Generation Gap @ MindSay 
Youth Gone Wild
How many times have you heard someone talk about how stupid the youth of today look? Whether it's an odd hair color, baggy clothes, or the proliferation of visible tattoos and piercings, older generations seem to have forgotten one of our mantras: Don't judge a book by its cover. Many seem to have gone one step further and applied "stupid" not only to the outward appearance of today's youth, but also to their mental abilities and belief sets. We need to stop and think what sort of message we're sending to our children by saying these things about them. The longer someone hears something negative, the more likely they are to believe it. Are we setting the next generation up for failure by our refusal to look past youth culture?
Think back to your own childhood. Did you grow up in the 50s? Remember how appalled the grown-ups were with Elvis Presley and how they said rock and roll wouldn't last? What about the 60s? Were the adults as a whole thrilled about mini skirts and go-go boots and long hair on guys? Or maybe the 70s fits you better, with its war protests and mainstreaming of the hippie culture. But how did your parents react to your new extracurricular activities? Let's not forget the 80s, with big hair, ripped jeans, and valley girls. Parents were up in arms about the negative effects of video games and music lyrics on their children.
Hindsight is 20/20, and we can all look back and see a bit of ridiculousness in our styles and trends. But did our desire to stretch our boundaries and assert our independence make us stupid? In the 50s, we legally ended segregation in schools. In the 60s our space program allowed us to reach heights never before possible. The 70s brought us floppy discs and microchips and test tube babies. Even the "me" decade of the 80s had its gems in medical advances, DNA research, and higher percentages of women with college degrees. These positives came from the same people who were criticized as teens and young adults for their stupid styles, trends, music, and hobbies.Were you one of those people? Next time you have a disparaging opinion about the youth of today, hold your tongue and think about what it was like to be the youth of yesterday.
The youth of today aren't that much different than we were in previous decades. They have hopes and dreams not only for themselves, but for the world as a whole. They have ideals and morals that may not always match our own, but different does not have to equal bad. Until recently I had a poor opinion of today's teenagers. But now I have a teenager of my own, and through my teenager I have met many others. There are certain things about the youth culture of today that I can't stand, to be honest with you. They have big stretched out earlobes, asymmetrical haircuts, facial piercings, listen to dark music, they're loud and boisterous, and spend way too much time on the internet. But after looking past those things and actually getting to know these kids, I have found that they are hopeful, aspiring, proactive, optimistic, and dare I say, intelligent. We aren't giving them enough credit. They are more aware of the world around them and how they can positively affect it than any other generation I've personally known. They don't just want to help themselves, they want to help each other. There will always be exceptions, but don't assign the exceptions to the entire group.
I'm excited about the next generation, and I think they have a lot to teach us. Will you be willing to learn from someone who wears a nose ring and has bed head all day on purpose? If not, you may be missing out on something profound.
Think back to your own childhood. Did you grow up in the 50s? Remember how appalled the grown-ups were with Elvis Presley and how they said rock and roll wouldn't last? What about the 60s? Were the adults as a whole thrilled about mini skirts and go-go boots and long hair on guys? Or maybe the 70s fits you better, with its war protests and mainstreaming of the hippie culture. But how did your parents react to your new extracurricular activities? Let's not forget the 80s, with big hair, ripped jeans, and valley girls. Parents were up in arms about the negative effects of video games and music lyrics on their children.
Hindsight is 20/20, and we can all look back and see a bit of ridiculousness in our styles and trends. But did our desire to stretch our boundaries and assert our independence make us stupid? In the 50s, we legally ended segregation in schools. In the 60s our space program allowed us to reach heights never before possible. The 70s brought us floppy discs and microchips and test tube babies. Even the "me" decade of the 80s had its gems in medical advances, DNA research, and higher percentages of women with college degrees. These positives came from the same people who were criticized as teens and young adults for their stupid styles, trends, music, and hobbies.Were you one of those people? Next time you have a disparaging opinion about the youth of today, hold your tongue and think about what it was like to be the youth of yesterday.
The youth of today aren't that much different than we were in previous decades. They have hopes and dreams not only for themselves, but for the world as a whole. They have ideals and morals that may not always match our own, but different does not have to equal bad. Until recently I had a poor opinion of today's teenagers. But now I have a teenager of my own, and through my teenager I have met many others. There are certain things about the youth culture of today that I can't stand, to be honest with you. They have big stretched out earlobes, asymmetrical haircuts, facial piercings, listen to dark music, they're loud and boisterous, and spend way too much time on the internet. But after looking past those things and actually getting to know these kids, I have found that they are hopeful, aspiring, proactive, optimistic, and dare I say, intelligent. We aren't giving them enough credit. They are more aware of the world around them and how they can positively affect it than any other generation I've personally known. They don't just want to help themselves, they want to help each other. There will always be exceptions, but don't assign the exceptions to the entire group.
I'm excited about the next generation, and I think they have a lot to teach us. Will you be willing to learn from someone who wears a nose ring and has bed head all day on purpose? If not, you may be missing out on something profound.
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Re: Actually, a survey instead.: - Don't pressure her!
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