Diatribes from Wal-Mart

[SA Friday]

My view on societies strange, misguided, or just interesting.

I've thought about doing this for a while now. I decided today that short of writing these thoughts down in a journal, I would start a thread so others could chime in too. I imagine some issues will get conflicting and debated viewpoints, but that is a good thing and the reason I decided to try this here first. I will upon occasion post a new thought or story as the thread goes on.

This whole idea started about 6 months ago. I've been working part time in a local Wal-Mart in the dairy section. At first it was to make ends meet, but is now more to make the family finances more stable and comfortable. It's a third income for me, and since there isn't the pressure of survival involved with this job, it's allowed me to reflect on much of what I've seen while working there. Needless to say, you see a LOT at your local Wal-Mart. If one pays attention, societies tragedies, humor, oddities, and triumphs all show up sooner or later. One just has to be willing to watch.

[SideShow Bob]

you see a LOT at your local Wal-Mart. If one pays attention, societies tragedies, humor, oddities, and triumphs all show up sooner or later. One just has to be willing to watch.

You are right about this, even as a customer all of this can be seen if one is observant and aware of their surroundings.

[SA Friday]

TOPIC ONE: WTF is it with the explosion of kids having kids?

Over the last six months, I have seen literally hundreds of teen aged girls with babies or pregnant. What-the-hell? What is going on with the teenagers that has glamourized being pregnant and having a kid at such a young age? This has always been a problem, but for the most part, the stastics showed it to be a poverty based issue. I'll tell you right now, I don't work in a Wal-Mart in a empovished area. These are kids from well-to-do families.

Something has effected this generation of teenagers into believing being pregnant and having a baby is ok and/or the right thing to do. This is a problem. This is going to affect future generations and not in a good way. There are systemic problems that come along with teenagers having babies; lower eductional levels, higher rates of phychological disorders, financial strain on the grandparents, just to name a few.

I'm pretty concerned about this apparent spike in this issue and the apparent spread of the anomoly to what should be stable family valued middle America. What I don't know is why it's happening. For those of you who have teeaged girls in your homes, ask them and post their thoughts. I don't want speculation about how the lack of going to church, or the downfall of our country... bla bla bla. Something has led to the glamorization of pregnancy and babies to the modern teenaged girl. What is it?

[TFOGGER]

Simple: They see no apparent consequences to their actions. Used to be, parents went ballistic when they found out their underage children were having sex, nevermind the shitstorm that occurred if they happened to get pregnant. Now, parents give their kids (male and female) birth control, caution them to"abstain if you can, but if you can't, be careful" and go back to watching American Idol...... The whole situation is symptomatic of a culture that has to a large extent trivialized the value of making good decisions and honoring one's commitments.

EDIT: to answer your question more directly, teens don't necessarily glamorize the whole parenthood thing, they simply no longer have anything direct and immediate to fear as a result of becoming pregnant

[Pancho Villa]

Wal-mart is a great study in why democracy of any sort is a bad idea.

[TFOGGER]

Wal-mart is a great study in why democracy of any sort is a bad idea.

THAT is a quote of EPIC proportions!

[SA Friday]

Wal-mart is a great study in why democracy of any sort is a bad idea.

As a Wal-Mart employee, I'm stealing that quote. That is true like you can't believe. I'll address some of this in a different topic down the road.

[SA Friday]

Simple: They see no apparent consequences to their actions. Used to be, parents went ballistic when they found out their underage children were having sex, nevermind the shitstorm that occurred if they happened to get pregnant. Now, parents give their kids (male and female) birth control, caution them to"abstain if you can, but if you can't, be careful" and go back to watching American Idol...... The whole situation is symptomatic of a culture that has to a large extent trivialized the value of making good decisions and honoring one's commitments.

EDIT: to answer your question more directly, teens don't necessarily glamorize the whole parenthood thing, they simply no longer have anything direct and immediate to fear as a result of becoming pregnant

It can't be that simple. Logic would dictate that people thinking like the above would coin out the $300 and get an abortion. I agree that parenting is a portion of the problem, but overall, it's peer acceptance and influence that drives a teenager's rationalization of right and wrong, cool and not cool. To overlook teenager's acceptance, and from what I'm seeing in some cases, DESIRE to become preganant and have a baby would be to overlook the root cause in this generation's viewpoint.

Basically, something is making this OK to them, and it isn't their parents. I have watched girls in the baby section, 16-17 years old and one of them is obviously the mother to a newborn absolutely bask in the fact they were shopping in the baby section, with the baby. All three were glamorizing, basking, and estatic. This isn't the only time I've seen it while there either. I see it over and over again. That's why I want to hear input from those after they talk to their teen daughters. I know I'm too removed from the thought process as a 40+ year old male to understand the thought process of a 17 year old girl.

[xwisex]

Babies equal the best accessory! Who needs a nice car or designer threads when you can have a baby. I also feel a lot of children are negelected in the attention dept. and look for it in another, and a baby has too love you, RIGHT!

[xwisex]

oh yeah, and baby bumps are just soooo cute!