Teenagers Versus Adults
May 9, 1985
One of two essays which combined to win First Place for Grade Ten in the Vermont Honors Competition for Excellence in Writing held at the University of Vermont.
Copyright © 1997 Property of Deborah K. Fletcher. All rights reserved.
Teenagers face many difficulties in their lives today. One is the need to express their feelings on a variety of major issues. These feelings are often very strong, and are usually based upon the volatile mixture of adult maturity and juvenile innocence experienced by the great majority of teenagers. For this reason, the views of teenagers often conflict with those of their elders.
One issue which is commonly discussed between teenagers and adults is that of the legal drinking age. The feelings on this issue are mixed in all quarters, but there seems to be some prevalence in each case. Adults tend to feel that the legal drinking age should be very high, with "very high" being used in relative terms. Teenagers, on the other hand, tend to feel that the legal age should be fairly low. Adults feel that the youth of the world would be able to drink more responsibly if their birth certificates bore a given birth date. Teenagers feel that responsibility would become theirs if they were treated as responsible citizens.
The conflict between teenagers and adults concerning the drinking age has caused some rather predictable problems. Teenagers have found that alcoholic beverages need not be purchased in the liquor stores in their states; they are readily available at the stores on the far side of the state lines. The young people find that drinking out-of-state can be more exciting than drinking at home. There is a thrillingly dangerous feeling associated with such renegade activities.
A second problem caused by the legal drinking age issue is an increase in car accidents, and accident related deaths, due to teenagers driving under the influence They often feel that they must drive themselves home immediately after a drinking party, and seldom will a member of a group abstain for an evening in order to drive home safely.
The issue of apartheidism is also quite prevalent in teenage-adult conversations. Again, there is no consensus on either side, but there is a generalized reaction.
The adults of today were subjected to the peace movements of the 1960's. Their minds were carefully and repeatedly subjected to the concepts of peace and equality for all. Some were even directly involved with these movements.
Today's youth are faced with a more conservative way of life. Change, even when it appears to be part of a bettering trend, is difficult for them to accept. They tend to want the framework of society to be made of rigid steel, rather than pliant plastics. They want a strong foundation for their lives; and they're used to achieving it.
This difference of background and opinion has caused a slight rift in society. The elder generation seems to be opposed to apartheidism, while the younger generation seems to be in favour of it. This is not to say, however, that all adults desire equality and all teenagers desire dominance among the races; it is often quite the opposite. I am simply saying that this is what the trends indicate.
The proposed "Star Wars" plan is a third issue which has received heated argument. Many adults feel that the "Star Wars" plan is a simple waste of tax monies. Many teenagers callously believe that mankind's exodus to the stars would be beneficial.
The adult view is strongly backed. So far, no one has found a practical purpose for star travel. No alien races have been discovered. No inhabitable planets have been seen. Mankind has not, as yet, found his brothers in the far cosmos.
The teenage point of view is heavily biased by Star Wars, Star Trek, E.T., and Buck Rogers, to name a few. The youth of the world see the technology of the future in the ventures of the present. They see space travel as glamourous and gratifying. They see it as mankin's escape from the noise and pollution, overcrowding and starvation, of earth. They see the stars as mankind's Promised Land.
The conflict concerning the space program has greatly affected many people. A form of worldwide paranoia has set in, and plagues the hordes of people it has touched. The world of the stars holds great fear for many people. The possibilities for life - and the possibilities for death - are overwhelming.
The young people of our world have a great deal of growing to do, both physically and emotionally. The issues of today will ultimately take part in forming the future.
Although it is not always pleasant to face difficult issues, it is a healthy way to learn. The youth of today will be the adults - the parents, teachers, and government leaders - of tomorrow. They must have a steel-girdered basis on which to build their dreams, hopes, and goals. They must be aware of all sides of every issue in order to be successful adults.
Discussing the issues can be frightening for teenagers, but it is helpful in the long run to be able to be involved in the discussions.
Whatever the issues, and whatever the views, the conflicts of the present will be printed indelibly on the way of the future.
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