our baby teeth if you told the teacher that one was loose she used to pull them out for you and nobody batted an eyelid.


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## srixon 1 (Mar 22, 2015)

Sponge1980 said:



			When we were in Primary 1 and getting to the age that we were losing our baby teeth if you told the teacher that one was loose she used to pull them out for you and nobody batted an eyelid.
		
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Imagine that today. The teachers would probably be sacked and sent to prison for physical abuse.


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## Qwerty (Mar 22, 2015)

c1973 said:



			You seen your avatar? 

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I'll give you that one.... Well certainly the moody bit although I think the man himself would label it Melancholy


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 22, 2015)

World is a different and not for the better place and those idyllic days of Bob's youth (notice he never mentioned rationing) and indeed mine are long gone. Did we have it better? Possibly but far more opportunities for the yoof of today


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## Old Skier (Mar 22, 2015)




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## ScienceBoy (Mar 22, 2015)

I want my kids to have what I had.

First one is baking as we speak.


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 22, 2015)

So many reasons why kids can't play safely on the streets or be allowed to wander to the park for hours on end these days. Sad as I remember building go karts, footie games that would last what seemed all day, cricket matches etc. From the age of 10 I use to get the bus on my own to Wimbledon Common and spend all day up there just playing golf and then walked alone back across the common to the village and got the bus home. Was going to Fulham and Wimbledon football on my own by 11


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## Liverbirdie (Mar 22, 2015)

6inchcup said:



			could be down south full of scousers,get a few quid and they cant get away quick enough,then alaways say "ARR INIT GREAT LA"when anyone mentions scotty rd.cilla that w ***er TARBY most ignorant man in the world,played in a 4 ball with him many moons ago,never spoke a word unless spectators near then arm around you and banter.
		
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Unlike St.Helens and Johnny Vegas?


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## 6inchcup (Mar 22, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			Unlike St.Helens and Johnny Vegas?
		
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good riddance to him but he does still live here in a fashion and goes to the rugby,when was CILLA or TARBY rubbing shoulders with the common people in st johns market.


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## rickg (Mar 22, 2015)

Growing up in Yorkshire, I had 3 paper rounds (after school, Saturday's and Sunday's), a morning milk round before school and worked at the market fruit and veg stall Saturday's. Also played football, rugby and hockey for local sides....God only knows where I got the time to do it all....

As a result, always had money in my pocket, although it didn't stay there very long!


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## Liverbirdie (Mar 22, 2015)

6inchcup said:



			good riddance to him but he does still live here in a fashion and goes to the rugby,when was CILLA or TARBY rubbing shoulders with the common people in st johns market.
		
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Glad we're rid of them, the're both knobs.


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## Hobbit (Mar 22, 2015)

I think we had a great time, and to a certain extent made the best of the limited opportunities we had. Did we have it better? No, we had it different... kids today have opportunities to try vastly more past times and experience a wider world.

Not all of them, or even the majority, sit in front of the Xbox every spare moment.


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## USER1999 (Mar 22, 2015)

rickg said:



			Growing up in Yorkshire, I had 3 paper rounds (after school, Saturday's and Sunday's), a morning milk round before school and worked at the market fruit and veg stall Saturday's. Also played football, rugby and hockey for local sides....God only knows where I got the time to do it all....

As a result, always had money in my pocket, although it didn't stay there very long!
		
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And since than, have you done one single days work?


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 22, 2015)

murphthemog said:



			And since than, have you done one single days work?
		
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I think we both know the answer to that. Of course he hasn't and now he's busy stalking Sophie at Centurion he's not going to start now


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## Crazyface (Mar 23, 2015)

My grandson, soon to be 13, is out of the house as soon as he can. He plays football as much as possible with mates, tennis squeezed in on a Saurday morning up to 3pm with me and my mum + one other to make the four. Footie team Sunday morning. Good at all sports, the jammy thing. Thank God he got my looks and not my sporting ability.


