Every generation has its nuances that define a large percentage of the members of that generation. Each day, one trend gradually catches up with a society, as another trend gradually fades away into the obscurity of “one-time-important” trends. Amongst other things, this generation is definitely the generation of “Durrhh!”
It’s almost impossible to hang around the youths of this generation—especially the ladies—and not hear at least one person say, “Durrhh!” I find it quite amusing to witness the “Durrhh exchange”—one person says, “Durrhh!” (with an upward-backward fling of one hand), the other replies, “Double Durrhh!” or any other cardinal value up to “Infinity Durrhh!” In a comical case, the respondent replies with a rhyming “Winddoww”, or “Whatever” (wah-eh-va).
It’s amusing (to me) to watch and partake in this banter. That is, as long as a six-year-old kid is not involved. How can a “tiny” kid look into my eyes and tell me, “Durrhh!”? Despite repeated warnings, the tot could not refrain from being “disrespectful” to a much older person.
Looking at the tot’s lifestyle, I realized that whereas as a kid, I watched lots of cartoons, for many kids now, Telemundo programmes and other romantic soap operas are their best friends. They spend hours each day glued to television sets, watching programmes that are way beyond their pay grade.
I grew up imitating super heroes from cartoons. Most kids wanted to be Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, and all the other society-loving, death-defying heroes. Tom and Jerry was in a special class with Scooby Doo and the other cartoons that were packed with heavy doses of laughing gas. Today, it’s Mara and Clara, Gardener’s Daughter, Broken Angel and other similar programmes that many kids are watching. I learnt to always seek to save the world (since I cannot die), while these kids learn how to fall in and out of love, break hearts, glue broken hearts, and plan murders.
It’s quite easy to imitate what the eyes see. Kids are copying mannerisms and speech patterns from screen thespians. Parents, guardians, and older siblings may feel that they are being liberal and letting their kids enjoy themselves, but by their actions or inactions, serious harm is being done.
Please take your kids off romantic soaps, and 18+ rated programmes and movies. Else, we’ll just have to let the kids decide what’s “cool” and acceptable.
Until our kids change; Durrhh!
Jilomes 