I have to go back and read the entire thread so I am sure I am in repetition with a lot of the women who have already posted. We are seeing these girls with hair like this because of our microwave society, the "my hair won't do this or that" mentality (that sadly and mainly comes from Mom, Grandma and peers w/"good" hair), etc. In my former work environment, I was able to pass on a lot of information on a daily basis about general hair care...and while sometimes I got the looks and blank stares, other times I got a lot of genuine questions.
A little history...In my previous job, there were pretty much nothing but black women there. A few asians and latinas were sprinkled in, but mostly black women. For the most part, the asians and latinas all head healthy hair, whether they relaxed, colored, etc. Once again, we all know that many times this comes from their hair already being somewhat "healthy", in a since, because they don't use a curling iron or flat iron everyday (because many of the latinas wore their natural curl and the asians hair was naturally straight), they don't pull it back in tight, gelled up ponytails to where their are bumps in their hairline, etc. As we all know, we as black women, do TOO MUCH to our hair. Enough said.
As for the young girls, I have a niece by marriage who is all of what you all described. She is 16 years old, and EVERY TIME I see her, which is about once to twice a week, she has her hair in some kind of "new" braided or weaved hairstyle. She lives with her Dad, and just in case there are questions about Mom...she is nowhere in the picture, if you get my meaning. Anywhoo, when she 1st moved here, she was 11 yrs old and had a nice, healthy head of shoulder length, relaxed hair. I would wash it and condition it for her and tell her to make sure to wear it up sometimes, condition it after washing, don't get retouches too often, I would trim her ends for her, etc. Well, I doubt her 11 year old mind was listening at the time because she had just been through the foster care system, the last thing on her mind was probably hair, there was no money or time to be doing all the things that black women do to their hair, etc. For the most part, her hair was taken care of in a very simple and low maintenance way, which is why it was in such good condition back then.
Today, she is 16 years old and is the typical girl I see walking around this city on a daily basis when there are no cornrows, braids/twists, or a weave in...ponytail looks like a roosters cockscomb, her hair is a broken off around the edges and back, gelled up to submission, dry, damaged, chewed up looking mess. When she doesn't have her "hair did", she's sitting all up in the house in the dark, talking about she can't go out with her hair like this, etc. When her hair is "done", she thinks it's all good because is LOOKS good. No realizing it is still being damaged silently because I am sure hardly anyone outside of this board and growafrohair long, know anything about the chemicals that are used in that .99cent and 1.99 pack "hair" that the beauty supplies sell that we use for braids/cornrows/twists and know NOTHING about removing that alkaline base before we just throw it up in our hair.
Can't you all tell that I am super perturbed about all of this? I have to go to work, but I will be back to the board later. I am with you all on this. I would love to start some kind of workshop to help these sistas shake this mentality that only those with "good hair" can grow healthy or long hair, only "mixed" or white folks can grow long hair, impatience has no place in the haircare realm, the "I want my hair to go from ear length to shoulder length to *** length overnight" attitude has to come to a screeching halt, unless you are one of those people who care nothing about what your real hair looks like and are content with wearing wigs, weave and extensions and throwing hard earned money out the window. Speak on ladies, let's keep this going!
) so why even BOTHER trying to take care of it? 
But because that was how I was taught to do it, I always did it that way, until I got here
, "where'd you get an idea like that?" & she said all sly like & smiley "i don't know, someone told me it's good for your ends" with a big koolaid smile on her face. finally someone is listening! educating our ladies, one person at a time!
erplexed Do these girls know how tacky they look? What about self-esteem and image? Why do many -I'm especially citing women of color here- allow themselves to look so raggety????? Is it lack of knowledge about hair care? Is it parental neglect??? What's your opinion on this issue?
Of course it broke off. 
