The Problem/Introduction
Every teenager (that's most of you readers) with a sliver of self-consciousness and awareness should run into one problem growing up and interacting in the community. It's a damning brand of discrimination and prejudice hardly covered by scientific studies and mainstream media. What is it?
We're not being taken seriously enough.
'We,' the youth, that is. Famous quotations from notable figures in society regard children – but adolescents in particular – as a negative statistic, a social problem, a malady found in every corner of the globe. We damned kids are a problem that adults have somehow deal with, in all our angst and uncooperativeness.
The Premise
Americans, sociologists, and activists all love to talk about gender discrimination, racial discrimination, stratification, income discrimination, and so on – but 'age discrimination' – ageism – is an underrepresented topic of social inequality. Some individuals are concerned with the stereotyping that surrounds their blonde hair; those with white skin are always defending themselves against accusations of racism; those with black skin are sometimes excessively sympathized or ostracized, as victims of such. Of course, 'ageism' does exist, to some extent – those of old age may be forced to ignore that some think of them as social and economic burdens to the general public, rotting away while robbing government money through Social Security and Medicare.
While this ageism towards the elderly has been documented and its stereotypes being fiercely torched by these individuals, Adolescents are held in a similar regard with little of the coverage, or the defense. While we young millenials are two or more generations apart from the ‘Silent Generation’ (as TIME Magazine calls it), it turns out we have much more in common than most think – there is a connection between the Damned Kids and the Damned Old People, as we both are viewed as costly assets, taxpayer burdens, and unavoidable social problems.
Researchers cite us in reports as perpetrators of a wide variety of problems, whether it is depression (we get our own brand – 'adolescent depression'), substance abuse ('teen substance abuse'), or delinquency ('juvenile delinquency'). Many of these alarming reports call on parental action as an important factor in fixing the problem, but even then, the teenager becomes a victim – hardly a solution. Adults rarely call upon adolescents to solve our own problems, because we are apparently incapable, unaware, and indifferent. Adult-made organizations such as the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the United States, which runs the well-known anti-drug ad campaign 'Above the Influence,' continue attempts to inform teenagers about the harmful effects of various drugs. Ignoring the fact that the advertisements have proved ineffective and thus are a taxpayer burden, they also implicate that teenagers are too weak to make independent decisions against overbearing and powerful forces like drugs. (Of course, many adults lack the self-control as well. How funny!)
If our elders are not being negatively regarded as costly problems, then why are teenagers subject to being victims, assets, problems, and worst of all– uninformed and immature? Adult perception of adolescent immaturity is the crux of the problem, and this stereotype, I believe, proves more important than all the other issues I previously discussed regarding the portrayal of adolescents. I'm tired of it. Adults should wake up and smell the coffee (that they need to get through their days). Not all of us are depressed, delinquents, or drug users, so what makes us dumbasses?
The Incompetence
Part of the problem is that – yes, I hate to say this – there is a considerable portion of the adolescent and youth population that gets depressed, gets in trouble, or gets high, and it's only rising. However, instead of focusing on solutions for these troubled individuals or programs to benefit talented, mature, and/or intelligent youth, we only get a heap of victimization. I mean, we're even bullying each other to death now, right?
The social construction of adolescence and childhood denies us – most of it rightfully – many avenues of adult life. Children and younger adolescents can't get married or consume alcohol; we aren't allowed to pursue semi-permanent or lasting careers, vote in elections, or pay taxes. (Not that any child would want to pay taxes or manage married life anyways.) However, we are also barred from public office, denying us from nearly all policymaking positions, including those that make decisions affecting adolescents. Of course, most teenagers are apparently (or evidently) incapable of functioning in a formal, adult-run bureaucracy (those who do may make tons of mistakes). It's impossible for the problems adolescents apparently have/perpetuate to disappear if there is no chance for input from these 'victims' themselves.
Of course, the most compelling example is the one that has probably happened to us. A group of male adolescents on the street or loitering may generate anxiety from passersby, and especially so if attire is seen to be negative in any way. Teenagers may be subject to suspicion or scrutiny if a group enters a place of business. We are often unwelcomed, sometimes even when our wallets are open.
The Incongruity
The last part of the adolescent ageism problem regards other adult opinions towards adolescents.
We’re seen as children, grown-up and more aware of the world. But despite being granted this title, nothing much else is done – if not worsened by the slew of findings that portray us in a negative light. To be deemed mature but accepted elsewhere as incapable is a distasteful double standard that splinters our development as social, functioning, productive beings. With all this role confusion, is it surprising that adults find that we have higher chances of being depressed?
Adolescence is a confusing interim period of life – to be seen as immature, uninformed, or socially deviant only works to our detriment. As we grow up, we may rapidly transform from the oppressed to the oppressors – a biological truth, but one that should compel us to do something about the social status quo, before we lose the legitimacy of our youth.
Here, the National Youth Rights Association with its ideas, some similar to my own. But these are adults talking. The NYRA is also more concerned with curfews and voting age than social portrayal of adolescents.
SAT Vocabulary: (specialized terms in italics)
1. malady - n. disease or ailment
2. stratification - n. division of society into 'layers' of social, economic, political, and economic qualities and inequalities
3. premise - n. A judgment as a conclusion.
4. ostracized - v. To exclude from public or private favor.
5. asset - n. Property or holdings in general
6. crux - n. critical point
7. incompetent - adj. Not having the abilities desired or necessary for any purpose.
8. perpetuate - v. To preserve from extinction or oblivion.
9. interim - n. Time between acts or periods.
10. detriment - n. Something that causes damage, depreciation, or loss.
11. compelling - adj. requiring attention; overpowering
12. status quo - n. the existing state or condition
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