Young Adults #2

Teenagers are often viewed, as either knows it all’s or inexperienced young people. As “adults we believe we know youth – we once were youth”.  Growing up my mom used to say, “I was once your age”, and I never put any thought into it up until recently. As I am growing up I notice that times are changing and the adult figures in our life often times don’t realize that, but maybe they should. Everything is changing around us and the generations are not the same from when it was 20+ years ago. In my opinion, I think adults have a hard time understanding that youths are young adults and they have a voice and they are able to speak their opinion. It is also important to note that factors that this social construct ignore is: gender, race, class, culture, and more. Adults often view youth as immature, or say they haven’t experienced life yet. In her study of elementary school playground culture Thorne argues that, "to learn from children, adults have to challenge the deep assumption that they already know what children are ‘like,’ both because, as former children, adults have been there, and because, as adults, they regard children as less complete versions of themselves". This might be the reason why some adults view children as themselves when they were younger and often times have a harder time seeing the child as an individual. Having this thought can be harmful to young people who are trying to grow up and explore the world without feeling confined to something an adult is telling them to believe in. This thought can eventually lead to why youth’s have a hard time speaking up or wanting to be independent and in control of his or her own life due to the adult figure in their life.

I feel like I can relate to Thorne’s quote because often times I struggle with speaking up and stating my opinion and just listen to the adult speaking rather then saying what I want. This affect is true and adults need to be mindful of the youth that is around them and let them have a chance to speak up and become a leader in society. This article proves that this is why youths have a hard time respecting adults because the respect is only one sided instead of both ways.