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## john0 (Mar 23, 2015)

JustOne said:



			I want my kids to have what I didn't .
		
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A hair-cut?


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## Jimaroid (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm amused by the irony of a bunch of middle-aged men spending time on the Internet criticising the younger generation for spending too much time in front of computers. 

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.


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## Foxholer (Mar 23, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			I think we had a great time, and to a certain extent made the best of the limited opportunities we had. *Did we have it better? No, we had it different*... kids today have opportunities to try vastly more past times and experience a wider world.

Not all of them, or even the majority, sit in front of the Xbox every spare moment.
		
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Absolutely agree with this!


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## bobmac (Mar 23, 2015)

Jimaroid said:



			I'm amused by the irony of a bunch of middle-aged men spending time on the Internet criticising the younger generation for spending too much time in front of computers. 

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.
		
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The OP was about did we have it better, not criticising today's kids


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## MegaSteve (Mar 23, 2015)

When I left school there were thousands of 'proper' apprenticeships on offer providing you a strong platform for the rest of your working life... All my grandchildren will have to look forward to will be zero hour contracts... Thank you David and George...


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## Hobbit (Mar 23, 2015)

MegaSteve said:



			When I left school there were thousands of 'proper' apprenticeships on offer providing you a strong platform for the rest of your working life... All my grandchildren will have to look forward to will be zero hour contracts... Thank you David and George...
		
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Zero hours contracts have been around long before David and George took office. The company I work for has been using them for at least 10yrs...


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## MegaSteve (Mar 23, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			Zero hours contracts have been around long before David and George took office. The company I work for has been using them for at least 10yrs...
		
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The company I work for now uses them for majority of its employment needs... It didn't before as it would have struggled to get folk to accept them... The climate brought about in the last five years has enabled them to now do so without real issue... Glad my working life is nearly at the end....


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## Rooter (Mar 23, 2015)

Society has deemed it impossible to give the freedom to kids that we had. Too many nutters and weirdo's about now. (not that there weren't any in the past!)


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## Jimaroid (Mar 23, 2015)

bobmac said:



			The OP was about did we have it better, not criticising today's kids
		
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You started it on that line but it was rapidly extrapolated by others into criticism of our younger generation's habits. I just feel the young need a bit more of a fair representation. We were all in their shoes once and it's remarkable how easily we forget our parents' criticisms of what we did as teenagers isn't it?

Did we have it better? No, it was just different. What I hope is that people have the freedoms, opportunities and luck to lead a happy life however they choose, the same way we did.


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## MegaSteve (Mar 23, 2015)

Rooter said:



			Society has deemed it impossible to give the freedom to kids that we had. Too many nutters and weirdo's about now. (not that there weren't any in the past!)
		
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When I were a lad we'd jump on our bikes and cycle for miles... Getting to all sorts of places... I'd be scared witless, these days, if my grandsons were out and about in similar fashion...


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## chrisd (Mar 23, 2015)

I grew up in a council estate in Croydon as one of 5 kids and a mother with no money. Did my first paper round at 10 and then got a butchers boys job and worked their until I left school at 15.  I had to help support the family from my job. 

We did play football all day when the holidays came and, like Homer, at 11 we could much do what we liked, I remember going into London and roaming round the sights at weekends on an all day bus ticket going into Parliament and museums etc

Was it better than today, yes in many ways but most people made their own amusements, there was little money and we didn't have cars to ferry us. We were more streetwise than today's kids but never under so much pressure than they are now.


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## Foxholer (Mar 23, 2015)

bobmac said:



			And when your parents or teacher or a policeman told you to do something, you didn't dare question it, you just did it.
Or was that just me?
I cant believe how many times I've seen under 10s argueing with their parents in shops  

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I'm sure I can remember 'But Mum...' being a fairly common start to a sentence 'back in those days' too. It always amused me to realise that the words i used to convince the lot I helped grow up were exactly the same words as my parents with us!


