Why does it seem like "back in your parents day" the older generation always has better ethics, worked harder, and was more mature? In a recently article I read, about studying the teen-parent conflicts in perspective, I discovered that there are many reasons why each older generation thinks themselves "high on a pedastal" over the younger generations. One idea is that the media is to blame. Through modern day media, America's youth is constantly being told that you have to grow up faster and faster. Well this happens physcologically and physically. In a study mentioned in the article "Putting Teen-Parent Conflicts in Perspective," The average age of puberty for girls was 16 in 1820, 14 in 1900, 13 in 1940, and today it's 12. Besides the fact that America's youth is physically growing up faster, media in America (through music, movies, internet, and television channels like MTV) encourages teenagers to have sex as soon as possible, drink and do drugs, and most of all... defy your parents. They do this, by making sneaking out, going to parties, passing out, fighting/talking back to your parents, and being high or drunk look really fun, and portray teenagers as young as 14 doing it. Another suggested cause is the economy. Older generations had hard working jobs like construction and working in factories instead of working at a Burger King or Hollister, and they could do it with less diplomas or degrees. Working at a construction site, the older workers would mess with the teenage older generations, the would teach them important life lessons, and good work-ethics. Now days most teenagers don't even have any jobs because of the economy and the fact that one will not get a good job with out a college diploma (unlike the only required high school diploma back then). These unemployed teens just hang with their friends, play video games, or do drugs to kill time. So as much as teenagers these days get ragged on about having sex or doing drugs and younger and younger ages, not being as responsible as the higher generations was, or being "lazy", we are not completely to blame.
Even if parents teach their kids from their own time, I can say there are times you have to think differently than they do. Society changes from time to time. However, that doesn't mean you should disobey your parents. I like how you talk about the media's influence.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that its unfair how parents say back in my day because the thing is we arent back in their day. our life today is different from theirs back then so naturally there are many changes from back then. very good post.
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