Growing Up With "24"

[phantom power]

MSNBC just did a story on something that I had wondered about as well --- why were so many big celebrations after the announcement of bin Laden's death particularly raucous among college students around the country? They showed footage of various campuses and interviewed a couple of the students who explained that they were in the 6th grade when it happened and were just thrilled that it was finally over and that justice was finally done. It was truly a huge, patriotic moment for them.

I realized that the "War on Terror" has been going on for half their lives, so it seems like forever to them. And it reminded me just how much the zeitgest of the moment is "reality" when you are young. The GWOT and the militarization of America is just the way the world is to young people today.

...

It's a new world. Just as it was when I was growing up in the 1960s under the influence of the peace movement and the changing social norms of that time. It took me quite a few years to realize that everyone (except my parents) didn't see things the way that I did. I just thought that my worldview was the world. At that age it's all you know. It will be interesting to see how they evolve over the next few years.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/growing-up-with-24.html