5 ms·

I think the car-orientation of the US would greatly benefit from a European-style approach to teaching kids about alcohol. I lived in Germany for a year as an

by _jal 10y ago

I think the car-orientation of the US would greatly benefit from a European-style approach to teaching kids about alcohol. I lived in Germany for a year as an exchange student when I was 16, the age at which kids can drink without a parent present. They can't get a license until 18. The vast bulk of kids there, in my experience, seemed to figure out sane drinking well before they got behind the wheel. Coming back to the US and going to college, I watched kids drinking at 18-19 and driving, because they were inexperienced with alcohol, and in a culture that tends to encourage binge drinking. It'll never happen; the US simply seems culturally incapable of healthy approaches to easing kids through becoming adults on a number of dimensions.

delecti 10y ago
> the US simply seems culturally incapable of healthy approaches to easing kids through becoming adults on a number of dimensions I couldn't agree more, and numerous problems are pretty much a direct result.
- VLM 10y ago
  What we see as problems, the folks in charge see as profits.
- dsfyu404ed 10y ago
  You could say the same thing about Europe, the resulting problems are just different. The grass is always greener...
  - ASalazarMX 10y ago
    ... on your own lawn?
  - mijoharas 10y ago
    How so?
- Someone1234 10y ago
  The worst part is that teaching kids about alcohol safely at home, European style, is ILLEGAL in much of the US, meaning that social services might come take your kids if they discover you gave them a glass of wine at Christmas. I grew up in Europe. I was planning on letting my kid try a small glass of wine with food in their early teens. But doing so in the US, I actually risk jail and loss of parental custody. Let that sink in... The US has a really unhealthy attitude towards alcohol that results in binge drinking and excess in college, and society here almost prefers it that way which is depressing. PS - I know many parents ignore these laws, but the point remains, the law makes no exception for parental consent or at home.
  - sotojuan 10y ago
    It boggles my mind that outside my small social bubble, people around my age (23) spend their whole weekends drunk. I'm not out to stop them and I accept their choices, but I wonder if it's also a result of our alcohol culture. Most people can't seem to enjoy just one or two beers.
    - asdfGUYasdfn 10y ago
      Never had an Imperial Malt 40oz have you .. and tried to code your CS project at 2AM on a Sunday, I see.
    - throwaway18917 10y ago
      I'd rather be drunk with them than hang out with you and risk falling off that high horse.
  - malnourish 10y ago
    In Wisconsin, at least: > Can an underage person possess and consume alcohol beverages on licensed premises? > Yes. Persons under age 21 may possess and consume alcohol beverages if they are with their parents, guardians or spouses of legal drinking age; but this is at the discretion of the licensee. The licensed premise may choose to prohibit consumption and possession of alcohol beverages by underage persons. https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-atundrg.aspx https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-atundrg.aspx
notadoc 10y ago
> the US simply seems culturally incapable of healthy approaches to easing kids through becoming adults on a number of dimensions. Unfortunately this is true and applies to a broad range of subjects.
aidenn0 10y ago
When I visited Germany on a 1 month exchange, it seemed like it was the 10th graders that were doing stupid things around drinking, but of course none of them were even close to being the age at which they would have a car. Whereas in the US, I got my learners permit in 10th grade, and was driving myself to school in 11th (it saved about 30 minutes versus taking the bus).
scardine 10y ago
When I was 14 years old I engaged a vocational school maintained by the Brazilian national railroad company. There I learned a lot of metal working including welding and operating lathes. Spent 3 years there and ended up as a certified maintenance electrician for diesel-electric locomotives (never worked in railroads after that but several skills were useful both at professional and hobby situations). Now the laws are more aligned with the USA and that school is closed. Such laws are said to be more "protective" as if teenagers are incapable of handling sharp tools. Brazil wastes no opportunity to dumb down.
- ams6110 10y ago
  7th grade shop class (ca. 1978) we were using drills, jigsaws, soldering irons, etc. We weren't allow to use the table saw but hand-held power tools were fine. I don't think they even have shop in middle schools anymore.
  - ameister14 10y ago
    We were doing the same, if you add in forging metal, in 2000-2001, so I doubt it's changed much.

by _jal 10y ago

delecti 10y ago

> the US simply seems culturally incapable of healthy approaches to easing kids through becoming adults on a number of dimensions I couldn't agree more, and numerous problems are pretty much a direct result.

VLM 10y ago
What we see as problems, the folks in charge see as profits.
dsfyu404ed 10y ago
You could say the same thing about Europe, the resulting problems are just different. The grass is always greener...
- ASalazarMX 10y ago
  ... on your own lawn?
- mijoharas 10y ago
  How so?
Someone1234 10y ago
The worst part is that teaching kids about alcohol safely at home, European style, is ILLEGAL in much of the US, meaning that social services might come take your kids if they discover you gave them a glass of wine at Christmas. I grew up in Europe. I was planning on letting my kid try a small glass of wine with food in their early teens. But doing so in the US, I actually risk jail and loss of parental custody. Let that sink in... The US has a really unhealthy attitude towards alcohol that results in binge drinking and excess in college, and society here almost prefers it that way which is depressing. PS - I know many parents ignore these laws, but the point remains, the law makes no exception for parental consent or at home.
- sotojuan 10y ago
  It boggles my mind that outside my small social bubble, people around my age (23) spend their whole weekends drunk. I'm not out to stop them and I accept their choices, but I wonder if it's also a result of our alcohol culture. Most people can't seem to enjoy just one or two beers.
  - asdfGUYasdfn 10y ago
    Never had an Imperial Malt 40oz have you .. and tried to code your CS project at 2AM on a Sunday, I see.
  - throwaway18917 10y ago
    I'd rather be drunk with them than hang out with you and risk falling off that high horse.
- malnourish 10y ago
  In Wisconsin, at least: > Can an underage person possess and consume alcohol beverages on licensed premises? > Yes. Persons under age 21 may possess and consume alcohol beverages if they are with their parents, guardians or spouses of legal drinking age; but this is at the discretion of the licensee. The licensed premise may choose to prohibit consumption and possession of alcohol beverages by underage persons. https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-atundrg.aspx https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-atundrg.aspx

notadoc 10y ago

> the US simply seems culturally incapable of healthy approaches to easing kids through becoming adults on a number of dimensions. Unfortunately this is true and applies to a broad range of subjects.

aidenn0 10y ago

When I visited Germany on a 1 month exchange, it seemed like it was the 10th graders that were doing stupid things around drinking, but of course none of them were even close to being the age at which they would have a car. Whereas in the US, I got my learners permit in 10th grade, and was driving myself to school in 11th (it saved about 30 minutes versus taking the bus).

scardine 10y ago

When I was 14 years old I engaged a vocational school maintained by the Brazilian national railroad company. There I learned a lot of metal working including welding and operating lathes. Spent 3 years there and ended up as a certified maintenance electrician for diesel-electric locomotives (never worked in railroads after that but several skills were useful both at professional and hobby situations). Now the laws are more aligned with the USA and that school is closed. Such laws are said to be more "protective" as if teenagers are incapable of handling sharp tools. Brazil wastes no opportunity to dumb down.

ams6110 10y ago
7th grade shop class (ca. 1978) we were using drills, jigsaws, soldering irons, etc. We weren't allow to use the table saw but hand-held power tools were fine. I don't think they even have shop in middle schools anymore.
- ameister14 10y ago
  We were doing the same, if you add in forging metal, in 2000-2001, so I doubt it's changed much.