What is it with today’s youth?

Youth has always done outrageous things in an attempt to find their place in society.

Some of the foolish things they do are just too difficult to understand. It falls into the category of what were they thinking. Some can say they weren’t thinking at all but just going with the crowd, or going with the moment.

Don’t they understand that they will be adults someday and what they do could come back to haunt them?

For instance, I saw a video the other day of a high school girl standing in front of her high school running for class president and she stripped! Right down to nothing on at all. What was her reasoning for doing this? Someone in the audience had a video recorder (cell phone or camera) and posted it on the web. What a surprise!

Another disturbing example of teenage ‘low-moral’ behavior is the teens who were filming themselves going through a drive-up window at fast food restaurants and throwing cold drinks on the person in the window. How the hell is this fun?

There is a long list of stupid things that teens do. We have all heard them. Some have even participated in them when they were teens.

Vanessa Hudgens, plays Gabriella in Disney Channels “High School Musical” has nude photos circulating around the web. What was she thinking when she allowed someone to photograph her in the nude? Now that she is becoming more well known she wants to apologize. She says "I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me." "I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends." What is her reasoning for apologizing? Does she feel she needs to apologize for herself or for Disney or for her fans? Or, is her ‘timely’ apology directed at any possible future product endorsements that she could lose if she doesn’t offer an apology?

I’m sure that this young woman does not really feel the need to apologize for herself to anyone. That sentiment would require higher moral standards than she has thus far exhibited.

I’m sure she doesn’t give two cents for what her fans think of her as long as she has fans. Her head is so full of herself right now while she is riding the wave of ‘stardom’ that she cannot think outside herself. And no one around her is allowing her too. Especially Disney’s lawyers and publicist.

It’s not that I am just picking on her, but it seems all teenagers are getting like this. What happened to teaching them respect for themselves? What ever happened to the concept that respect is something to value?

Her publicist is tasked with putting up the appearance that this was just some unfortunate silly indiscretion made by an inexperienced youth who is unschooled with the way of the real world. It is nothing more than whitewash orchestrated by Disney’s legal team geared toward Disney’s future. Disney could not care less about her as long as she is making money for them.

I’m sure Disney told her she has to apologize over threat of being booted off of this money making venture, but we all know they would rather ‘suffer’ the ‘perceived indignity’ of supporting a person of ‘loose moral values’ than to lose any money or time it would take to find a replacement. Once again, money rules the day. The only reason Disney is making her apologize is to put up the appearance of maintaining morals because Disney is based in family entertainment. Disney thinks they stand to lose a lot of money if families boycotted them for supporting someone who poses nude.

Therefore, this apology is bogus.

The reasoning for publicly apologizing (or even apologizing at all) is beyond this teenager, and most other teenagers, to envision on her own. She, like most of her peer group, wasn’t thinking of her future when she posed nude. Most teens don’t see how their actions affect their future, or affect others. They live by the motto ‘if it feels good, do it”. Believe it or not this attitude is wrong and can come back to bite you hard.

Is it old-fashioned of me to think it is wrong to publicly display your nude body? Is this what is becoming the new moral standard?

There once was a time when being of good moral character had more value. Today it is only the appearance of good moral character that matters. Today, money and fame have pushed that antiquated belief of ‘good moral character’ aside.

It’s too bad that this young woman (and way too many others like her) doesn’t see the necessity of having good morals before being faced with having to make the decision about whether or not to allow someone to photograph her.

This society has fallen to such a distastefully, low moral state that all she has to do is apologize for her actions (no matter how insincere) and everyone falls for it. This does nothing for setting a good example for today’s youth. It only perpetuates the belief that anyone can do what she did and simply apologize for it and all will be well as long as you appear glamorous. If Ms. Hudgens was not in the spotlight associated with Disney she would not have to make an apology and no one would care.

This is why the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Brittney Spears get into trouble and still keep their ‘fans’.

We as parents need to teach our children not to put themselves in this situation, and give them good reasons not to. We need to get back to when morals actually mattered for the sake of morals and not how you can financially better yourself from just appearing to have morals.