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The 1900's and early 2000's brought so many changes among people. Today, in 2007, we have to deal with stress put upon us as the younger generation from not only the media, but also from the generation before us. Is that fair? Do we deserve to be pounded upon because the generation before us was allowed to make their mistakes? I don't think so.

Everyday every single teenager turns on the television or gets on the computer. The news floods in on us like wolves on raw meat. We are pressured daily to be skinny, blonde, tall, perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect clothes, etc. If we don't then apparently we aren't good enough for society, or at least that's the way it seems. To "fit in" with the models and actors/actresses we rebel from the simple life of our parents to the "inappropriate" life of the world around us. Is it not the generation before us that gives us the impression that we need to look this way? We have a lot more issues with sex appeal and disease than in the early to mid 1900's. In the 1920's women rebelled against their parents' simple lifestyle, but no one minded then because they weren't getting disease and it was seen as a normal thing. Why then is it not normal now? It's just a repeat in history is it not?

A lot of adults that lived through the 60's and 70's think that they are losing touch of their children. During their lives, they sat down to dinner together, and watched television together, but once again, things change. Often times, teenagers don't have time to "bond" with their parents every night. We have homework and sports in which the things expected of us have risen. We aren't losing touch, we just lose time. Teenagers love to bond with their parents every once and a while, but our idea of bonding is a lot different than the older generation's idea of bonding.

Another issue is that a lot of people don't realize that history doesn't necessarily mean the present. It shouldn't be. Times change and we advance in our culture, things are going to change. It is not fair to say that this generation, my generation, is getting worse. You can't judge that, because you are basing your opinion off of two completely different things. The generation before ours had different lifestyles than now. Society changes and the up coming generation must change along with it, regardless of whether or not it is in sync with previous generations.

Learn more about this author, Ericka Thornton.
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