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## guest100718 (Mar 23, 2015)

I am one of 4 (not Borg) and have 3 kids of my own, they have the same freedom to go out and about as I did as child. I don't think we had it any better, just different.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 23, 2015)

To be honest I'd much rather be a kid nowadays than in my day. Everything is so much more accessible, I mean Spotify just about justifies that on it's own, in the olden days you have to listed to John Peel or read the Melody Maker/NME to hear about any slightly alternative music.  Nowadays everything is but a click away.

As for people rambling on about kids being lazy, just playing video games all the time and always answering back then that's mostly just lazy stereotyping. All they are doing is reacting to society today and if there is any truth to it then it is more of a judgement on crap parenting rather than the kids themselves.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 23, 2015)

Rooter said:



			Society has deemed it impossible to give the freedom to kids that we had. Too many nutters and weirdo's about now. (not that there weren't any in the past!)
		
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I imagine there were just as many in the past.  It's just now the internet has made it easier to groom children, share images etc etc if that is what they want to do.  Also people are more willing to report it and challenge people in authority if they are perpetrating the crimes and not keep it quiet as used to be more common. Also it is easier to hear about such incidents through the 24 hour rolling media, possibly giving the impression that there is more of it.


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## bladeplayer (Mar 23, 2015)

Hell Of  a good question  in the OP

In Many ways , yes , in some ways , no 

I guess as parents we strive to make our kids lives better than ours was , hence raising the expectation of what "better" actually is 

Growing up in the countryside in Ireland we had to work when we were on our holidays , we worked on the neighbours farm , then at home and on the bogs doing turf , hard work yes but we didnt know any different , it was the done thing , everyone else that we knew was doing the same thing so there was none or very little "but look at them " attitude 

The majority of people in general were poorer , people didnt or wouldnt live of credit or loans as they had been brought up to earn what they had & in turn respected it more .. 

we didnt have smart phones or the internet at te blink of an eye ,  there was no or not as much peer pressure,
 i dont think my parents understood the "value" of third level education so once we went to school , learned something , but behaved , we werent going to be in trouble .. 

There is no doubt IMO the kids of today including our own have it way better than we had it as kids , BUT it comes at a cost , the cost has been a change in society a change in values & in turn a change in respect for whats urs or more importantly what belonged to others.


 We had it better in a simpler way , we were easier pleased because we weren't bombarded & brainwashed by media advertising & the contrived version of what real life was ..


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## bobmac (Mar 23, 2015)

We were able to play in the street back then because there weren't many cars, but we had to walk to school because there weren't many cars
And what you haven't had, you haven't missed.

This thread was actually inspired by discovering the *The Lady And The Tramp* was made in 1955  years before I was born.


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Mar 23, 2015)

Great thread! I've not read all of it but I'm certainly glad I grew up 'back in the day' and enjoyed the endless outside days. I wouldn't swap it for what kids have today.


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## richart (Mar 23, 2015)

bobmac said:



			We were able to play in the street back then because there weren't many cars, but we had to walk to school because there weren't many cars
And what you haven't had, you haven't missed.

This thread was actually inspired by discovering the *The Lady And The Tramp* was made in 1955  years before I was born.
		
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 I played in the street when I was a kid, and got run over by a milk float. Bloody horse kicked me as well.:angry:


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## bobmac (Mar 23, 2015)

richart said:



			I played in the street when I was a kid, and got run over by a milk float. Bloody horse kicked me as well.:angry:
		
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I'm not surprised, trying to milk a horse


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## Smiffy (Mar 24, 2015)

I never had a paper round, but my oldest brother was a milkman, and I can remember getting up at silly o'clock to go out and help him on his deliveries at week-ends to earn myself a bob or two. Used to help our local milkman as well. If I wanted extra money I'd go scrumping cooking apples, nick my mums scales and wander around the council estate we lived on, selling them for 3d a pound! If I wasn't scrumping apples, I'd be out picking blackberries, bluebells or primroses and doing the same.
Used to disappear for hours on end, be gone all day, and my old Mum wouldn't worry. We made our own fun, either playing football all day, walk for hours and hours to find the best chestnut trees and gorge ourselves silly on them.
The one thing I don't envy kids of today is trying to find a job. In my day, you just walked in somewhere, asked if they had any jobs and you'd start the following day! No interviews, no CV. You'd just get on with it. If you didn't like it after a week or two, you'd just leave and find another one.


