It's a tale as old as time: No matter the circumstance, older generations tend to view young people as worse behaved than their own. And, though it's a phenomena we've all encountered as teens — and one we're starting to feel toward tweens — there's typically no factual basis to support it. The phenomenon is called juvenoia. Originally coined by sociologist David Finkelhor, the term describes the fear older adults have of youth and their dangerous behaviors.
Today's young people face the battle of entitlement. Time illustrates this point with a reference to Rachel Canning, a teen who's suing her own parents. But, really, it's a general feeling that children today aren't working for what they're given. Some psychologists say this is a "narcissism epidemic" (hi, selfies!), but there's still serious evidence contradicting that, too.
Additionally, there's a stigma that today's youth is much more violent and ill-behaved than their predecessors. However, there's no evidence to corroborate that claim. In fact, statistics show that crime rates are at a low 12% among youth. And, in what Time calls the "routine disparagement of youth culture," teens are blamed for all of our social problems.
The assumptions about today's youth seem unfair — even though they've produced such phenomenons as the knockout game. But, it's an attitude that seems to repeat itself with every generation. So, at this point, we have to decide if we're going to disdain youth out of tradition, or if we're going to be a little more open-minded when our time comes. (Time)
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