Preparing Gen Z for a Balanced Tomorrow

Imagine a world where the future doctors, lawyers, and accountants are too busy perfecting dance moves for TikTok instead of honing their crafts. We explore this unsettling possibility in a lively conversation sparked by a candid discussion with my daughter, who voices her concerns about how the allure of internet fame is distracting her peers from traditional educational goals. Her insights paint a vivid picture of a generation potentially forsaking essential skills in favor of viral moments. We challenge the idea that instant online success can replace the hard-earned accomplishments in fields that require years of dedicated study and training.

As we navigate this thought-provoking topic, we also touch upon the crucial roles that scholarships and merit awards play for families striving to make college accessible. With the rising costs of education, we emphasize the need to balance academic achievement with practical skills, highlighting the value of trades for those who choose not to follow the college path. This episode is a rallying cry for nurturing young talent and ensuring they are equipped for a future where they can thrive in both traditional and modern arenas. Join us for a spirited exchange that will leave you rethinking the priorities we set for the next generation.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Yesterday I'm having a conversation with my daughter she's like the second to youngest of the girls and this kid is so fucking small. She says to me Ma, you know what, the worst thing that ever happens to kids and, you know, to society in general, is fucking TikTok. I'm like what are you talking about? She goes, yeah, she goes, these kids. You go to school, right, you're supposed to study, you're supposed to learn math, you're supposed to learn English and science and whatever. And then you kind of get to where you decide what you want to be when you get older and she says we don't have that. No more kids right now. All they care about is posting shit on tiktok. They want people to watch it. Some kids. They get this shit where it goes viral. And then what happens is they think that there's, you know, there's no need for education, there's no need for nothing, because they're going to be an influencer, because they see some people that are making millions of dollars by doing this shit that I'm doing here, right, and it makes sense. But then she made a really good point after that in you know, however many years going forward, you're going to go to the hospital, right. You're going to be like where's where's the fucking doctors, where's where's the nurses? And there's going to be none because they're not studying. You know where they are. These kids with a lot of fucking potential are out there showing you how to fucking lip sync to the Bee Gees or some shit like that, rather than being a fucking doctor. All right, you're going to need an accountant. They got to help you do your taxes. You're not going to have a fucking account. You want to know why? Because she's out there on OnlyFans showing off her cootie for $3.99. Then you're going to need fucking taxes. Now you got to go to court. You know where the lawyer is. The lawyer's out there showing you how to make eggplant parmesan on fucking tiktok, hoping that that is gonna go fucking viral.

Speaker 1: 1:39

Okay, then I'm watching the news today and I see this shit in virginia, where these districts are not telling kids that they got these merit awards and shit like that. You know what? There are a lot of families out there that depend on this shit. There are a lot of families that need their kids to go to college, based on loans and scholarships and all that kind of shit, because not everybody can afford this. I know my kid goes to a private school. It's $38,000, I think, a fucking semester. We're paying every month and I'll put it out there. I'm paying $1,500 a month for this kid to go to school. That's after all the scholarships and everything else. You know, I think he athlete, but I mean, not everybody can afford this shit. You gotta get these kids into college. We're fucked without it.

Speaker 1: 2:19

All right, and listen, I know there's like plenty of trades. My little guy ain't going nowhere. He does not want to go to college. He wants to be a fucking electrician. Okay, there's nothing wrong with a trade. But you gotta keep in mind we need fucking smart people out there. Tell you, right now, I can't do taxes. I can't fucking add three plus three if it goes over 10, I'm fucked because I only have 10 fingers and I can't see my toes because I usually have shoes on. But anyway, equality in education. We don't need that. We don't need that. We need people who are going to be fucking geniuses and we need people that are going to know how to fucking splice a wire and put it together. Just, just, stop with this shit. These kids are entitled entitled to awards. Give them to them. If you find that your kid's on TikTok all day long. Get your kid studying, have them do some fucking math. Let them use this, let them use this, the logic, not this, not this little fucking screen.