Generation Shut Down (Please Wait…)

I have to start out with saying that I am not a parent and do not have children of my own, but feel as if I need to say something about the children of this generation.  I am not an expert on the subject and I do not mean to insult those parents that HAVE raised good and decent children (for that…I applaud you), but I have to say that the children of “Generation Z” are going downhill.

Illustrating Generation "Z" Being Lost in Technology

I hate to say it, but I think this generation of children will either 1. Be the demise of the U.S., or 2. Be the end of the world.  Is that a little harsh?  Yes.  You might ask why I say this and it’s for many reasons.  I partly blame schools, television/media, the rise in technological advancement, and those greedy people involved in these areas that just want to become rich or richer…no matter the outcome.  However, everything from the creation of new television shows to new technology is ultimately just making people dumber and lazier…ESPECIALLY our nation and even our world’s youth!  Parents are the other part to blame, but before I get to them, I want to share my thoughts and feelings on my conclusions.

My rant on this subject started after I heard on the news the other day that a northern school would be removing “Cursive Handwriting” out of their curriculum and replacing it with “Computer Based Skills.”  Their reason was that with the rise in technology, cursive was becoming obsolete and that it just takes too long to teach cursive.  Come on scholars, YOU are MAKING cursive obsolete.  I mean how long does it really take to learn cursive?  I remember when I was younger that I was reading and writing in cursive within one school year and every school year after was made to write every paper in cursive.  It didn’t take 5-10 years of schooling to learn cursive; it only took that long to perfect it.  I also remember that it took a half a school year to learn a keyboard and then the other half to learn layouts and formatting for documents and letters.  Look Mom! I’m typing right now without looking at the keys, but you know what?!  I bet I can still pick up a pen and paper and write everything I’m saying now in cursive!

If schools take cursive out of their curriculum, a child’s mind will not grow in the same way; it will diminish their ability to have a creative mind and will ultimately set them up for failure and to be lazy.  Not only will they not gain hand strength from writing, but they will start their life off being lazy, sitting at a desk behind a computer; whilst they will want to remain at the computer because of the World Wide Web and online gaming.  As well, if cursive is removed, how will children be able to read historical documents like the Declaration of Independence or delve into the art of childhood love letters?  The worst scenario being they grow up to be an adult and can’t even sign their own name to a document.

Some schools say that they will teach the letters and teach them how to sign their own name, but what good is this?  This generation of children wouldn’t care to learn or remember any other letters than what they need to sign their own name.  They would go around being able to WRITE their own name, but not be able to READ or WRITE other people’s names or documents.  My standpoint; it doesn’t take long at all to teach or learn either one!  I mean if schools are going to use time to teach parts of cursive, why not take a little more time to teach it all the way?!

Next on the list would be technology.  Am I in any way bashing technology?  Hell, no!  I love technology.  As I wrote in my description, I don’t really get the whole online social networking or even the whole ins and outs of it, but technology is cool.  It makes our lives simpler by being faster and letting us have the ability to multi-task, but it also makes us lazy.  I mean how many hours do we, as adults, spend sitting in front of the computer?!  Yet, we are starting the younger generation out in front of one?

Do I own a laptop?  Yes.  A huge flatscreen HD/TV?  Yes.  A smartphone?  Yes.  An Xbox 360?  Yes.  Do I love to play on or use every one of them?  Yes!  However, it is the younger generation that I am worried about having these things.

 I have literally seen quite a few 5 year olds (mainly girls) that have cell phones!  I mean what does a child that age need with a cell phone?  Who could they possibly need to call?  What happens when they lose it as most kids that age tend to do with everything?  I could see a teen around middle school having one, but even then, it is not needed.  Not to mention it is that much more of a distraction in school.  I, myself, didn’t get my first cell phone until the summer before college.  I relied on my house, school, or parent’s cell phone.  There is no need for young children to have cell phones.  Plus, giving them one makes them dumber by not allowing them to remember either their own phone number or emergency numbers…what happens when they lose their phone and can’t remember emergency numbers?

