One of my fellow bloggers just posted a rather disheartening entry about apathetic teenagers. No doubt, there are unfortunately a number of apathetic teenagers who will, more than likely, grow up to be apathetic adults. But I feel obligated to post my own entry in order to point out that not all teenagers fit into this mold. My youngest cousin, Jamie, and her friends get together to go shopping, see movies, go to the high school football games, and...watch the presidential debates. In fact, Jamie has been volunteering for her local Obama campaign. The last time we spoke, she had registered 14 people to vote, despite the fact that she can not vote herself.
I am totally impressed. When I was her age (1994):
- NAFTA was signed
- Loraina Bobbit was found not guilty for her insane act
- Tonya Harding's ex-husband pleaded guilty for his insane act
- The Rwanda genocide began
- Ronald Regan announced that he had Alzheimers disease
- Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered
I was aware of each of these events as a teenager - because they were all skits on Saturday Night Live. I guess there is some hope for the apathetic teenagers of the world after all.
4 comments:
My wish is that more ADULTS knew about current events! Teenagers and kids, well, we expect them to be out of it. But adults? They have no excuse not to know what's going on.
Amen, carabee. And I have to say (recognizing that picking on the media is almost too easy), I think the media gives an unfair portrayal of our nation's youth. In my experience as a teacher (granted, limited- I taught at an arts high school and now at a small indy school-- the kids all WANT to be there)- I've found the majority of teens (and tweens) to be concerned citizens working to become concerned and INFORMED. They're at an interesting age- just learning, "Hey! I don't have to think like Mom and Dad anymore." I find most students to be hungry for real knowledge. YES- teen apathy rests like a heavy crust... but it always seems like a front to me. It's cool to seem not to care. But I see great things in our future when I look at my students. For instance- my comp class chose to research, develop, and devise a Green Plan for the school to follow for the next five years. Super cool eh?
The year I was her age (2001):
- The first of an endangered species, Noah, a gaur, is cloned
- Wikipedia was founded
- George W. Bush became president, sending the country downhill from day one
-Same-sex couples are allowed to get married (legally) in the Netherlands
- The World Trade Center attacks (one week before my 16th birthday)
- Letters containing anthrax spores are sent to News Channels
- John Paul II sends the first papal e-mail from a laptop in his office
You have no idea how appreciative I am of this post. In English we are discussing contemporary education and it's flaws, and my synthesis essay is entirely about this idea of older generations always criticizing younger generations of apathy, laziness, and an unwillingness to learn. This generalization makes me so mad because it's based on a complete logical fallacy. To suggest that an entire generation was born dumber or lazier than the rest of the earth is ridiculous. The problem is adults who see that there is a problem with our education and just stand there and blame it on the teenagers, because it is easier than trying to solve the issue. They are the lazy, apathetic ones.
Post a Comment