The power of need or necessity

[Saito2]

Recent conversations of late plus the usual zen state I enter while puttering about with my RC models led me to the following line of thought. It is often the case that we modelers bemoan the shrinking aspect of not only our hobby but the world of hobbies as a whole. Oft times, the talk turns to that of the current generation of kids (and even adults or future generations to come) and how they just don't seem to be into hobbies the way we used to be at that age. I'm painting in broad strokes here, as there are certainly kids into hobbies today, but I think we can at least agree that there are less than days gone by. Commonly, video games, computers/internet, TV and the dreaded smart phone all receive blame for stealing away kids' attentions. Many times its noted that kids have so many distractions and options presented to them now, that hobbies don't stand a chance. Perhaps, the less patient or perhaps more nostalgic among us will start off by saying "Kids these days...." followed by whatever criticism based on how the older generations were somehow superior. The Millennials are certainly the current scapegoat and while certain generalizations can be made I propose its not entirely their own doing. What they possibly lack is need.

I question, if given all the choices and distractions that kids today have, would kids of the 50s/60s/70s/80s (pick your favorite or appropriate "golden age" for hobbies) have turned out any different? If given the chance to buy a pre-made high performance RC vehicle or model tank or train or what have you, for reasonable money, would kids of those eras not taken the easy way out, if, considering, they had the same distractions such as the youth of today. Perhaps it was the need to entertain oneself that pushed model making and thus spurred creativity, while teaching valuable skills along the way? 

I am a man out of time and touch with the tech savvy younger generation and my place of work is populated mostly by folks my age or older, for better or worse. They frequently chastise the youth of today as not knowing a phillips from a flathead screwdriver (the plus sign one or the minus sign one?, a new young recruit recently queried) or how to turn a wrench or read a tape measure. The fact is, they might never have needed to. With no necessity comes no learning. As a kid, why broaden one's skillset in an unused direction unless they had an innate interest in it? The general lack of mechanical sympathy by these "youngsters" appalls me sometimes but, when given patient thought, does not surprise me. It is need and necessity that many times drive great advances and I think that in many ways, that has been lost in the US where I reside for better or worse. Wall St. wizards moving money around do nothing to further us, and sometimes are more parasitic in nature, simply making money off a system rather than improving it or even creating a new one. I myself, am a humble blue collar worker and to my family, (outside of my wife and child) any intelligence they perceive me to have is wasted in these "lowly" efforts. But at the end of the day, both at home and work, I see the physical results of my efforts and that's a good feeling. Perhaps we shouldn't chastise our youth but rather feel sorry for them for what they have missed.

[Super ally]

A great thread again from you as always and i agree with you about the youth of today.My 9yr old son is more interested in watching you tube videos on his tablet than building a tamiya kit.Times have changed a lot since i got my first tamiya buggy in 87,no internet or smart phones back then to distract you.They were good times the 80s where you just made your own fun.

[BuggyDad]

We are all a product of our experience. This stuff is nurture, not nature. Had our "nurture" been the same as theirs, so would the outcome.

What concerns me for them is the world they'll inherit. I came of age in the 1990s, a time I think was more optimistic than today. And I graduated into a much easier job market than today's looks to me. Climate change feels like a ball and chain to them I think, and I'm not going to get political on here but I think there are massive issues in that regard. 

However there are positives too. They'll still go looking for a challenge and there's lots of evidence of the good that computer games do for developing brains. The creativity something like the Raspberry pi has spawned is really interesting and my experience so far of today's schooling feels like a step forward in most regards. 

Things change. I don't really feel like looking back and this hobby for me is about doing stuff today. If it takes lots of inspiration from the past that's all fine by me. I might even do a restoration sometime. I might use and develop skills that lots had years ago but I won't be longing for yesterday when I do it. 

[SlideWRX]

17 minutes ago, Saito2 said:

I question, if given all the choices and distractions that kids today have, would kids of the 50s/60s/70s/80s (pick your favorite or appropriate "golden age" for hobbies) have turned out any different?

Not much different.  response from the parents might have been worse.

[alvinlwh]

.

[Willy iine]

I think a lot of us would have turned out the same as our kids if we were given the same convenience and options as our youths today.   I remember when I was a kid, 90% of my classmates were pretty much passive types..average grades and watched TV all day long with no hobbies, no sports, no drive, no passion... basically no different than kids of today.  Even at work, most people don't have hobbies.. they like to hang out and drink.

As my generation, there are kids of today who are driven and passionate about hobbies, sports, etc.  We just need to hope that those kids have the will to support the rest of their passive counterparts.

Like it or not (as in good or bad), I was born a with a very determined personality so I believe if I was a youth today, I would have turned out no differently... just faster at learning because of YouTube.  I would not buy an RTR and buy a kit and learn everything there is to know including modding, racing, etc. etc. and be at least somewhat good at it.   I would probably have the same 3 hobbies.. RC, 1:1 cars,  and playing a musical instrument or two with the benefit of exchanging data much faster with my buddies.