Technology has given us the television and media, so next on the list to blame would be the latter.  Younger children and teens because of television and the media think they can get by in the world just on their actions or looks.  This is especially true for younger females.   The media harps on fashion and looking sexy/hot or cool/manly.  Children will eventually start to disregard their schooling because they think that they will be able to get by on their looks.  I mean look around at malls nowadays…you’ve got little girls walking around in heels, teenage girls walking around in skirts that are too short, and guys walking around with pants down to their ankles.  There’s no reason for anyone to dress like that!

Where do they get this from, though?  The media and television!  They see television shows like MTV’s new degrading and corrupt show, “Skins.”  Then there are shows like “Teen Mom” and “16 & Pregnant,” and they think, “Oh, well if they did it, I can too!  I’ll go do this and become a celebrity or be more popular.”  These TV networks say that they portray teen “reality,” but really it is compilation of 4-5 pregnant teens…or in “Skins” case, teen actors that are half-naked having sex and doing drugs.  Yet, somehow networks are able to convince teens that these TV shows represent the entire teen population.

The next entity to blame is the gaming industry, whether it is PC or console.  I can’t lie, but I do enjoy playing video games myself.  However, I am not obsessed with them so much that I play them 5+ hours a day.  I grew up with my mom only allowing me and my brother to play an hour a day.  Then we would go outside and play in the yard or with the neighbors.  Even if we didn’t want to go out that day, we were MADE to go outside…the outcome was us always having fun.  We were also given the opportunity to choose an extracurricular activity, but we HAD to do something.  My parents every year gave us the choice of learning an instrument, playing sports, or joining clubs, such as the Boy Scouts.  We were able to grow in our own way by choosing what we wanted to learn or participate in.  I, myself, chose to do two things: sports and Boy Scouts.  Yet, this “Generation Z” is allowed to stay inside and play video games for hours upon hours and do whatever they want.

Then there are kids that are obsessed with PC games like World of Warcraft that play day in and day out.  One of my friends told me he shut his little brother’s computer down while he was playing this game, and his brother punched a hole through the wall he was so angry.  A past girlfriend's brothers would make death threats towards their parents (even at 5 years old) when they would deny them their video games.

This younger generation is definitely technologically advanced, but still there is no reason for allowing them to constantly play video games for however long they want and behave however they want.  So, this is where the parents come in…

I partially blame parents for their lack in parenting.  I do agree with letting your child grow independently and letting them be involved in what they like to do.  However, with this rise in technology, choosing technology over sports seems to be the preferred choice of many teens.  So, it is the parents’ responsibility to their children to allow them to play only an hour or two a day…and ONLY after their homework is done.  My ex-girlfriend’s mom (when she found out her children didn’t do their homework the night before) would force my ex to do their homework for them, just so they would not get in trouble at school.  I mean what kind of parenting is that?  This is only one example, but it happens everywhere and all the time.  Parents sometimes even do their child’s homework.  It’s like they care enough to not have their kid get in trouble at school, but they don’t care enough to have them excel in school.  Does that make any sense?

As well, if teens are engaging in sex and drugs like they are advertising on these demoralizing shows; then it’s the parents fault for not having a tighter leash on their children.  I mean where were the parents on these shows when these teen girls are having sex and ending up pregnant?  However, it’s the parents’ responsibility to block channels like this and not allow their children to view crap that does nothing but kill brain cells.  Humans have billions of brain cells and exceedingly more when we are younger.  We lose brain cells as we grow older, and so when parents allow their children to fill their brains with nothing but hours upon hours of video games and television; this ends up being the only thing they know or can reference.  It is the parents’ responsibility to fashion their children to be useful and contribute to society.  This technological era is ruining a child’s mind to be creative, scientific, talented, athletic, democratic, or even sociable.

Technology has put us in a world of non-physical communication, as well, even as adults.  We text, chat, Facebook, Myspace, Skype, email, or talk via headsets.  We do this more than ever before and it is becoming more so in the younger generation.  Instead of visiting a friend’s house; kids are chatting on Facebook or over video game consoles.  Instead of calling their friend; they text.  Some businesses are even doing this with job applications or resumes being submitted online or interviews being conducted over the phone.  Our younger generation is becoming less sociable…and partially a result of growing technology.

