Children learn from their environment

IT only struck me after pressing the send button that last week’s column was — gently, I hope — criticising our elders.

Well, at least some of them, having spotted so many texting in an airport hotel restaurant instead of interacting with their other halves.

My point was that so often we put the blame on to the younger generation — whether it be that they lack manners, are glued to their phones and social media or are layabouts — when there is good and bad in everyone, old and young.

I panicked. If you read my column, you’ll have picked up on my respect for our older community.

People who have worked hard, from whom we could learn a thing or two when so often we think we know it all.

A reader called Tam made me feel better. Tam, from Craigie, emailed to say: “I found it strangely refreshing that you were having a go at older people.

“It was quite unlike you, Martel, but fair play. I’m ‘older’ at 62 though I still feel like a daft young laddie.

“I worked, had a trade and paid taxes. I instilled in my kids a work ethic and they’ve all had jobs. They passed that on to their kids and I hope they never have to sign on.

“But the same can’t be said for everyone of my era. I know people who think it’s a good thing to claim benefits and encourage their kids to do the same. Their kids end up thinking the same.

“You get lazy old people and lazy young people — but these old people were once young.

“It’s not a new thing and we shouldn’t blame youngsters for everything.

“You’re right about something else — some of my pals on Facebook (and some are older than me) are boring. ‘I did this and I did that.’ It makes the young ones look restrained.”

Of course we should respect our pensioners.

But Tam’s right. Our problems — whether it’s addicts overdosing in tenement closes, a reliance on benefits or huge numbers of underage and teen mums — didn’t start in the past few years in Dundee. They’ve been around for decades.

Children learn from their environment.

For all the bravado of young people, I wouldn’t want to be a teenager today.

Having a degree is no longer unusual and graduates are saddled with student debt while going for jobs everyone wants and hardly anyone gets.

They are under intense pressure to look magazine-perfect on social media sites — having the best party, the best laugh, the best life.

While we can always learn from our elders, it would do us good to occasionally put our feet in the shoes of the youngsters we think have it all.