Some songs stick with you as they have some splendid lines. The song may be bunk, but the line lives with you. Thus, Wayne Fontana in 1966 song Pamela, Pamela:
"When Laurel and Hardy were shown at the flicks
With sticky red lollies on splintery sticks
Pigtails and ribbons and crushes on miss
Secret discussions about a first kiss
But you were young
And everything was new
Impatient to do things you couldn't do
Oh, Pamela, Pamela
You started to grow
Answers to questions you wanted to know
When the rest of your childhood
Forgets as a dream
And the harshness of life
Dims those peaches and cream."
As reported at The Conversation.com, young Australians feel that they are missing out on being young:
The research was by Monash University's Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP)Monash Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP), and was summarised as follows: "A key finding from previous editions of the Australian Youth Barometer was that a large proportion of young people often or very often felt like they were missing out on being young (45% in 2022 and 42% in 2023). This is troubling because being young is such an important stage in life - it is a time of great development, exploration, experimentation, trial and misstep, as well as success and opportunity.
In this report, members of CYPEP's youth reference group draw on data from the Australian Youth Barometer to provide possible views on what it means to be young and to miss out on being young. Their discussion takes place at a unique time, situated within the historical context of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes to the labour force and the growing pressures placed upon young people."
This is one of those research findings that is pretty much self-evident to anyone who opens their eyes and ears. The pressures that are being applied by the dire economic conditions are immense. Not only is there intense competition for accommodation, but every job faces multitudes of competitors, made worse by the mass immigration of Great Replacement competition as well. Beginning in high school, the race is on to get the highest grades possible. And it gets worse, as the survey reveals that 69 percent of those sampled worry about getting enough to eat. This is really hitting rock bottom.
In past societies, even in cave man times, there would have been time for play, but now everything is deadly serious for youth. Yes, the harshness of economic life has destroyed the peaches and cream.