Now, I know this isn’t the first time this has been said, but this is just my thoughts on the subject.  As well, it does not include all parents or children.  I again applaud those parents that regulate their children’s technological use or have kids in extracurricular activities.  I also applaud those of “Generation Z” that want to exceed in life.

For those in the movie, television, or entertainment business; I urge you to shut down your productions of filth “meant for children/teen population” that demoralizes and corrupts them and future generations of this country and world.  Shut down your thoughts of making a quick buck and produce something that is entertaining as well as educational.  I mean whatever happened to shows like “Family Matters,” “Full House,” “The Cosby Show,” and even shows like, “Hey Dude!”

For those parents that are opposite of the above; I urge you to shut down your child’s computer, shut down their gaming consoles, shut down their cell phones, shut down the TV, and start responsibly parenting for the better of your children and our world.  I urge you to have them play sports, pick up a book, go to a friend’s house, and just have them get involved in something that doesn’t involve a screen, keys, or buttons before you allow them to shut down their minds.

Writing this blog post came just at the right time in order to be able to mention President Obama’s State of the Union Address when he stated:

“Over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school education.  And yet, as many as a quarter of our students aren’t even finishing high school.  The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations.  America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree.  And so the question is whether all of us –- as citizens, and as parents –- are willing to do what’s necessary to give every child a chance to succeed.

That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities.  It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child.  Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done.  We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.  We need to teach them that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline.  Our schools share this responsibility.  When a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance.”

PIC | my phase line green | KLE

For copyright purposes; I’ll go ahead and give credit to Nicholas Warr for his book, Phase Line Green.  Just in case I get in trouble later for using his title as a blog post.  Not that this post has anything to do with the book; however, it is a good book!

As you can see from my post’s title; phase line green is IN a pickle.  If you don’t know what a phase line is; it’s a term the military uses to distinguish an imaginary line on a map/terrain to coordinate phases of an operation(s).  An enemy threat level is sometimes associated with phase lines, as well.  And of course, “in a pickle” means to be stuck in a hard place or dilemma, as to not know the outcome.  My main thought process in all of this…a green pickle!

Well, readers…my “phase line green” is in a pickle.  I’m in a dilemma and not sure what to do.  For those of you who know me or read my bio, you know that I’m a 1stLt and an Infantry Student Officer in the Marine Corps.  For those of you who didn’t know that, now you do.  However, most don’t know about the situation I’ve been in for awhile now.

Since high school, I have wanted to be a Marine and most of all, an infantry Marine.  I graduated high school with awards from the Marine Corps, went to college on a Marine scholarship, and outperformed most in my ROTC unit in leadership, physicality, and mentality.  I made sure that I was better than my best.  I graduated Officer Candidate School (OCS), came back to college and was asked to be the Battalion Executive Officer, but declined because I decided to graduate college early in December 2008; just so I could go on to graduate officer training or The Basic School (TBS) and get out to my Marines as soon as I could.  I did have to wait a period of 4 months before attending TBS, but I made use of my time, and at the end was awarded the NAM (Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal) for my hard work and dedication to my PTAD (Permissive Temporary Active Duty) unit.

I attended TBS and received my first MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) choice…INFANTRY OFFICER!  Most don’t know, but we have to rank all 24 officer MOS’s in what we would most and least prefer as a job.  Well, most don’t get their top choices.  It’s all based on class standing and aptitude.  However, I got mine.  We had just completed our 15 mile hump when we found out our MOS’s.  I was so ecstatic…my feet didn’t hurt anymore!  My class BOC 4-09 (Basic Officer Course, April 2009) graduated 5 November.

