I think the term 'snowflake' as used to describe the young of today, is to describe a generation of young adults as being overly emotionally fragile, and easily led. A generation that is unable to cope with adult life. This is certainly true of a number of them, but not all. Kidults, as they are somtimes called.
Back in 1914.......we had 'boys' go off to war who knew nothing about sex or politics. A kiss, the clitoris, and G-Spot would remain an unsolved mystery for many years to come. They knew how to be men though. The same applies in 1939-45 with 19 and 20 year old kids flying Spitfire's and Hurricane's......probably with only a one in two chance of returning back to base.
Would the young of today cope as well when the shit really hits the fan? Some would step up to the plate.....not so sure about some of the 'cotton wool' kids though.
Yes, in 1914 many young lads, and adults, went joyfully off to war as they thought it would be fun and anyway it would all be over by Christmas! That's how naive, and generally ignorant, they were so the poor sods never knew what was to come when serving God, King (the upper classes who told them what to do all the time, and country who would deny those that came back home "a country fit for heroes".
Would the young of today be so naive? In the main most would know about being possible "cannon fodder" because they read and understand what happened before, so hopefully would not get so readily involved in such a stupid, waste of life, that the Great War was.
As for the young of today, yes they will fight in the army, navy and air force, but now many at levels that require real skill and so often diplomacy and knowing international laws when fighting a war. Most are well educated and join the services to learn a trade. They are intelligent enough to join for the right reasons, as my youngest son did when joining the Royal Engineers back in 1995. Now he is a railway electrical engineer in signalling and associated disciplines.
But are they stupid enough to join up for just a good fight as in 1914? Well........yes some will, but in the main they are not so daft and want something much more! If the country faced the same challenge as in 1939 against an evil force that threatened the safety, freedom and everything they treasure, like all there loved ones, then again YES the vast majority would still do so as did the young men in WW2, even when losses, like the total of 55,573, in bomber command was being so cruelly accumulated over 5 years.
It is so easy to base assumptions as a senior adult about the young when they hang around street corners and appear aimless. Now, come on let's be honest, in our youth we had contemporaries who did that, but can our whole generation be accused of being lazy and useless, as our then elders thought we were in hippy dress and the men with long hair?
