Where have all the young people gone? What do they think of the world today, and what do they care about? When I ask these questions to members of the older generations, I often hear answers such as “they’re holed up in a room somewhere chatting online,” “they think the world revolves around them” and “they’re apathetic as long as they get what they want.” I am personally disheartened by these responses; has our society forgotten that it is these same young people who are expected to grow up and become the future bearers of this world, in all its glory and its shame?
Unfortunately, it’s easy to see where some of these pessimists get these preconceived notions. Just flip on MTV for a couple hours and you will see shows such as “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and “The Hills”, which portray young people as needy, greedy and cruel. Turn on the news and there is bound to be a report on some teenager vandalizing property or getting caught with drugs. You will read about teenagers stealing their parents’ pain medication, crashing their cars and participating in risky sexual behavior. To tell you the truth, it’s pretty scary. But last time I checked, every single one of the qualities I’ve just listed applies to a great number of adults as well. Why don’t they get any media wrath?
When I was younger, I read “Dear Abby” every day until she passed away. The following column resonated with me personally:
DEAR ABBY: I'm a 14-year-old girl who often hears negative comments directed at teenagers as a whole. The other day I was sitting in a bookstore, quietly reading, when an employee commented to a customer that "some teenagers were just in here -- that's probably why the display is a mess!"
I have heard other strangers make remarks about teens being lazy, slovenly, apathetic and rude. If these comments were directed at specific ethnic or religious groups, they would be regarded as discrimination, so I want to know if my saying something to these people would be appropriate -- and also why ageism, clearly a hurtful form of stereotyping, is acceptable when it's directed at young people.
I am tired of being followed by store owners and watching other passengers on the bus grab their belongings and scoot away when I come near them. What should I do? - - SICK OF AGEISM IN
I had similar experiences in my teenage years and agree that it seems far easier to “blame the teenagers” than to believe that they can be as well-read and thoughtful as this fourteen year-old girl is. Because of this, teenagers are essentially “shut up” before they can even open their mouths. In my opinion, this goes far deeper than simple discrimination or ageism; I think the leaders of this country are very aware of the potential power of young people and are trying to suppress it. So they have done two things:
A) Leaders have realized that young people are ignorant of their rights as citizens. This is their biggest weapon against them. They have been lead to believe they are powerless, and therefore justify their non-action with the thought that anything they tried to do would essentially be irrelevant.
B) Leaders have instilled a fear of young people. They have been portrayed as a destructive force that, if not controlled, will bring a certain downfall to society. Because of this framing, it is easy to convince people that, if not subdued, young peoples’ ignorance and carelessness will create a mass crisis. Therefore laws are passed to restrain young people (such as curfew laws, or laws that ironically allow young people to be tried as adults) without much debate.
Young people are treated as though they are second class citizens instead of the budding future. Adolescence should be a time when young minds are cultivated in preparation of becoming productive members of the public. When a society alienates its own people, it loses fruitful minds and cuts short potential greatness. If adolescents were respected instead of feared, taught instead of preached, our nation would have far more intellect on which to fuel a deliberative democracy.
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