After TBS, our class had to wait two months before picking up with the next IOC (Infantry Officer Course) class, IOC 2-10.  In the meantime, we PT’d (Physically Trained) and worked on PME (Professional Military Education).  A select few were able to attend the MACE (Martial Arts Center of Excellence) Green Belt Instructor Course.  I was among one of those few.  The MACE is the MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) supervisory establishment of the Marine Corps.  Everything martial arts related is created or regulated through the MACE.  So, I went through a month of instructor training that included not only grueling martial arts, combat conditioning and PT, but many hours of classes on everything from health to the Warrior Ethos.  Not to mention I was doing all this in the winter with the ground frozen over and temperatures below 30 degrees.  However, I graduated before our Christmas leave as a Green Belt Instructor MAI (Martial Arts Instructor).  Two weeks later we would begin the hardest school in the Marine Corps, which tests every officer physically and mentally.

Our creed being, “He is best…who is trained in the severest school”

On 4 January 2010, 110 officers reported to IOC at 0530. I cannot go into detail about what IOC does or how it is run because of a pledge we take to uphold the secrecy of IOC.  Telling other Marines diminishes the training value if you know what to expect beforehand.  The Marine Corps thrives on preparing for the unknown, so we train by experiencing the unexpected and allowing others to undergo the same.

I went through 3 weeks of IOC before we conducted the CET (Combat Endurance Test).  It tests your mental aptitude and abilities under extreme physical conditions through a 12+ hour day (most know this).  Again, we were doing this during the winter when a good portion of the Northeast got like 4 feet of snow, which by then it was so cold it was just ice.  Well, the next day is when my world would turn upside down.  We had gone to the range to zero our M4s and handle other weapons.  It was when I was walking to another station when I felt and heard both my legs, “POP!”  I couldn’t walk…

Well, I don’t want to say I couldn’t walk, but it was extremely painful every step I took.  In my head, I knew I was injured, but my heart told me to keep pushing.  I didn’t want to get dropped!  I pushed myself through another week, which included the CTX (Combat Training Exercise) and classroom time.  I thought giving my legs rest during that week would give me the time I needed to recover; however, I knew by the end of that week, I had to say something.  I could barely walk and running was out of the question, which I knew the forthcoming weeks would be full of physical events.  Now, most might think I was stupid for trying to push myself, but if you had my mindset in that situation; you would have done the same thing.  I went to medical, was given an x-ray, and was told I had “possible” stress fractures in both legs.

I finally came forward at the end of the first month and had to speak with my SPC (Student Platoon Commander).  He was astonished that I had completed the CTX with stress fractures without any problems and told me that I must have had a strong will to be here!  What he didn’t know was that I masked my pain pretty well and that I DID want to be there.  He told me to take the time I needed to heal and come back when I’m ready to start fresh.

 

So, I started my recovery process in February.  However, when I said “possible” stress fractures above; that had turned into NOT having stress fractures after I had a bone scan done to confirm the stress fractures.  The bone scan had turned up negative and so they started treating me for what they thought was torn tendons in my shins.  I did rehab five days a week being treated for torn tendons.  Nevertheless, I went until the middle of March and was still having problems recovering and most of all, running.  Since, I was still having problems; the physicians gave me another x-ray and guess what?  Stress fractures had shown up!  For a month and half I had been treated for the wrong injury.

I started my rehab program for stress fractures, but in the middle of April I was still having problems running; when by now, my stress fractures should have healed up.  They told me to take some time off from rehab and give my legs some rest.  So, I started back at the beginning of May.  I felt good and it felt good to run again.  I started back slow and was just running 3 miles at a time.  I was even told that if I wanted to pick up with the next IOC class, that I had to go and run the E-Course.  The course consisting of a 5 mile run, containing obstacles all over the up and down hills of Quantico.  I probably should not have done this so soon, but I completed it and felt good.  I continued with my rehab and running and built up to running 6 miles by the middle of June.

However, two weeks before picking up with IOC in July; I was running our PFT (Physical Fitness Test) course, which is just 3 miles on hardball, down and back, over a few hills.  I made it down to the turnaround point before my left knee started hurting.  It was so painful, I had to walk back.  I had felt this kind of pain before in college from running; I thought it was my ITB (Iliotibial Band).  It was like a knife jabbing into the side of my knee.  The therapists and doctors had thought the same thing.  I was then told I would not be picking up with IOC in July with my ITB acting up.

