Talking Points 1

The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager
By Thomas Hines

"The problem is rather, a way of thinking about an important time of life and how people ought to spend it. The problem is with the very concept of teenager."-Hines (Pg. 3) This quote from Hines' introduction pretty much sums up my understanding of his main point. The concept of the teenage years has changed greatly over time. In the 1800's if a girl was 15 years old, she was expected to setttle down and start a family, now she is expected to go out with her friends and text message 24/7. A teenage boy would have been working, usually hard labor in fields or mines, now he is expected to play sports, hang out with the guys and get a sweet car by the time he's 16. I understand Hines' point that the term teenager, and everything it entails is changing everyday. Teenagers 100 years ago are not the teens of today nor will they be the same as the teens of the year 2050.
I can understand Hines' point in chapter one, how teenagers are not viewed in a positive manner. Teenagers are expected to do well in school, hold down a part time job, make friends and be respectful to their parents, when at the same time, they are viewed as being irresponsible, immature and unable to handle themselves in a number of situations that are deemed "too old" for them. The way in which teenagers are viewed is very pessimistic. As Hines says on page 11, "This mystique encourages adults to see teenagers (and young people to see themselves) not as individuals, but as potential problems." Pretty much, the way in which adults view teenagers and teenagers view themselves, has set them up for being a problematic, irresponsible, disappointment, or so it may seem .

I can relate this to the subcultures activity that we just completed for class this week. Teenagers throughout history have belonged to a number or subcultures such as students, slaves, farmers, miners, frontiers, mothers, fathers, the list goes on and on.

Teenagers are viewed as problematic, if young people were given more credit for adding positively to society, would that change the overall view of what a teenager is?