Is there something more to the title EXPECATIONS or is this it? Should we blame violent movies and video games, that ‘misogynistic hip-hop music’, poverty, the lack of discipline, selfishness, cell phones and the Internet, or just good old-fashioned godless heathenism? Is there any truth to any of that or does it just ‘feel right’ compared to our preconceived notions? Are we just trying to avoid cognitive dissonance or is there really a problem unique to ‘those damn millennials’ as is often heard on social media that is being decried for.

Do you use your smart-phone while attending to your kids? If you do, you're in the majority, but you may want to rethink about your attachment to your device. A recent study found that over 70 per cent of parents, nannies, and adult babysitters use their cellphones while watching their kids play on the playground. While the time spent on phones was generally brief, people were engrossed and seem to be addicted to it. Furthermore, when researchers observed a child trying to interrupt an adult using a phone, they saw that the child was unable to get the adult's attention 56 per cent of the time. (Meanwhile, if an adult was merely chatting away with a friend or helping a sibling it can be difficult to let go of technology and live in the moment especially after a busy day in the office.)

HAS IT CHANGED? Indeed, times have changed in innumerable ways and so have the youth. Our epheiphobia, fear of young people ruining our previously pristine world, is nothing new. In the past, People blamed dancehalls, rock music, TV, and the like. Now, we blame Cellphones, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. I agree that with the advancement of technology and the access to it granted to kids at a younger age making them tech savvy, the world is made smaller and their perspective of life differs.

THE CONCLUSION: Finally the root cause with most kids being ill mannered or hostile is us ill treating them, not being supportive and in some cases unaware about their lives, curbing them which thereby holds them back from availing the various opportunities the world has to offer, pressurizing them, holding expectations, and picking at them in case they fail to fulfil our expectations by terming them as 'failures', and sometimes treating them as our punching bags when frustrated or due to fatigue after a tiring day. At the same time, we are the same ones to criticise such parents and try to sympathise with them neglecting the fact that we are sailing in the same ship. Modern parents need to treat their children with love, care and understanding & not by adhering to violent means or creating fear and discomfort. Gifting kids with the upcoming phones or brands is not what they require.

One should not forget to keep in mind that grandparents play a very important role in their grandchild’s life, hence the more time they spend with them, the better it is. 

This article is entirely based on real life situations. I just felt the need to make a mention of it, as I thought the more one is vocal about something, the more people would acknowledge the same and pay heed to it as well.