About the article: I thought she wrote it with less than no tact, but has a lot of super relevant and accurate points, and I actually stand by it and think the outraged (and kinda childish) response just proves her point.
Personally, I would say that the article is what is childish.
The author has decided to use isolated expressions on social media; in a group meant to be just that, an expression of frustration and stress; and used it to characterise individuals. How dare she claim to know the ambitions, talents and qualities of individuals based on their interactions in a satirical online forum. I have no issues with her saying that she views the actions/commentary as immature; she is entitled to that opinion. And had she just said that I don't think it would have sparked the uproar it has.
The issue is statements like this:
If this kid ends up building an app that makes $30 billion, I give up.This precise statement for me is what turned the article into a stupid opinion piece from someone who is clearly out of touch with how young people express themselves, to someone who is applying stereotypes and using isolated instances to claim the worth of that person. It's a really narrow minded piece, and it's really insensitive.
I was in the Discussion Group for my HSC. I posted a meme once, I think (though it didn't get many likes, I'm not very meme-ish). I liked the memes that poked a bit of fun at the situation, the group was a way to turn a tough situation into a laugh. Have a bit of a vent. So, I suppose I'm one of those people who needs to
grow up, according to the author of the article. I'd love to show her the dozens of past papers I did in between liking those memes, all the hours I spent at my desk. The hard work I put in to succeed just like so many of the students in that group have.
Now don't get me wrong; posts that directly threaten or even suggest physical violence are totally not on. I don't disagree with some her points, nor some of your points on resilience Heidi. The thing is, it's clickbait journalism at its finest, she knows what she said and she knew what response she'd get. It has been blown out of proportion. That said, her sweeping statements and stereotypical judgements are not the right way to go about it, and they show that there are definitely HSC students in that group with more sensitivity, and more maturity, than she had when she wrote that article.