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## Fish (Mar 24, 2015)

I had a paper round.........for 1-day, no thank you very much!  

Then had a mate who used to bunk off school and work at a piggery sloppin' out and feeding the pigs so I used to do that on odd days and early mornings, nobody sat with me in class if I went on to school after an early shifty, I was a bit ripe 

The farmer let me use a real quality air rifle and used to pay me for shooting the rats around the farm and feed areas, I saved up and got myself a top notch rifle and it was at this point I knew my future was mapped out :smirk:


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## Doon frae Troon (Mar 24, 2015)

I have a good laugh at my daughter yelling at her kids because their rooms are so untidy.
Both my daughters had Saturday jobs from the age of 14 [1986+]

My grandson seems to do most of the things I did.
The things he can't do would probably lead to his patents being charged with neglect.
I once caddied 3 rounds in one day when I was about 12, after the paper round of course.
I would go beating in the winter months from the age of 10, thin wellies and clothes that were a long way from Gore-tex. After the paper round of course.


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## MegaSteve (Mar 24, 2015)

Smiffy said:



			The one thing I don't envy kids of today is trying to find a job. In my day, you just walked in somewhere, asked if they had any jobs and you'd start the following day! No interviews, no CV. You'd just get on with it. If you didn't like it after a week or two, you'd just leave and find another one.
		
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^^^ This... 

Couldn't agree more...


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## GB72 (Mar 24, 2015)

From what I see (and bear in mind that I am not a parent) kids are just not allowed to be kids anymore. TV, Music and media are all pushing them into growing up way before their time and they just do not get to enjoy a childhood. My mate's daughter is 12 and yet she acts and behaves in the same way that 15 or 16 year olds behaved when I was a kid. 

The fact is that there is nowhere to hide kids from all of this now. With TVs in every room and internet access everywhere they are bombarded with an image that they feel that they have to achieve rather than be themselves. At the age of 12, the most desireable piece of clothing was a pair of Dunlop Green Flash, now kids have to have the right trainers, designer outfits the lot of they want to feel part of the group. 

Give me growing up in the 70s any day of the week.


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## Blue in Munich (Mar 24, 2015)

GB72 said:



			From what I see (and bear in mind that I am not a parent) kids are just not allowed to be kids anymore. TV, Music and media are all pushing them into growing up way before their time and they just do not get to enjoy a childhood. My mate's daughter is 12 and yet she acts and behaves in the same way that 15 or 16 year olds behaved when I was a kid. 

The fact is that there is nowhere to hide kids from all of this now. With TVs in every room and internet access everywhere they are bombarded with an image that they feel that they have to achieve rather than be themselves. At the age of 12, the most desireable piece of clothing was a pair of Dunlop Green Flash, now kids have to have the right trainers, designer outfits the lot of they want to feel part of the group. 

Give me growing up in the 70s any day of the week.
		
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This.  We also didn't have the peer pressure and easy availability of drugs to worry about; if we had a fall out with someone you might get a black eye or a split lip as it was settled with fists, not guns or knives as it is today.  We didn't have computer games so went out and met other people, learnt to understand them and different points of view and were generally more tolerant.

I don't envy kids today one bit.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 24, 2015)

GB72 said:



			From what I see (and bear in mind that I am not a parent) kids are just not allowed to be kids anymore. TV, Music and media are all pushing them into growing up way before their time and they just do not get to enjoy a childhood. My mate's daughter is 12 and yet she acts and behaves in the same way that 15 or 16 year olds behaved when I was a kid. 

