Social Science Things we take for granted

[Cruyff14]

Everybody takes things for granted, and I'm sure we're all ****ed when we don't have something that is always there.

Top of my head, for me is water. Can't do much without it. Can't wash, can't flush the toilet, can't boil the kettle.

 

[JuddsABlue]

Water is the easy one. Lots of people out there that dont have it

Health. Dont realise how much life sucks if you have an annoying injury that gets in the way of everything

Safety. Despite everything in the news, we are still an incredibly safe country

 

[Poseidon]

Life. /thread

 

[ioppolo]

The fact that we're lucky enough to live in Australia and not a 3rd world country.

 

[kickazz]

Health. Dont realise how much life sucks if you have an annoying injury that gets in the way of everything

Reminds me of an Indian proverb I once heard:

"A healthy man has a thousand wishes. A sick man has one"

So true.


Overall I agree on the basics, Water, Food, etc. I think safety is a good one - for all the nanny state BS whingeing that gets thrown around, we do live in a pretty civilised country in pretty civilised times.

Education is a big one too. I don't think we trly appreciate the benefits it brings. I feel bad for coming generations as it seem uni (if that's what you want) is becoming unaffordable.

Health is the big one though. Not taking it for granted and taking responsibility (exercise, good eating, etc) is probably something not enough of us do

 

[Caesar]

I take it for granted that I will always be able to find work. I've never really known what it's like to have the wolf at the door and I don't particularly fear it. In a lot of senses it makes me a bit complacent.

The first real recession in my living memory will probably come as quite a rude shock to me.

 

[Quivorir]

The ability to post on BigFooty. Eh Jock Stewart

 

[Gough]

Being Australian, jackpot in the genetic lottery, imagine being Somalian or Afghani.

 

[Cruyff14]

A working computer/internet is another. When they don't work it's hugely inconvenient.​

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Health
Wealth
Freedom of speech
Being straight
Being white (free of racism in Australia)
Being tallish

 

[Marlowe]

Shoes. You won't make it far in this world without shoes.

 

[blueboy25]

My good looks

 

[liam_13]

That our spare time involves posting on the internet on expensive technology about a sport that gives us entertainment..

That what we stress about is stupid drivers/stupid cyclists/work/football team when other people around the world stress about staying alive.

That we have a minimum wage. That there is no child labour in Australia.

That we have a government that doesn't send the military around murdering our families/starting a civil war (and some people still absolutely hate the likes of Gillard/Rudd/Howard....)

That we have a health system, and people involved in the system who give us first world treatment

Really, when you think about it, there is usually no good reason to complain about living in Australia. People risk their lives, paying their live savings to greedy scum and leaving their families to cross oceans in shitty boats to come here. That should say something.

 

[Piss Poor]

Your middle finger, cut it really bad requiring stitches, can't bend it, my whole hand can't do much now. never thought how important it is until now.

Although I can still stick my finger up at people.

 

[Meow]

A working computer/internet is another. When they don't work it's hugely inconvenient.

Technology like this is certainly something younger generations take for granted.

May seem like a baby boomer whinge, but kids these days sure are lucky. They have phones with internet, computers with internet, video games, and nearly the whole world at their fingertips.

As for me- our family didn't even have a house phone until I was 15 (1976/77), and I don't remember owning a phone that actually had buttons until the late 80s. Video games and home movies weren't around until I was well into my twenties.

Didn't have a colour TV until I was 20 or so, and no home computer until 1989. First remember using the internet around 1992-ish (infinitely slower and different from what it is now) and didn't have it at home until a decade and a bit ago. No mobile phone until 6-7 years ago and even now I hardly use it.

Would love to see Gen Y try to survive before the 1990s. Us oldies did and still can.

 

[Caesar]

Well, baby boomers can't brag about living through a Great Depression or winning a World War - but it's good to know they can still feel superior about their ability to use a rotary phone.

