The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager

Thomas Hine.

Hine frames his writing with the startling question are 'Are Teenagers Necessary?' This question made me think that I've never actually thought if one has a choice in being a teenager. I just assumed it was part of life. Hine brings up a good point in that the term teenager was only coined a few decades ago. That being said, there is a lot that has changed from the teenager of the 1940s and the teens of the new millennium (their interests, hobbies, etc.). One misconception which Hine makes clear is that "young people are often judged to be less able than they are. The concept of the teenager has been an impediment that has kept them from becoming the people they were ready to be" (7). It is this notion that explains the gap in most relationships that teens have with adults. Being constantly talked down to, or expected to do tasks that are not challenging or stimulating is extremely frustrating.

In chapter one, The Teenage Mystique I found it interesting how Hine depicts a 'typical' teenager. They truly are misunderstood beings. Hine makes note that teens, and the beliefs surrounding their existence is filled with contradictions. He states "They know more about the future than adults do. They know hardly anything at all. They ought to know the value if a dollar. They should be protected from the world of work. They are frail, vulnerable creatures. They are children. They are sex fiends. They are the death of culture. They are the hope of us all" (11).