 

[GeeWings]

What a great topic and one my wife and I have been talking about and reflecting on endlessly of late. 

I've only recently got back in to Tamiya after a very long break. I loved it in my youth but I also loved technology and I was lucky enough to get into 3D modelling and animation software early on and built a good career. I also got in to gaming at college and have played on and off ever since. 

But I've also always wanted to play and make with my hands. Sometimes that has meant getting back to making sculptures, sometimes to taking my camera out for some shooting. Almost all of us humans have this 'making' instinct. My kids certainly do but they find the distraction of iPad and Xbox too tempting. It upsets me to see them always choose iPads/xboxes over almost anything else and we used to heavily limit their use.

Then Covid came along and it's been a very long two years for sure. Constant lockdowns (with curfews and closed playgrounds), losing family who I've not been able to say goodbye to, emergency surgeries for my wife and kids and my youngest son finally overcoming years of medical issues to then be diagnosed with Autism. Sometimes 'screen time' has been the only chance to create a moment to breath and to maintain some sanity. And it has been the kids only real connection to friends. Sometimes I walk in and see my son building something amazing in Minecraft and think "maybe it's productive, maybe it's OK" but more often I see him playing inane games like Roblox (aaaarrrrrrgggggghhhh, don't get me started on Roblox).

I worry a lot about the impact the last two years will have, the rewiring that has happened and that was happening anyway for the young who were already being swept along with change occurring at such speed. It's going to take time to work our way out of this for sure.

[Finnsllc]

Technology is a blessing and a curse. Having three great kids from 17 down to 13 i am the parent @Saito2 is asking the question to. Of course not directly but as a broad stroke i completely understand his post. That being said i feel quite comfortable acknowledging the fact that my 17 year old is completely useless as far as anything mechanical goes. It pains me to a point of fracture since I can build a house by myself and fix almost anything in it. This is not a pat on my back but an obvious difference between how different generations have different needs to survive. The fact that my son has no "skill" isn't because i haven't tried to my last breath to teach him or interest him or have him learn through helping me. Its because society as he knows it is not our reality it is his. My middle child is a bit more like me and is a far more capable when it comes "manual labor" and absolutely anything physically, ie sports or just body control, eye hand coordination and general problem solving. All kids are obviously going to be different and have their own abilities and attributes, My youngest is female so isn't in my mental thought process "required" to  be as "manly" as i expect my boys to be. Of course this is now antiquated thinking as my kids are growing up in a completely different worlds which proves the argument that Saito2 is talking about. My point of responding to this thread isnt to wax poetic on the upside or downside of my kids abilities or lack there of. I suppose what im trying to say is that we all have generational differences. I do believe that technology has stopped the skill trades and the requirement to learn, They dont even teach cursive in school anymore so how are my kids suppose to sign something? Make their mark? But, if you want a computer program to work ask a 10 year old for help. This reality has absolutely affected hobbies such as ours. The simple skill of following a set of directions or plans or a schematic are skills that i find useful and happen to coincide with a hobby i enjoy.  But, the question is are my abilities why i enjoy the hobby? Because i can? Ive built a Super Shot with my middle son, and yes i had to tell him what a phillips was at the time. However he now knows what a phillips is. But if i said JIS he would be lost. So all of this is a matter of degrees.

School is another major factor. They dont use books. They use ipads. Something is lost when hands on learning is Nullified. Or is it? Back to the technology argument. 

We are the children of baby boomers here in the USA. Our parents worked hard had money and taught us things. Expected us to work and learn and fend for ourselves sometimes. The current generation of kids could work hard but not have enough money in their pay to rent an apartment let alone have a car. Times are different. I read something the other day that kids are commonly staying at home well into their 30s. Meaning they dont need to fix anything because where they live the parents fix it or in my case i fix the appliances and the electrical and the yard issues and plumbing. 

To reply to OP question would kids in 50,60s be different if current tech was avail? YES. We are products of our environments.

4 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Perhaps it was the need to entertain oneself that pushed model making and thus spurred creativity, while teaching valuable skills along the way? 

 

Exactly. I mean we had cassettes not apple music. Radios not streaming, Live sports not cable tv rewind if you miss a play, we had to pee during commercials.So, If there is noting to do we had to entertain ourselves.

4 hours ago, Saito2 said:

I myself, am a humble blue collar worker and to my family, (outside of my wife and child) any intelligence they perceive me to have is wasted in these "lowly" efforts. But at the end of the day, both at home and work, I see the physical results of my efforts and that's a good feeling. Perhaps we shouldn't chastise our youth but rather feel sorry for them for what they have missed.

Me too. I dont think we should feel sorry for them but instead appreciate that we have these skills. We have hobbies that we enjoy. These are for us. My kids can literally win WW2 on  a playstiion. Perhaps one day war will be fought without a single casualty. 

MY SON JUST PAUSED THE FOOTBALL GAME TO GO PEE!!! AND ON THAT BOMBSHELL ITS BACK TO THE TENT........