TEENAGERS

How Teenagers are Viewed by Society and the Effects of these Views

How Teenagers are Viewed by Society and the Effects of these Views

Introduction

In the United Kingdom, youth, particularly teenagers, are usually defined in the negative. It is not uncommon to hear about the “youth crisis” or “the youth problem.” Headlines in local and national newspapers report incidents of adolescent violence and the public has come to believe that these are very common occurrences. Youth involvement in areas such as crime and violence is proportionally very small and is, in fact, on the decline, yet these facts do little to puncture popular public perception that believes otherwise. An image persists in the United Kingdom of an adolescent age cohort that is troubling to the mainstream society. The life stage of adolescence1 has inaccurately been described as a period of “storm and stress” where teenagers are seen as difficult and contrary. Another common description is that teenagers are prey to “raging hormones,” where their bodies overrule their minds, leading them astray; this characterization belittles the capabilities of teenagers in terms of growing into their own bodies and judgments. (Benhabid 2002, 10)

Teenagers in general are seen as a controversial population, with the problems said to reside within that age cohort rather than in the society that has created them. This image persists despite data that indicate that most teenagers' relationships with their parents and other authorities are much less stormy than has generally been thought. Rarely are teenagers seen as viable partners or creative collaborators in the construction of the social fabric of society. They are more likely defined by what they are not—neither child nor adult. While the United Kingdom may stand out in its particular negativity toward the next generation, some couple this with a youth image problem around the world. It is thought that adolescence may well be the most maligned and misunderstood age group in the larger culture. This paper discusses how teenagers are viewed by society and the effects of these views on teens and society both.

Discussion

Walter Lippmann first coined the word stereotype, meaning a prejudicial, erroneous, or misleading view of a social group not anchored in direct experience. The process of stereotyping has two key characteristics: it limits the ability to appreciate or understand those in other social groups, particularly as individuals; and it resists changes in thinking and behavior with regard to the stereotyped group and individuals. (Davis 2009, 20)

Western society and many families today makes an assumed connection between youth culture, adolescence, and schools. Many adults view adolescence as a period of emotional and physical upheaval, and at this time more than any other, these same adults assume that young people are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit into the wider society. From this perspective, youth culture can be viewed simply as an expression of developmental struggle that will resolve itself when young people mature into adults. That is, from the time people are born, they will pass through a series of stages cognitively, emotionally, and physically as they mature from babies into adults. The goal, of course, is to mature into wellmannered, successful, ...