This is a bit different to what I usually write about, but I feel like it's important with everything that is going on in the world, particularly exams and exam results. I was writing flashcards for English language when I came across this quote about adolescent language. As an adolescent myself, this quote really seemed to stick with me.
Why can't we change the world?
The whole of quarantine, I've seen comments or even been told myself "you're so lucky that you're getting a break for this long". It hasn't been a break. For months, I've been teaching myself content for exams that I'm not even sure if they're happening, or how they'll be if we do take them. Year 13s had their final year cut short, only to have their exam results ruined by some classist algorithm. They changed it today to teacher grades, but why was it never that in the first place? University students have had to do remote learning, a new and terrifying experience for everyone. Adolescents have been struggling and some adults think we are just enjoying a "break".
The article I read that had the quote in was written by a linguist named Penelope Eckert. A lot of her article talks about the way in which adolescents are viewed and trying to explain why we have language differences to other age groups. Adolescents are not viewed fairly overall. We are constantly criticised for everything we do. Most adolescents could tell you that they have heard all of these three comments below more than once in their life, and it can be infuriating.
"Young people are too addicted to their phones!" Someone posts to Facebook, their 10th post of the day.
"When I was younger, I'd be outside all the time until it was dark!" They say, with lower crime rate and less cars on the road, making it safer for them to be outside.
"Teenagers these days are lazy!" They tell us while we try to do well academically and are swamped with homework, trying our hardest to maintain a good social life too so we don't become isolated. We are exhausted and sometimes want to just unwind.
If you are from the older generations then you may argue that you have to go to work everyday. You get paid to do your daily work, and for many the work stops when you come home. When we come home from school we have hours of homework and revision on top of the work we have done all day. We are pitted against each other, often seen by schools as just a grade on paper. Another success or failure for the school.
Even then, the constant presence of social media is further draining. The expectations of looking a certain way, people valuing themselves based on the number of likes they're given on a post. The need for approval. Young people taught unhealthy habits and unrealistic bodies by some of their favourite 'icons'. The Be Real Campaign did research and discovered from a survey that 67% of 11-16 year olds regularly worry about how they look. The constant body image issues can help to contribute to many other mental health problems, leading to 75% of mental health problems being established by the age of 24. (According to the BBC) Adolescents are trying to make a change in the world but the rise in mental health problems are making that increasingly difficult alongside the disapproval of adults.
According to Eckert, young people are "unable to make their mark in the world of adults, they must make a world in which they can make a mark." That's where this idea comes from that young people can't change the world. We seek the approval of our elders and are often shut down. We try to make a mark in our own way, which goes against tradition. It creates the impression that we can't change the world but rather the smaller bubble of just adolescents.
"Adolescents aren't allowed to change the world." Watch us. We won't go down without a fight.
During the Black Lives Matter Movement, many young people that protested and used their online presence to educate others on the injustice in the world and move towards a more equal society. We created and signed petitions, donated to charities and organisations, fought for equality. We still are fighting for equality. The "All Lives Matter" Movement is predominantly older generations. Young people left frustrated that a small group of people can try to disregard all we've been trying to work for. I am not trying to accuse all older people of having these opinions. We know it is only a small group. The technology which we are accused of being addicted to has educated us more than some news sites on current affairs. We have instant access to news all over the world. We can connect with anyone. Instagram and Twitter has taught me more about politics than formal education has.
We're known as the "snowflake generation". We are frequently told that we are too sensitive because we don't like a lot of old comedy due to its inherent misogyny or racism. I don't understand why not finding racist jokes funny is too sensitive? People of colour have faced discrimination for years and I don't want to laugh at a joke that mocks them. If I am a "snowflake" for accepting people no matter their gender or sexuality, then I'll gladly be one.
The irony of being labelled a "snowflake" is amusing. We create memes of calling entitled people "Karen" and suddenly there's uproar from people about how it's offensive. Some have even gone as far as to say it's as bad as the N word. A simple nickname for people being entitled and rude to people is not the same as a racial slur that has had derogatory connotations for decades. I don't think adolescents are the ones are too sensitive. We just don't like things that are offensive and derogatory. We do have senses of humour.
Through young people acting like this, we are starting to make a change in the world. Children are welcomed to a more accepting society in which they are confined to binary gender presentations. They can love who they want, and we aren't going to stop them. Because of the presence young people have created, people can come out and be educated in LGBTQ+ rights and have resources for support in unaccepting families. Due to the more accepting society, we can have more representation in the media of LGBT characters and more casts that aren't all white and children can finally find characters that they can relate to.
We know that we will never be able to make total change in the world when we are disapproved of by adults, but that won't stop us. Many of us have been come activists for many of the issues that go on in the world. From climate activists, to human rights activists, we are doing everything we can.
Going back to Eckert's study, there's proof that there is a sense of disdain towards the younger generations. Adults use "Denominalizing verbs" (turning a noun back into a verb, eg "I recently accessed my hotel's messaging service) to show that they a "people of action", however, she states that if adolescents did this they would be seen as lazy and "unwilling to use the longer forms", surely this proves that it isn't our fault?
No one person can change the world. While the views of many adults remain on adolescents the impact which we have on the world is limited. We are the future leaders of the world and we are heading to a more progressive society. It should be less "adolescents aren't allowed to change the world" and more "how can we empower young people and work with them to allow them to change the world for the better?"
Whether society tries to put us down or not, young people of today are determined to make an impact. Everyone want to make an impact in some way and whether that's helping one person or many, adolescents will change the world and someone telling us we can't won't stop that.
(Wow, that kinda turned into more of a rant than I expected but that quote has been with me all day ~ Chloe xx)
Finegan, E. and Rickford, J., 2004. Language In The USA: Themes For The Twenty-First Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.361-374.