"Teenagers These Days"

There have been at least two instances this summer when I’ve talked to another adult about “teenagers these days.” Each time I left feeling more and more frustrated. A few of the comments I’ve heard are that teenagers don’t care about what’s going on in the world, they’re mean to one another, and they’re disrespectful.

*Cue soapbox.

I’ll go ahead and tackle these three comments in particular. First of all, the teenage brain is not fully developed. They all have an egotistical mindset because that is a part of growing up. They tend to live day-to-day, sometimes disregarding that what they do today will affect tomorrow. Once again, most of that is due to their brain development. Is this frustrating (especially as a teacher)? Yes! Of course it is, but that is just the nature of the beast. To say that they don’t care about what’s going on in the world is a general statement. How many teenagers in the last century were watching the news and partaking in political debates at the lunch table? I’m guessing very few. That is a personal interest. Some people follow elections, others don’t. As adults, it’s our job to help inform teenagers. We are mentors still learning ourselves; therefore, having open discussions to inform and debate are important.

Secondly, teenagers are no meaner than adults. In fact, I know more adults that are judgmental and cenacle than teenagers. The whole notion of “bullying” has gotten out of control. People are mean for many reasons such as their own personal insecurities. It has nothing to do with age. It has nothing to do with technology. The same issues have been going on for years, but as our society evolves, these issues just look different. Texting and social media heightens many issues, but to be fair, adults have no idea what it would be like to grow up in an environment that that is constantly busy. We can access anything we want to know, anyone we want to see in an instant. To say that teenagers are “mean” is simply unfair.

Lastly, some teenagers can be disrespectful. I understand that. There have been times when I have been speechless at comments I’ve heard. But once again, it’s highly unfair to put that stamp on the entire generation. Don’t you think that our grandparents said some of the same things about us when we were in high school? Generations prior to the teenagers of today were just different. Excuse the cliché, but it’s like comparing apples to oranges. For as many disrespectful kids I’ve had, there have been a dozen respectful ones. I have countless stories of teenagers working hard, persevering, exceeding expectations, and making me laugh. I have goosebumps right now just thinking about all of the amazing discussions, smart papers, and witty remarks I’ve heard over the past few years.

It’s time we stop discounting teenagers. They can be insightful, kind, and clever. Why not give them some credit instead of constantly putting them down? By doing that, we’re no worse than them.