I have said a few times in this forum how I think this generation of kids have really got something happening. With all the hype about the dangers of the internet and our connected lives there seems to be some real positives being derived one of which is the informing and empowering of our children.

This was a video posted the other day of Tony Abbott talking to a group of Year 9 students outside parliament house in Canberra.

http://youtu.be/yBZwu5bAEdo

The questions from the students were all hard hitting and topical, and the derision certainly mounted with every answer Abbott gave.

This seems to reflect my experiences with this younger generation. Respect can be quickly lost and the bulldust detectors are pretty well honed. You give them a narrative they can get behind and they seem capable of some terrific things. Lose them and you have your work cut out for you. This confidence, and not being prepared to give unearned difference to others, even Prime Ministers, can be unsettling and confronting to some but I welcome it.

I am looking forward to seeing what they make of our country once they take the reins, It just might be inspiring.

Steele reedux,
Yeah, smack-bang in ALP territory & with questions about homosexuality intstead of employment, economy, law & order etc. Wow, these kids ar switched on. As long as you think so SR our future is assured. :-(

Dear SteeleRedux,

I find most young people inspiring.
Perhaps I've been lucky. But running
school-group tours, book-clubs,
story time sessions, I've been impressed
by the children and teenagers I've come
in contact with. Their parents and their
teachers must be doing something right.

You are so right there Steele redux.
I enjoy mixing with young people and young adults as I do agree they have a much more informed view of current and world events than we ever did at that age.

They also, in the main, seem to be far more tolerant of minority groups, different sexuality and other religious or non religious groups these days.

Maybe some aren't blindly following what their racist, homophobic, bigoted and/or generally intolerant parents thought.....thank goodness!

I know my parents were generally quite intolerant of those different to them, whereas I had to deal with those 'teachings' in a different way, so I could be an effective nurse for all patients.
My daughter takes everyone as they come, and I am proud to see that.

Dear Individual,

Thank you for your comment.

Dear Foxy and Susieonline,

I too am involved with that age group and a little older. They are using media differently. For instance the 'Today Tonight' is one of the most tilted toward the older generation and its anti immigrant/anti-climate change messages played to that demographic very well. This was a cohort brought up on the medium of television where critical thinking was not encouraged and interaction was distinctly limited. It was also a medium controlled by bosses like Rupert and the chase for ratings ends up with this sort of disgraceful behaviour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUryKmSZwuQ

And we know more than a few old OLOers who lap this sort of stuff up and regurgitate it here.

When I first looked at the video a couple of days ago it was a little under 30,000 views, it is now over 259,000 (What is it about Abbott and highly viewed Youtube clips? Remember the misogynist speech). That sort of exposure for a political media item is exceedingly rare in Australia, especially through mainstream media, but not in the world our youth is inhabiting. Is it open for the kind of abuse described in the above link? Of course, but the opportunity for this sort of unscripted release by a teenager is now there, probably much to the consternation of the gatekeepers.

Just a note, when one of my kids was watching this they actually commented about the 'rudeness' of the students and said they were uncomfortable listening to them. Then Abbott said 'Let's hear a bloke's question now!' or words to that effect the mouth dropped and the hackles shot up. Zero sympathy.

"Yeah, smack-bang in ALP territory & with questions about homosexuality intstead of employment, economy, law & order etc."
Indi, speaking from a point of ignorance once again. The school might be in King Street Newtown, but The Newtown High School of the Performing Arts draws it student body from all over Sydney, even the sons and daughters of 'Leafy North Shore Liberals' attend the school, that's leafy not lefty. Then again a bit of stereotyping is in order, performing arts, homosexuals, don't play rugby, arty farty's, Newtown, lefty, on and on, vote Labor, worse still, vote Green. LOL.
I just don't know what it is about conservatives, you would think by the law of averages they would get something right, sometime, but they get nothing right! Amazing.