Note: This question was suggested by Jordyn, 14, from Westfield, N.J. Do you have an idea for a Student Opinion question we might ask? Post a comment here, or write to LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
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In your opinion, what is it like to be a teenager today?
In “A Generation Emerging From the Wreckage,” David Brooks writes:
I’ve been going around to campuses asking undergraduate and graduate students how they see the world. Most of the students I’ve met with so far are at super-competitive schools — Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago and Davidson — so this is a tiny slice of the rising generation. Still, their comments are striking.The first thing to say is that this is a generation with diminished expectations. Their lived experience includes the Iraq war, the financial crisis, police brutality and Donald Trump — a series of moments when the big institutions failed to provide basic security, competence and accountability. “We’re the school shooting generation,” one Harvard student told me. Another said: “Wall Street tanked the country and no one got punished. The same with government.”I found little faith in large organizations. “I don’t believe in politicians; they have been corrupted. I don’t believe in intellectuals; they have been corrupted,” said one young woman at Yale. I asked a group of students from about 30 countries which of them believed that the people running their country were basically competent. Only one young man, from Germany, raised a hand. “The utopia of our parents is the dystopia of our age,” a Harvard student said, summarizing the general distemper.It’s not that the students are hopeless. They are dedicating their lives to social change. It’s just that they have trouble naming institutions that work. A number said they used to have a lot of faith in the tech industry, but they have lost much of it. “The Occupy strategy was such a visible failure, it left everyone else feeling disillusioned,” one lamented. “We don’t even have a common truth. A common set of facts,” added another.
Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:
— In your own experience as a young person growing up today, does Mr. Brooks’s understanding of your generation ring true for you? Why or why not?
— In what people, organizations or institutions do you place your faith and hope for the future, if any at all? Why do you think these groups have the power to make positive changes in our society and culture?
— What particular issues do you think are unique to your era — things that previous generations did not have to deal with as teenagers? Which of these do you consider to be the “defining challenge” of your generation and why?
— Overall, do you think it is harder to grow up in the 21st century than it was in the past? Why or why not?
— Compare growing up now to what it was like for Jem and Scout in TKAM, what is similar? What has changed? Which is better? Explain.
JOHN FERRO
ReplyDeleteENGLISH BLOG #19
PERIOD 9-10
In my opinion Mr. Brook’s understanding does ring to me. I agree with some of the students that responded saying we are the school shooting generation. Or having the president donald trump. This does ring to me because i'm living in the same generation where those people were and this is what we are living with. I place my faith for the future on the kids who have made in the big colleges because those are the people who have the choice to get the job and do it correctly. I think these people have the power to make positive changes because they are experiencing the bad things that happen now so in the future they know not to do any of that. I think that the school shootings are the issues that are unique in this generation because there hasn't been any more in the past than now. If we could somehow get some more security in this school with some reasonable ideas I guess that would be a defining challenge. No, I think growing up now is way easier than the past. In the past there was racism and hateful people. There is still now to this day but way more less now. Technology has definitely upgraded from the past until now. Back than you would have to use a VCR to watch shows if you missed them. But now with a couple clicks of the remote you can watch it again. Phones as well have been improved we have facetime and all these other apps and stuff but back than you would have to just put it up to your ear and talk. We could get information a lot easier now because of the internet. If you looked up a question you would most likely find it pretty quickly. What is similar now to jem and scouts generation is that there is still rumors and there is still racism. A lot of things have changed since then but the biggest thing i would say is the discrimination. I think my generation today is better than back then because it is somewhat more civilized because we can choose who we can hang out with and not be segregated.
I agree with John. I place my faith with our generation because i feel as though we are brave enough, strong enough, and determined enough to make change. We are the generation that has sat back quiet and watched all of the problems in our world and now its time we take action. I place my faith in us because the issues are us.
DeleteIn my opinion, Mr. Brook’s understanding does ring true to me. I agree with the students that said that we are the school shooting generation. He also explains how our generation has diminished expectations. This includes how Donald Trump, a business man turns into the president of the United States. Everyone at first thought it was a joke but our messed up generation made it happen. We our also experiencing police brutality like it’s never been seen before. We have people coping with the deaths of innocent loved ones due to police brutality. This does ring to me because I am living in the same generation as the students being interviewed and I can comprehend what they’re talking about. I place my faith for the future on the kids who have made it into a good college and are striving to achieve in life. I think these people have the power to make positive changes in our society. They dont like whats happening so inthe future they will make strides to end this. I think that the school shootings are the issues that are unique in this generation. Back in the past, school shootings weren’t even thought of. Nowadays, they happen way too often. They’re so terrifying to students because you always think “what if that was me?”. The fact that children who are trying to get an education have to be worried if they’re going to get home safely is horrid. A defining challenge would be to regain the sense of security at school. I believe that living in the 21st century is easier than living in the past. Today technology has made our lives so simple. We have smartphones that can pick up our location in seconds. We also have apps that can get us rides anywhere with the tap of a finger. You can text or call anyone within seconds which is good for our security. Racism has also decreased and we are more equal. Hate groups are mostly diminished as well. We can also get information a lot easier now because of the internet. If you looked up a question you would most likely find it right away. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and Scout dealt with rumors and racism towards people who aren’t the same similar to our world today. A lot of things have changed since then but the biggest change in my opinion is discrimination. I think my generation today is better than back then because we are mostly equal. We don’t have laws against black people having full citizenship such as the Jim Crow Laws. We also don’t have separate facilities for African Americans and white people. Society in my opinion has changed for the better but we still have many issues going on today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. I thought that his understanding rang to me as well. I agree school shootings happen so frequently now. I agree we now don't segregate. And I think our generation is better.
DeleteI think Michael is right when he talks about the school shootings. I agree with most of his comment. We also happen to agree on the question of "is this generation is better?" We both said that our generation is better.
DeleteI think what Mr. Brook’s understanding rings true to my ears. I can agree with one of the students when they say we are the school shooting generation. I however disagree with what he says about how our President has failed to provide basic security, competence, and accountability. I would say he provides all of that and more. I place some of my faith in the current President, not all of it but a lot of it. He didn’t have to run for the office he was living a luxury millionaire life and had enough money to do whatever he want, but when he dropped all of that to run the country I think that clearly shows that he actually cares about the country. I hope that the future generation can see through the lies of some people and I hoped that they are taught what to do and the right way to go about them. I think that our President has the means to help change it for the better because right now he is in the position to do a lot and get a lot done. He could try and pass laws to do some good and positive things for this country.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think most teenagers in the past had to deal with the fear of a school shooting happening at random. Our generation has changed and now we have to worry and keep that thought in the back of our heads. We shouldn’t have to worry when we go to school to get an education. That should be the last thing in our minds. I think the shooting is a very bad situation because it is starting to happen more and more often.
I do not think it is harder to grow up it is hard to grow up in this century because we have access to so many things that can help our lives. Technology helps us with so many things and gets us so many places. Back then you would have to do so much work for things.
In TKAM there are many differences. The one big one is there is a lot of more racism in that time then compared to now. Some similarities are treating your parents with respect.