Will Teenagers Disappear? is an interesting document that came out in 2000. It proposes that within the next 20 years, the social construction that we know as "adolescence" will change dramatically.
William Kirn elaborates:
"What will a world without teenagers look like? Like the adult world does now. Adolescents will feel the same pressures as their parents do: to succeed financially, to maintain their health, to stay on society's good side. What's more, adolescents will field these pressures using their elders' traditional techniques: spending money, taking medication, contracting for professional advice. The carefree years will become the prudent years, and the prudent years will continue throughout life. That's how it used to be, in the 19th century, and that's how it will be again in the 21st. The age of James Dean, the Ford Mustang and making out will seem, in retrospect, like what it was: a summer vacation from larger human history."
While I would deem this a tad deterministic, I think that it is important to stop and reflect on how what we understand as "the traditional teenager" is in the midst of a fantastic transformation.
The question I pose is, what are the implications for youth work?
What are your thoughts?
2 comments:
I think for the most part, teenagers are gone. I think the tweens are next.
Hi Larry,
I would have to agree with you. The 50s idea of the teen is gone - in fact, so is the 80s idea!
I think that once the internet and social networking became a common part of teens' experience, our conception of teenager has been forever changed!
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