In July, they started treating me for ITB Syndrome.  I went 2 months of therapists treating me for ITBS.  Yet, my concern was that I’ve had it before and it’s only taken a week of rest and icing to recover.  Only, it was 2 months later and I was still having problems running.  Through many doctor visits and rehab sessions, they were at a standstill on what was wrong with me.  So, they FINALLY decided to give me an MRI, which took two weeks to get.  I went to a surgical doctor in Annapolis at the Naval Academy for my analysis.  He had seen that I had torn my lateral meniscus in my left knee and said that it looked like a grenade had gone off in my knee!  He said the 3 plus months of trying to run when I shouldn’t have been caused it to tear significantly.

It wouldn’t be until 30 September 2010, before I could get surgery.  I had my surgery and was given two weeks of leave to recover and rehab.  I then did another two weeks of rehab at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.  FYI, I have not tried running again.  I returned to TBS and continued my rehab, where I would try to attempt running again.  I went on lapses of no pain, pain, no pain, pain…all through November.  I was tested by my physical therapist again because of her concern for me not being able to run, as well.  She said that my problem could be weakness in my hip, thighs, and glutes causing strain on my knee.  My therapist started treating me for those concerns.  However, my concern was that my hips, thighs, and glutes weren’t weak before because I told you of how physical I was in my prior training to get to where I am now.  However, they have been treating me ever since and I am still having problems running…ONLY running.  I can do all the strengthening and stability exercises, but every time I get on the treadmill; the pain comes back.  The same pain I had felt before I received surgery.  This time last year was when I got injured…meaning I have been at TBS close to 2 years and been injured for a year.  I’ve been here so long I even pinned on First Lieutenant back in December!

So, this is where my Phase Line Green gets in a pickle.  A phase line again being a line on a map that coordinates phases of an operation.  Well, my Phase Line Green is IOC, which is the next phase in my career.  I reached Phase Line Green, but the threat of the enemy was imminent; the enemy being my injury.  The enemy was green and mean and tore me up.  However, I will adapt and overcome and get over my injury…eventually.  Although, my predicament is whether or not I spend more time trying to heal and wait to go back to IOC, or redesignate my MOS.  The third alternative, and hopefully last, is the Marine Corps medically discharging me.

The first option is to wait and heal, get back in shape, and go back to IOC, but see; I’m already two years into my contract and don’t want to wait anymore.  There are college buddies of mine that graduated two years after me that are already in the Fleet now.  I need to get out to the Marines that need me, but I still have to be able to run.  There is also the possibility that I reinjure myself and it be worse this time around…and seeing that I’m going to have to endure the rigorous physical training again PLUS more; this could ruin my career and even life if I couldn’t walk.  The second option is to redesignate my MOS and get stuck with an MOS that I’m not happy with and regret the decision of never being an Infantry Officer like I’ve always wanted.  I do agree that a Marine is a Marine and it doesn’t matter what you do, but I still think I would look back and regret never being able to do the things I wanted to do, especially if I received a desk job.  The third option being medically discharged, which wouldn’t be my decision.  IF that happens, I’m even in more of a dilemma, as in I wouldn’t have a job and I would potentially still be injured.  What would I do for money, housing, or medical visits?!  As you can see, I’m in a pickle and don’t know what the outcome is going to be.

Part of me wants to choose another MOS and heed the quote by General Oliver Smith, USMC:

“We’re not retreating. Hell!  We’re just attacking in a different direction!”

Meaning that I won’t give up; I won’t retreat, but I’ll attack my career in a different direction with a different MOS.  Part of me wants to stick it out in IOC, but who knows how long it will take to recover and if my body will be able to hold up in that type of environment.  And I don’t even want to think about being medically discharged.  They are giving me until April before they have to make a decision on how my Marine Corps career will end up.  Consequently, you can see where I am coming from in how my Phase Line Green is in a pickle.  I’m not whining or trying to be depressing about the situation, but wanted everyone to know about it and if you have any suggestions on what I should do…because honestly, I’m at a loss!

I worked hard to be where I am today, so despite what happens; I will always be proud that I am a Marine, no matter where God takes me!