 

[Scotland]

Would love to see Gen Y try to survive before the 1990s. Us oldies did and still can.

While you yourself are being lighthearted, this attitude annoys me.

Far too many baby boomers are happy to point out the deficiencies in the younger generations (you couldn't survive without your iPhone, I bet you couldn't change your own oil like I can etc.) but get super defensive when criticised for their lack of technological proficiency/ability to move with the times (we weren't brought up with computers so shouldn't have to use them etc.).

For mine it goes both ways. If you're going to slam Gen Y for being useless then you can set up your own modem and teach yourself how to use Microsoft Office.

 

[sabre_ac]

Simply being Australian is one of the biggest things we take for granted

A quick look at the threads on this board pretty much sum it up (General Discussion)

"Foreign countries you've been to"
"The Roller-Coast thread"
"Things that please me"
"Show us your doggy"
"Study advice"
"Speeding"
"What do you never leave home without"
"Indian Woman denied abortion to save her life, dies in agony in Irish hospital"
"Question for golfers"
"Woman Drivers"

Decent set of options/opportunities/liberties we have that many people around the world don't.

 

[skilts]

Eyesight. Get something in your eye and have it linger for a while. In a similar vein, not having a toothache.

 

[Password is Taco]

A working computer/internet is another. When they don't work it's hugely inconvenient.​

I was going to say this. People find it weird when I say I don't have internet at home, only use my iphone. It isn't a necessity to live. For me it is another bill, but most people take it for granted like the world will end when the servers are down/power is out.

 

[JuddsABlue]

Would love to see Gen Y try to survive before the 1990s. Us oldies did and still can.

Why do baby boomers have such a chip on their shoulder about our generation

If we didnt have all the cool things we have now, we would survive exactly like you did. Baby boomers werent born with a special gene that allowed them to survive the pre internet age, theyre the same as us, people raised and adapting to the environment around them.

If you had iPhones, you would've used them. If we didnt have them, we'd survive I'm sure.

 

[GOAUS!]

Being born without a disability.

 

[JD-Roo]

Electricity

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Teleporting. Can't imagine what it was like to have to spend half your time travelling to get to places. Those old Gen Y fogies who carry on about how they had to get in a plane for 20 hours to get to the other side of the world should shut up and get with the times.

/timewarp

 

[Meow]

While you yourself are being lighthearted, this attitude annoys me.

Far too many baby boomers are happy to point out the deficiencies in the younger generations (you couldn't survive without your iPhone, I bet you couldn't change your own oil like I can etc.) but get super defensive when criticised for their lack of technological proficiency/ability to move with the times (we weren't brought up with computers so shouldn't have to use them etc.).

For mine it goes both ways. If you're going to slam Gen Y for being useless then you can set up your own modem and teach yourself how to use Microsoft Office.

Why do baby boomers have such a chip on their shoulder about our generation

If we didnt have all the cool things we have now, we would survive exactly like you did. Baby boomers werent born with a special gene that allowed them to survive the pre internet age, theyre the same as us, people raised and adapting to the environment around them.

If you had iPhones, you would've used them. If we didnt have them, we'd survive I'm sure.

Gen Y are useless and so are older people, society as a whole can be fairly useless sometimes. I never said that older people aren't so go back and read my post.

The last thing I want here is to play the generational blame game. Many people from both generations have selfish and lazy attitudes, it is a problem with society as a whole and not confined to a certain age group. We have chips on our shoulders and so do you.

Many older people find technology difficult to adapt to and lack many of the skills the present generation does (computers, phones). Most younger people would find a life without technology pretty difficult to adapt to and would lack many of the skills we had as kids (making cubbies outside, playing in trees), which is the point I was making.

BTW don't act as though Gen Y never point out the deficiencies in Baby Boomers.

One thing baby boomers take for granted is the fact we were able to easily buy a house at the age of 25 and that life was generally better and less stressful in the 1980s.