Haj,
Well to me keeping the blues alive means making sure that one of the few truly American art forms is kept alive. Maybe you would rather the kids today not care about the blues, and that is fine, but for me, I would like to see the art form kept alive. Same for Jazz. Both. 100% USA.
Jerry, Jimi, Clapton, all started out as blues players and copping riffs from them. To me it is a rite of passage for guitar players. If you don't dig it, no worries from me at all. But there is something about the guitar that is synergistic with the blues. No instrument out there matches the guitar as far as translating that emotion.
I remember when I was a teenager taking guitar lessons and my teacher was trying to force feed me some BB King. I didn't get it. Said he had no chops, too slow, no fire.
Years later it all made sense. Much like Miles Davis, it is not just the notes you play, but the space between them.
All I am saying is there is no reason to rip apart a 12 yr old doing anything. Unless of course you are 12 as well. Then it is fair game.
There are only two mantras. Yum and yuk. Mine's yum.