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The "alien" world-view of some teenagers you are seeing today is not so much due to economic factors but technology.
I'm a Graphic Designer working with a variety of clients that I have never met in my life. Also, I can't remember when was the last time I saw something I want and 'must have' sitting in a display window in a mall. Most of the time I stumble on these things online. So I don't really shop around much, except for camera gear!! It's always fun checking out the latest and greatest in a store... but I don't buy there. I search online for the best deals and place my order.
Fact is I'm in my thirties and only got my license last year. Was it a life changing experience? No. Did I feel I wasted my time. To a degree.
My brother, closer to the new techno-driven generation (a very avid gamer) hates driving. He needs to do it for his job but he hates spending the X-amount of dollars on his car payments every month and would rather use it to get himself a horse! No kidding. He loves horse riding but due to his limited financial possibilities he can't do it right now. Also, he walks most of the time to get out and about and says he can't get the same satisfaction from sitting inside a vehicle.
But here's the funny thing. I would LOVE driving but only to do rally's. If I can get myself any cheap bloody thing and I had the money to rig it up I would love to do that. But I won't get into a car to go strolling through a mall other than by groceries. For anything else I'd rather bum a ride! If the offer wasn't there I would walk (and get more exercise than most bloody people today) or invest a bit of money to taxi my ass where it needs to be (and that is once in a blue moon). I used to walk to every one of my jobs and I can't say it was all bad. But then, I stayed away from cities. Although I heard from a friend of mine that Europe is pretty damn awesome in public transport. She never needed a car and traveled all over the continent.
Aaaaanywayz....
You see what I am getting at? We are a generation of entertainers and entertainment. Our whole society is riding on the backbone of having fun. From news channels, movies, documentaries, sports, gaming (of course), the choice of your job (motivated by reality TV shows) and even war!! Technology has released us from the burden of responsibility and given us a very awkward kind of utopia. Not yet fulfilling as it should be but we are slowly savoring the first samples of a man-made heaven.
If you don't like your job then leave. There are a gazillion opportunities for you to explore through digital mediums. At the moment, I have to agree. The economy is harsh and I for one do not point finger at anyone for being jobless. Good lord, I know from personal experience what jobless means. But then again, try something online, give people escape (entertainment) and you will be a millionaire overnight. The Indie gaming industry has grown totally out of proportion over the past three years. And why? Technology, the availability of critical information and I think a good dose of escape. So start investing.
Are our generation irresponsible? Only as far as our technological has allowed us.
With the US, Russia and China most likely going to face it off in the Middle East for oil (triggered by Iran) it makes sense to me that our society is (maybe in a subjective way) trying to prepare us for a massive adaptation to a new world. I read somewhere that automatic driving cars has been developed with great success but the implementation is still a way off. Autonomous car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And we are already experiencing the first steps into this new world!!!
And pilots are already slowly being replaced by drones. In twenty-fifty years we might see the first computer controlled Boeing's, Airbuses or fighters (if war still exists).
You are feeling the changes and I am. Don't fight it and let it take it's course. Who knows, in twenty years time we might experience a real life Minority Report, without all the big brother stuff
Last edited by AperturePriority; 11-20-2012 at 04:10 AM..
Cars are insanely expensive, EVEN IF you make good money (like my wife and I do). Here's what I think is a pretty middle-of-the-road (monthly) breakdown of expenses associated with a car:
Monthly payment: $300
Insurance: $60
Registration: $10
Gas: $120
Inspections/Repairs/Maintenance: $50 (this one could be anything, realistically)
That's $540 per month....just to drive one car. This doesn't count speeding tickets, accidents, etc. (to be fair, it also doesn't count vehicles that are paid off). For that price, we could go away for one night a month, have a nice dinner and a night on the town.
Now, let's consider the negative experiences:
1. Traffic is bad in a lot of metros. There are plenty of good commutes/drives, but traffic is only getting worse, which increases the likelihood of accidents, boring and frustrating delays. Think about the people who run up the right, despite the flashing arrow that's telling you that you need to merge. People are just not respectful on the roads and it makes my blood boil.
2. Unless you love driving in any circumstances, driving is not an extension of your leisure time. I've sat behind the wheel of my car exhausted after a looonnnngggg day of work too many times. It makes hard days harder. I can't read, sleep, stare out the window, etc., because I'm too busy driving. Many days I would get home and then go out for a walk to clear my head because I was so sick of sitting.
3. It's a HUGE responsibility to drive, regarding safety and expenses. Just getting a flat tire can cost a lot of money, delay you for hours, and put you in danger.
The last thing that I've hinted on already is safety:
Quote:
Motor vehicle fatalities by age group
According to the Centers for Disease Control, here are the top 3 causes of death by age group (yeah, depressing stuff I know!). Check out what consistently ranks at the top. Yup, motor vehicle accidents (shown as Unintentional MV Traffic in blue).
Note that there is nothing about plane crashes, snakes, spiders, or even werewolves. So many people are afraid of so many things, but when it comes to driving, no problem! The repetition of driving relaxes us and we are all guilty of letting our guard down.
Chances of being involved in an injury accident
Get ready, because this is some scary stuff. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), two out of three motorists will be involved in an injury accident during their life! Whether you are the one who becomes injured or not is another story, but that's some eye opening stuff. Two out of three? Geeze!
