Youth of the Nation

Eddy’s post really relates to our discussion on youth and how it is seen today. The video gives a great example of how childrens' ideas and opinions are shaped by the world they grow up in. Based on an individual’s physical appearance, this selected group to represent the “youth” of the United States came to certain conclusions based on the current events that happen within their lives. The Arab man was depicted as evil and mean to the children because of the stereotypes that arise from the September 11 attacks upon our nation.

The children were seen as naïve and almost ignorant, but isn’t this a representation more of the current times rather that the youth not knowing any better? The youth of our nation should not be defined as naïve or ignorant, but rather a representation of the current times. For example, when rock music was really popular among younger people, teenagers and other rock fans were seen as rebellious. But, this rebellious nature was only seen as such because it differed from the previous cultural norms that the parents and older generation had grown up in. Even before rock-n-roll music, swing dancing and The Blues were considered rebellious at times because it was something new from the current widely accepted popular culture. Today, we see this change happening in technology and the Internet.

Fifty years ago, dating without actually seeing the person was probably unheard of. Today, there are many online dating services that allow you to contact a person through digital media without even seeing the person. To some, this may not even be considered dating, while to the younger generations it seems perfectly normal. Just in communication itself, we have transitioned from physical to digital interactions. Cell phones were a hot topic for discussion on how they connect to the Internet anywhere and therefore allow us to stay connected 24/7. This seems to allow us to be more mobile since we are not restricted to a hard telephone line and allows us to connect with people anywhere we go. But we also argued that there is a restriction created by those who are seemingly connected to us 24/7 because they are able to contact us whenever they want even when it is inconvenient for us. Today’s youth has grown up with this luxury of being able to be connected 24/7 and has adapted to it by bringing their lives, or even an alternate life, to this digital media.

Myspace and Facebook are two of many ways for today’s youth, and anyone else for that matter, to live in the digital world that the Internet and cell phones have created. Writing a letter and mailing it to someone in order to keep in touch has became inadequate for some. Now, our youth embeds their lives into the Internet in order to keep in touch with others. As a result, social abilities are difficult to develop such as public speaking or even just talking to someone in person without becoming uncomfortable. We then rely on hiding behind our computer screens and iPhone LCDs to communicate and connect.

The youth of our nation, including students in our class, are living proof that the younger generations are not ignorant or naive, but rather a product of the popular culture that we grow up in. Not only do our parent influence who we are and how we act, but also our peers and the current popular culture. It is not that we are ignorant or naïve, but rather, we are influenced by the world around us today and not the world that was around the older generation.