Evaluating Youth Interest in UFOs

[fitzbew88]

I know this thread is kinda "stale" (over a month since the last post), but I still find it an interesting question.

I do believe that ufology is "stale" and not attracting sufficient numbers of new "young" investigators.

I think this is because:
1) The abduction phenomena is widely perceived to be purely psychological, and made the term "UFO" synonymous with "nut case".
2) The number of "good" sightings seem to have diminished mightily; even if this is merely due to poor treatment in the media, the effect is the same as if the phenomena had ceased.
3) Good information on this phenomena is still hard to find. Yes, there's *lots* of excellent historical information on the internet but how to find it? It's drowned out in the roar of...ahh..."dubious" information.

I believe that the phenomena is real, and it appears to occur in waves/flaps. I am hopeful that we are due such an "event"...if 1947 or 1952 happened again with today's technology...hold on to your hat! ;D

[obri6114]

i just registered and this will be the first message i post.

Im an 18 year old biology major in college, and from my own experience, its not just a lack of interest in ufology, but an over dumbing down of science in school. This dumbing down in textbooks, classes, and in the media really does make science fare less interesting than it actually is.

From what i have heard, many who show an interest in ufology, devlope an interest as a child. I dont belive that the comic books that many of claim got you interested in ufology, no longer existed.

[CapnG]

Before I begin, I'd just like to say I'm loving the Paracast! I've been going throught the archives like a junkie! Great Show!

Okay, now to the subject at hand. I'll just toss in my two cents. I realize 31 isn't exactly "youth" territory but my brain seems to be stuck at the mentality of a teen most days, so who knows...

I'd tend to agree with much of what's already been said but add that the lack of general interest can be summed up in one word: Glut.

There's just so much more sci-fi on tv and in the culture now. And images of Greys are ubiquitous, to the point of kitcsh. In other words, kids aren't likely to see it as a realistic concept, simply another blip in massive onslaught of trends and "culture".

I don't think it's correct to assume that there's very little interest in UFOs and other paranormal phenomenon in today's youth, however. On the contrary I think there's a great deal of interest but NOT as a real topic for genuine discussion. The very concept of these things being "real" is thoroughly laughable to most people.

One other factor of importance to consider is the instant gratification of today. Those of us who can remember when microwaves were "new" still marvel slightly at the idea. Kids today have never known different. And as a trend it gets worse all the time; high-speed internet, video on demand, TIVO, etc not to mention the increasingly ridiculous capabilities of cell phones. Given a backdrop like that, one can hardly be surprised that kids today aren't going to be impressed by some blurry photos from 50 years ago (photos they could easily recreate in Photoshop in under an hour) or any story that contains the words ALLEGED, REPORTEDLY, SUPPOSED or ACCORDING TO. And to be honest I can't blame them. It's all or nothing now. Give them proof, REAL PROOF or don't even bother mentioning the subject because speculation is pointless and American Idol is on in five minutes.

[Consumate]

Originally Posted by Ell

Hey all, Im 26 and have had an avid interest since I was probably ???

It just strikes me in my perception that there is a lot of 'youth bashing' lately.

One more thing, we all see what we look for.....

And to be honest, along with perhaps 1 or 2 other friends open to this, I was pretty much alone in my passion and interest in this area, so its probably always a marginal thing.

For my first post here I will reply to another who has only posted once.

I'm in line with the above statements I've quoted. I'm also 26 years old.

I think the general problem with the youth today is the lack of available information. For a generation that has been born into their non-reality, and been made into just another cartoon aspect of modern culture, their appeal and mysticism is surely lacking to those of my parents generation and older. The older generation then gets just as jaded as the kids are apathetic, because of the insane amount of work the old-timers in the UFO research community have done. My generation in general has less appreciation for hard work I think, though someone like John Greenwald may be a curious exception.

