Teen Forums - Teen Chat, Teen Help, Teen Advice & Support

In our world today, do you think more is being expect of teenagers and young people then when our parents were teenagers?

If that's the case, we're failing their expectations miserably.

Seriously though, if anything they expect less of us. Sure, we're going to have to end up sorting out a lot of issues in the future due to the mistakes made by their generation, but just take a look at us; our generation does not give a shit (or rather, the vast majority of it doesn't). A few months ago I got into an argument and some guy said that as a teenager I was supposed to "not care about the world" and "just have fun". That, Ashley, is the mindset of a lot of teenagers now-a-days...and it's dreadful.

Besides, with education being crap, unemployment being very high, and with sooooo many people wanting to live off benefits; what can you possibly expect from us? Unfortunately, those that want to achieve great things don't get the chance either.

I actually disagree with Kirk. I believe the world expects more of teenagers now than before. The world today has alot of issues, like the ones Kirk mentioned, but that just makes people expect us, teenagers, the future generation, to fix them.
With all the media and liberty of speech in most places in the world, plus the imense information contained in the internet, gives teenagers an oportunity to know about everything, and be aware of everything. With all these problems, expecially unemployment, many teenagers have to think like adults in order not to spend too much money, and most even have to work to help sustain the family. I feel teenagers are almost forced to grow up earlier than they did before.

The world expects teenagers to be adults. That's my opinion.

Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage; we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.

Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us. Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.

Nah, I think otherwise. I mean just look at how teenagers act today, do you really think most parents these days have expectations. If they do, clearly few are listening.
If more was expected from us, I think a lot of teens these days wouldn't be lazy bums who go behind the backs of their parents and do a variety of things they believe to be "adult".

Personally, I think very little is expected of teens today. Back when my dad was a kid it was expected of him to do almost all the inside work, have a job, do good in school, do all the yard work (which involved trimming, mowing, taking care of the massive garden they had, etc), and keep up with track.
For my mom is was expected of her to do good in school, have a job, do inside work, keep up with the yearbook, and suffer because she lived in a Podunk little town with a Dairy Queen.

What's expected of me? Learn to drive, get a job, do inside work.
What's expected of most? Do good in school and behave. I find most don't do this.
Exceptions exist of course.

I don't disagree with this, two things however;

1) Do you honestly think teenagers care about all issues with our world? I don't want to say otherwise, but from what I've seen; they don't. They don't wish to educate themselves and worry, they just want to have "fun". Of course, they grow up (well, most of 'em), but until they do they just remain ignorant to the problems they will soon have to face.

2) The world expects teenagers to be adults, so teenagers then decide to act like children. It doesn't work.

I've seen most teenagers caring about the problems, at least here in my country. Most think about their future and the future of the country. Of course there are many exceptions...

Good point. Can't awnser that.

Mistakes are made, and regrets are our luggage; we will drag them with us to slow us down.
The victories are flashes of light, sudden and unlasting, which allow us to glimpse the road ahead before darkness descends.

Love is bitter, yet it is the bread that keeps us. Over and over it fills us up, only to starve us.
The people whom we love shape our destinies and our strengths,yet leave us cold and alone in the darkness.

lmfao, no.
The expectations are much, much lower than they used to be.
It's unfortunate.

The Vintage Coast Website

Subscribe to it!!

The thing that gets me is that there are SOOOO many distractions and things trying to get peoples attention - the internet, advertising, TV, music industry, films, social networking etc......then people say 'teenagers have a short attention span' - well what do you expect!!! school work or chat with people from all over the world....hmm i wonder

Also people saying 'the younger generations are messing things up' etc is just no sense at all....its like people pretend that until 1990 nothing ever bad was done by people until they reached 30! (rant over)

with respect, i disagree.

For instance, motherhood. if a women, say 50 years ago chose to be a housewife that was here choice, people even respected her for being a devoted mother....now if a mum isnt working within say 1 year of giving birth people look at her as being lazy or something!!

(just based on what i have seen/heard people say)

Honestly, I think the world wants to expect more out of teenagers. But that's an ideal. Realistically, I think the world doesn't expect much from this generation. At most, it seems like as long as the teen stays out of trouble, society breathes a sigh of relief.

Gone are the days where teenagers were held to higher expectations. It seems like the days of respecting elders, doing chores around/in the house, working ones ass off to earn things... all of that seems to have disappeared.

The expectation has dropped. There are exceptions of course. But the vast majority of teenagers would fail miserably if the world was set on keeping expectations high. So, rather then let a vast amount of failure happen, society has lowered the expectation to almost nothing.

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love."
- Washington Irving