The fact is that there is nowhere to hide kids from all of this now. With TVs in every room and internet access everywhere they are bombarded with an image that they feel that they have to achieve rather than be themselves. At the age of 12, the most desireable piece of clothing was a pair of Dunlop Green Flash, now kids have to have the right trainers, designer outfits the lot of they want to feel part of the group. 

Give me growing up in the 70s any day of the week.
		
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As I said before, a lot of this is crap parenting. And fitting in to be part of a group has not changed one bit in decades.


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## chrisd (Mar 24, 2015)

Smiffy said:



			I never had a paper round, but my oldest brother was a milkman, and I can remember getting up at silly o'clock to go out and help him on his deliveries at week-ends to earn myself a bob or two. Used to help our local milkman as well. If I wanted extra money I'd go scrumping cooking apples, nick my mums scales and wander around the council estate we lived on, selling them for 3d a pound! If I wasn't scrumping apples, I'd be out picking blackberries, bluebells or primroses and doing the same.
Used to disappear for hours on end, be gone all day, and my old Mum wouldn't worry. We made our own fun, either playing football all day, walk for hours and hours to find the best chestnut trees and gorge ourselves silly on them.
The one thing I don't envy kids of today is trying to find a job. In my day, you just walked in somewhere, asked if they had any jobs and you'd start the following day! No interviews, no CV. You'd just get on with it. If you didn't like it after a week or two, you'd just leave and find another one.
		
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Scrumping- one of my hobbies back then!


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## Rooter (Mar 24, 2015)

chrisd said:



			Scrumping- one of my hobbies back then!
		
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Oh yes!! Mrs Jeffs garden had the best apples in our village! Not sure why we did it, never ate them, ended up throwing them at cars off the bridge on the A34.

What about conker fights? I once had a 33'r!!


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 24, 2015)

Blue in Munich said:



			This.  We also didn't have the peer pressure and easy availability of drugs to worry about; if we had a fall out with someone you might get a black eye or a split lip as it was settled with fists, not guns or knives as it is today.  We didn't have computer games so went out and met other people, learnt to understand them and different points of view and were generally more tolerant.

I don't envy kids today one bit.
		
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Not 100% sure they all settle arguments with guns and knives. Or even 0.01% of kids arguments are settled with guns and knives to be honest.

And as for being more tolerant then looking at society today then I'm not sure the 'elder generation can give the younger generation any lessons on tolerance.  As a lot of young people have grown up in a multicultural society, accept it and are less fearful of those nasty immigrants than people a lot more senior then them.


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## Deleted member 18588 (Mar 24, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			Not 100% sure they all settle arguments with guns and knives. Or even 0.01% of kids arguments are settled with guns and knives to be honest.

And as for being more tolerant then looking at society today then I'm not sure the 'elder generation can give the younger generation any lessons on tolerance.  As a lot of young people have grown up in a multicultural society, accept it and are less fearful of those nasty immigrants than people a lot more senior then them.
		
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IMO that is a somewhat romantic Blue Peter view of the attitudes of modern youth.

It may be true in the leafy suburbs where there is little real contact but that would be less of the case in many inner-city areas. Gangs are very rarely, if ever, multi-racial.


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## Stuey01 (Mar 24, 2015)

Seems most of you lot grew up in an Enid Blyton novel.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 24, 2015)

MetalMickie said:



			IMO that is a somewhat romantic Blue Peter view of the attitudes of modern youth.

It may be true in the leafy suburbs where there is little real contact but that would be less of the case in many inner-city areas. Gangs are very rarely, if ever, multi-racial.
		
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I would argue the opposite and that kids growing up in the inner city will have much more exposure to different cultures and races.  Where as kids out in the leafy shires will have a lot less.  And generally the more exposure you have to something the more you just accept it as being normal.  And are more tolerant of it.


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## Deleted member 18588 (Mar 24, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			I would argue the opposite and that kids growing up in the inner city will have much more exposure to different cultures and races.  Where as kids out in the leafy shires will have a lot less.  And generally the more exposure you have to something the more you just accept it as being normal.  And are more tolerant of it.
		