For another thing, the youth are less interested in discovering the nature of the saucers. As others have pointed out, they have no interest in the illustrious back story of Los Angeles battles, Life magazine cover stories (I want that Marilyn issue in large poster format framed, anyone???), Betty Hill, Church Committee, Gulf Breeze, whatever.

For a nation that watched Geraldo episodes with our mothers about Satanic Ritual Abuse when we were single-digit ages, and weaned on the modern fantastical ET images with great movies like ET and CEIII and Independence Day (see below), our perception of reality is so out of whack and predetermined by pop culture that truth/disclosure/whatever is nill in our lives. My peers aren't fighting for the same things because our fates are a little late dawning on us, I THINK.

Anyway, I don't see the point in complaining about the youth. There will always be important work done throughout all the generations, some people are driven and others are not. Some people work hard but need to be told what to do, and lacking that they can fail. Part of the blame needs to be placed on the previous generation that ostensibly should've been imparting values upon us.

On September 11, 2001, we all got the day off after it happened. Out of idle behavior, a friend and i went to the local mega-mall. In Best Buy, this actually occured: I was standing watching the news on their big-screen TVs on display. The news was not set to every TV their, obviously. Just one big TV with CNN or something showing video footage of the towers collapsing. On an adjacent TV, movie trailers were playing. Will Smith's debut on the alien-propaganda scene was shown as buildings were being blown to bits in Independence Day. Right next to the twin towers collapsing. It was so surreal and strange I just started laughing, which earned me a severe look of scorn from an older woman standing near me and also watching. She didn't confront me, nor I her certainly, but come on. Innocent people die like that in wars every single day all year long. I think it's all just special effects spectacles to us at this point. Death is all around us, in video games, movies, music. Natural as the sun in the sky. It won't matter until it's personal.

When CNN starts showing the first alien spacecraft landing, the people will just eat it up in the same way. Another Alien Autopsy. Maybe they'll even forget about it a week later when their favorite coked-out popstar gets arrested again. I don't know, but the lack of available information, as mentioned earlier, along with an abundance of controlled information being disseminated yields poor results for critically thinking young minds.

I'm sure there will be hope, though. Don't ask me why.

[qqqq]

I'm speaking based on country here. New Zealand youth would only have a interest based on media and pop culture. My generation, I'm in my 30's, just caught the tail end of the ufo sighting's in nz, now days the sightings in nz are very far and in between, In my opinion are mostly misidentifaction. It would be a massive leap for the nz population to take the topic out of jokes and laughs let alone the youth.

[Illuminati0n]

I'm 20 and i can safely conclude that there is not a SINGLE person i know younger, older, or the same age that is genuinely a UFO fanatic. I have a couple of mates who like a good yarn about paranormal stuff once in a blue moon bout thats about it. Quite frustrating actually.

[qqqq]

Just listening to the epz sep 07 08, and listening to this I can completely understand why the youth have stuff all interest in this topic. This stuff is so old hat, now days the youth have visualised multi dimensional being's back, forward, up, down ,round and round for years and years. Ufo tech is fast becoming so dated, its pretty easy to see that our own tech is on a path to surpass what ever the ufo tech is over the next 200 to 500 years, I'm pretty sure any inter realm traveling we do it will include rock music and cooler clothes.

[Bixyboo]

I wonder why youth seem uninterested in the Paranormal/UFO's.

My children care not a wit about any of it.

Weird.

[skunkape]

Originally Posted by Bixyboo

I wonder why youth seem uninterested in the Paranormal/UFO's.

My children care not a wit about any of it.

Weird.

I've personally witnessed numbers of people completely disinterested in an obviously weird aircraft hanging in plain view...some seemed to be annoyed at my pointing the thing out.

[Bixyboo]

Well, sad to say too....there are SO many fake (or seemingly fake) pictures and videos of ufo's anymore, can't blame people for being so nonchalant/non-interested in it.....

In the same vein tho: Perhaps REAL footages can be easier released to the public that way.....hmm.

If you desensitize people so much to it, then if/when confronted with a real ufo/et, etc...they won't freak out as much.....