The Culture Of Teenagers In The 1950's

With every new generation of teenagers or young adults, there always seems to be this negative look towards the youth culture. What really strikes me is that it happens with every new generation. It seems like once a person hits their teenage years they suddenly become “rebels” of society, and for what reason? How do most adults see the younger generation? They are young people who have bad manners, no respect for the elderly, they are real tyrants, they do not stand up when elders walk in, they do not listen to their parents or teachers, they talk in the presence of adults, and they eat gluttonously (Socrates). It really has not changed much since then. This cycle seems to repeat itself over and over. According to Brake, “Young people have always suffered from the envious criticism of their elders” (1). Teenagers in the 1950s received just as much criticism than teens today. The idea that teenyboppers in the 1950s went crazy

A new generation brings in a new, different culture. And somehow, it goes from different to rebellious. The adult American society will often look at the youth subculture’s homology: their choice of clothes, music, dance, and their overall lifestyle, and they will just begin to form these “personality conflicts” (O’Connor 412). If adults, more specifically parents, begin to have better understanding of why their subculture is often so different, then they will be able to relate to and raise “better” teenagers. This does not mean that every elder and adult has to embrace youth culture, but there should be an attempt to have a better understanding of it. It is important for parents to stop labeling everything thing their teen does as “teen rebellion” (Abowitz). And to stop overly judging what their sons/daughters wears, listen to, and how they speak; the more we label them as teen rebels, the more they will feel like they are