To add insult to injury (pun sort of intended), as a motorist you can expect to be involved in an accident once every 10 years. Even if you're the best driver in the world, you can't control other peoples driving. So once every decade or so, expect to be involved in a traffic crash. How long has it been for you? Oh, and I almost forgot... There is a 1 in 20 chance that the crash you have will involve a serious injury. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Regarding the numbers, I believe the CDC left out health-related deaths (e.g. cancer, heart attacks, etc.). The stats are for "injury deaths". These numbers are no fun to look at. While teens are hardly overly concerned with safety, I can say that I knew kids that died in high school and one was a friend. That changed my perspective on driving. Even if it's not a huge deal to a teen, it's certainly not a pro on top of the issues around expenses and responsibility.
I'm in my late 20's
...
My guess is xbox live they can play games with friends without going to their house. That and facebook, twitter, etc. Just seems so wierd to me 18 year old kids who aren't driving nad have no desire to get a license. Play online with freinds and mom drives them where they need to go
lol you're not that old, stop talking like a 40 year old.
It's a lot tougher for teenagers to get jobs. Without a job it's hard to own a car. Most teens will go straight to college after high school where they may continue to not need a car. See where this is going? Lots of people don't even need a car until they graduate college and there's nothing wrong with that.
I see that this will reduce the need for new cars for recent graduates. They will tend to work in metro areas with good public transport and high enough wages to pay off college loans in five years or so. This reduced demand will start cutting production and profit. This will not bode well for our economy as automobiles and related sales are a large portion of our spending.
FWIW - I am an unrepentant car freak with a peasant’s budget so I rely on buying used cars over 8 years old with more than 100k on the meter. These are bought for less than 5 grand cash and driven until rust makes them transparent. When I want sporty driving I take my motorcycle out and drive the wheels off it. I expect new graduates to not have very much more free money for cars.
I think it's just too expensive and too much trouble for people.
I am 32, and when I started driving, I was able to get a very cheap beater car that ran well for a couple of years. Gas was around $1 a gallon, and I was able to have just liability insurance.
Now, beater cars are very hard to find, especially a reliable one. Yes, it can be done, but, it's a lot of work.
If you buy that beater car, you are probably going to be pouring a lot of money into maintenance and repairs. If you are a 17 year old, you would be lucky to have a job, and it would probably be paying minimum wage or just a tad better.
Buying a new one or even a heavily used one is going to cost a ton. You would probably have to finance it, and, of course, you won't have any credit to do that, unless someone would cosign. Just for giggles, lets pretend you just financed a 10000 car. Over 5 years, thats around 200 a month+ full coverage insurance, which, could be 200 more a month or more. Then gas, maintenance, etc etc. How is someone supposed to pay that on 20 hours a week of minimum wage?
My kids (Teens) seem to do everything on line with all their friends,no real need to go out any more. so not much need for all the financial burdens of a car..
Kinda interesting, because even I, at my age, (mid forties) feel like driving is more of a hassle, a "necessary evil" if you will.
When I first got my DL, until about up to 10 years ago I loved to drive. A 1500 mile road trip was a beautiful thing
Now, I **** and moan about driving 20 minutes to Walmart
I think all of the things mentioned in the above posts (economics and technology) play a role in a decreased interest in young folks driving ( unless they live in the "sticks" like me)
Cars are insanely expensive, EVEN IF you make good money (like my wife and I do). Here's what I think is a pretty middle-of-the-road (monthly) breakdown of expenses associated with a car:
Monthly payment: $300
Insurance: $60
Registration: $10
Gas: $120
Inspections/Repairs/Maintenance: $50 (this one could be anything, realistically)
That's $540 per month....just to drive one car. This doesn't count speeding tickets, accidents, etc. (to be fair, it also doesn't count vehicles that are paid off). For that price, we could go away for one night a month, have a nice dinner and a night on the town.
Now, let's consider the negative experiences:
1. Traffic is bad in a lot of metros. There are plenty of good commutes/drives, but traffic is only getting worse, which increases the likelihood of accidents, boring and frustrating delays. Think about the people who run up the right, despite the flashing arrow that's telling you that you need to merge. People are just not respectful on the roads and it makes my blood boil.
2. Unless you love driving in any circumstances, driving is not an extension of your leisure time. I've sat behind the wheel of my car exhausted after a looonnnngggg day of work too many times. It makes hard days harder. I can't read, sleep, stare out the window, etc., because I'm too busy driving. Many days I would get home and then go out for a walk to clear my head because I was so sick of sitting.
3. It's a HUGE responsibility to drive, regarding safety and expenses. Just getting a flat tire can cost a lot of money, delay you for hours, and put you in danger.
The last thing that I've hinted on already is safety:
Regarding the numbers, I believe the CDC left out health-related deaths (e.g. cancer, heart attacks, etc.). The stats are for "injury deaths". These numbers are no fun to look at. While teens are hardly overly concerned with safety, I can say that I knew kids that died in high school and one was a friend. That changed my perspective on driving. Even if it's not a huge deal to a teen, it's certainly not a pro on top of the issues around expenses and responsibility.
Interesting post, but I got a car w/ 60,000 miles for around 6,000 (well my mom did ). With a job, I pay for the gas, insurance, and all other expenses. So insurance is around $80 a month, gas is around $90 a month, and averaging out repairs over a year/12 is around 25-50 I guess. My point is it's manageable, expense wise, to afford a car given one has a job and one starts off with a lower end car (higher mileage, but lower price, therefore no payments).
Furthermore, people in general do have a major misconception in regards to feeling safe while driving. On average, on my way to school I see at least one accident being cleaned up every other day and it usually occurs around the same stretch where heavy merging occurs.
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Technology has released us from the burden of responsibility and given us a very awkward kind of utopia. Not yet fulfilling as it should be but we are slowly savoring the first samples of a man-made heaven.
Where this is going?