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Sorry but the kids in inner-city areas continue to divide along racial lines and tolerance of anyone, regardless of race, creed or colour is not a strong suit.

They will rely upon a number of issues to maintain their tribal position.


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## pendodave (Mar 24, 2015)

We had no phones, ipods, computers or multi channel tv.
They have no affordable housing, no secure jobs, no free university education

I think, on balance, we are well ahead of the game. We had what matters, they have what doesn't.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 24, 2015)

pendodave said:



			We had no phones, ipods, computers or multi channel tv.
They have no affordable housing, no secure jobs, no free university education

I think, on balance, we are well ahead of the game. We had what matters, they have what doesn't.
		
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Yes, but who put them into the situation of being unable to buy a house, temporary no contract jobs, having to pay for university education as the state can no longer afford it?  

Our generation does not have a lot to be proud of in that aspect.


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## Blue in Munich (Mar 24, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



*Not 100% sure they all settle arguments with guns and knives. Or even 0.01% of kids arguments are settled with guns and knives to be honest.*

And as for being more tolerant then looking at society today then I'm not sure the 'elder generation can give the younger generation any lessons on tolerance.  As a lot of young people have grown up in a multicultural society, accept it and are less fearful of those nasty immigrants than people a lot more senior then them.
		
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No they don't settle all of them with guns & knives.  But when I was a kid, they didn't settle ANY of them with guns & knives, and I prefer those odds to the risk, however small, of falling foul of one who does use guns of knives.  I don't know what the percentages are or how small they are, but I read of far too many kids being stabbed or shot these days, so for me, we had it better as it simply wasn't an issue for us.  Now it is a real issue.

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/n...death_cycling_along_caledonian_road_1_3974250

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/crime-court/boy_15_stabbed_in_holloway_1_3943815

http://www.newseast.org.uk/news/update-teenager-stabbed-in-back-and-leg-in-chelmsford-suspect

Not prevalent thenâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦...


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## Deleted member 18588 (Mar 24, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			Yes, but who put them into the situation of being unable to buy a house, temporary no contract jobs, having to pay for university education as the state can no longer afford it?  

Our generation does not have a lot to be proud of in that aspect.
		
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A complete distortion of the truth in much the same way that UKIP supporters twist the facts on immigration.

Comparative wages for younger people are much higher, there is no more difficulty in buying a house now than in the 70's, some are on zero hours contracts but far more young people are now entering further education than in those days.


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## Jimaroid (Mar 25, 2015)

MetalMickie said:



			but far more young people are now entering further education than in those days.
		
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At what cost?

I see and know of a lot of degree educated shelf stackers, care workers and call centre employees scraping a living because there aren't other opportunities available. They are clever, heavily indebted, still living with the parents unable to afford to rent a place of their own or living in over subscribed HMOs. These aren't stupid or lazy people, there simply isn't anything better for them, they are stuck on the bottom rung with little ability to break free. They face a life of debt, few savings with little hope of pension because they'll be paying for the previous generations overspending and greedy attitudes.

We have bankrupted the young. It's a disgrace.


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## Deleted member 18588 (Mar 25, 2015)

Jimaroid said:



			At what cost?

I see and know of a lot of degree educated shelf stackers, care workers and call centre employees scraping a living because there aren't other opportunities available. They are clever, heavily indebted, still living with the parents unable to afford to rent a place of their own or living in over subscribed HMOs. These aren't stupid or lazy people, there simply isn't anything better for them, they are stuck on the bottom rung with little ability to break free. They face a life of debt, few savings with little hope of pension because they'll be paying for the previous generations overspending and greedy attitudes.

We have bankrupted the young. It's a disgrace.
		
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Many of those would have been better advised leaving school, getting a job and continuing with vocational training.

The massive upsurge in university students has now been going on for over 30 years and is one of the greatest cons carried out on the British public. How many media studies graduates does our country need?


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