I agree with your dad.

I see your point, but I think there is just as much technology used to help people and make their lives better as there is used to harm people. I know I wouldn't be able to function without many modern conveniences. I am Blackberry addict.

I think you are right. We are much more tolerant of people's differences than we used to be. Good point.

Adolph Hitler once gave a speech about how bad the young people were in his era...he was quoting Socrates.

I don't agree with the declne in family morals theory. There are a lot more families that don't stay together and I think that is sometimes a problems. However, it used to be that families stayed together regardless of spousal abuse, child abuse, molestation, alcholism and a host of other issues.

But, I agree. As humans we are no more violent than we have ever been.

Yes, but as a whole technology is changing the whole phsycis of human interaction. EVen online we've discovered being shunned or rejected canbe just as depressing if not more so then irl because online, its about what we say and who we are at the core(for most). Plus over populations and generations of growing greed and competition. We survivalist and the problem is although we could share its about "me" i'll take more then i need and run another short so im ensured i survive. I believe thats the reason for war, fighting, greed and most of our problems as a race, acknowledgement.

As time goes on its more and more about me because there are more people and instead or reckonizing the problem we chalk up to its just who we are or ignore it. We have control over ourselves if we learn to accept and aknowlegde our own problems and problems as a whole.

Its not just evil people, the average person tends to be very greedy and self centered and others suffer because of that. Even a thousand years ago if a neighbor asked a neighbor for a loaf of bread even if they barely knew eachother, the one had spare and the other was starving they would help in the most part. Good luck now even getting a slice or two of bread from a neighbor even if you are starving now.

Thats whats making life difficult. Take the millionaires and billionaires. If they spent just a small portion of there wealth they could feed, house and cloth 3rd world towns and countries. They dont though they give a little to charity instead of taking on responsibility. You can live for all or yourself. Its ones choice, but its becoming more common to worry about yourself and not others. The ones that help get used generation after generation as population rises our problems get worse, and as technology advances de drift farther apart in some ways and move closer as one in another.

(in my opinion anyways, i could be wrong)
(not trying to step on anyone elses view or opinions)

A few people mentioned being very busy and having fast paced lives. I do believe this is a huge stress for most humans and we have not responded well in dealing with that stress. It does make us short tempered and rude. But, humans have always had great stressors placed on them. Whether it has been poor living conditions, not enough food, massive amounts of hard work to just survive, social pressures that we don't have today, etc. And, in all of human history, some people handled it well and many did not. I don't think our behavior has changed that much.

I do think there is something to be said about the decline in family values / morals.
It's not just about a two parent home with a dog and a picket fence.
These days I see far to often the children are the ones doing the parenting. The parents, regardless if it's one or two of them, aren't actually "parenting" as much as they should be.
I see children throw tantrums in the stores only for the parent to give them whatever they want just to keep them happy. I talked to a 15 year old the other day that said he just spent the last 13... yes 13 hours playing a video game. He literally only stopped to make a sandwhich and use the bathroom. Other than that, he played non stop for 13 hours. Why???
How are people supposed to build social skills when they spend 13 hours a day playing a video game?
I heard a dean of a college commenting on the newest generation of kids attending the shool. They call them the "tea cup" generation because they are so fragile and ignorant of how the real world works, that they just break so easily, like a tea cup.
That's a shame.

"teacups"

hahahaha I like that

Agreed. Our behavior has changed only to adapt to the different types of stress. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse... but we do need to change.
It's just as easy to brighten up someone's day as it is to ruin it.

so did I

Well, that would be child rearing which I don't think of as "family values" but it certainly could be. I completely agree with you on this. Parents have lost the ability parent. Parenting is work and requires diligence and stamina. Too many parents don't want to put in the effort or are confused by all the bad parenting advice given via many different sources today.

We are a violent species. I truly don't think alot of people realize how violent we have been, thru out our entire history. Humans have been incredibly gruesome.
We are violent now, no questions about it. We always will be. But I don't think we're quite AS violent as we used to be. I do however think we've gotten much lazier.

I blame the Woodstock generation

the hippie kids all said "I'm not going to raise my kids the way my parents did"

so they became indulgent and relativistic and raised a bunch of self indulgent and self absorbed kids who all feel entitled to stuff without having to work for it

or in other words "teacups"

Yes. It seems we are always going from one extreme to the other without ever finding that middle ground.

I agree.

but then I have always said that

I did a paper in college back in the 70's on how the country swings from liberal to conservative and back every 30 years or so. and I still see it doing that

another reason why things are getting worse again all the bad sources, and lack of parenting. Tea cup is after "me" which seems fitting, it being about "me" and when its not(like irl) it makes people fragile but maybe that fragileness will help treat eachother better. Find work to get buy or die. Thats a must and if thats so which most will find out they will get work and maybe just maybe care a little more about how they are treated and treat eachother.

(god i love life so many possibities i love watching it all unfold lol)

I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understood what you said there...