Today’s Teenage Life Unfair
Pressure and Expectations Leave Youth Distraught
Who would want to be a Penticton teenager in the 21st century? The world has become a
tangle of confusion – a maze of scant opportunities. Expected to assume responsibility for
themselves at a tender age, many fall by the wayside. Mothers, fathers, teachers, employers and
peers all exact pressure that build and drive some over the edge. The life of modern teen is not
one to be relished.
Expectations for teens are too often unfair and sometimes border on cruel. Schools
demand that by the ripe age of sixteen or seventeen students assume responsibility for their own
learning. Parents even demand that some hold down part-time employment to provide their own
spending money. Where is the time for leisure and playful socialization? For goodness sake,
past generations of teens weren’t even expected to finish high school. Many were afforded the
thrill of putting their life on the line in times of war; some even returned blushing with pride as they
shared the horrors of war or boasted of lost limbs. In times of peace, past generations were
allowed to spend countless hours tilling the family soil or hunting the wilderness for winter stores
of food. Sure many of these teens were nothing more than indentured servants, but none had to
deal with volumes of homework or the tedious chore of flipping burgers.
Of course, unfair expectations lead to unrelenting pressures. No generation has ever
had to deal with the level of peer pressure that consumes the modern teen. Without a cell phone,
MP3 player, and regular, uninterrupted access to MSN, a teen today might as well simply sign up
for Exile 101. Add to this a need to keep up on regular cable programming and the latest clothing
trends and it is no wonder that depression is such a rampant disease among the young. Those
from past generations or different cultural upbringings cannot possible relate. Others may
complain of the pressures of survival (clean water, plentiful food, repressive governments, violent
environments, infectious diseases and so on), but let us be serious – these people did not or do
not know any better. Can one really compare the demands of supporting a family or defending
one’s people with the demands of fitting in a teen culture?
Expectations and pressures afflict all teens, but it is the modern teenage girl that bears
the brunt of these. Consider that in the past, generations of girls were generally excluded from
universities and most professions. There were no expectations to become a doctor or lawyer or
politician. These avenues were closed. A girl simply knew she would grow up, find a
domineering, often even non-abusive, husband and have a family. She seldom was given the
responsibility of handling or even seeing the household money. She just knew her role; it was
simple and straightforward. Talk about a lack of pressure. Today, the teenage girl is expected to
compete for professional careers and feels pressure to continue to educate herself. A life of
simple homemaking may be frowned upon. These new opportunities are forcing today’s girls to
make decisions that past generations never had to make.
No one can have a crystal ball to look into the future, but it is hard to imagine that life can
become any more challenging for future generations of teens. Responsibilities at home and
school and pressures to fit into modern expectations overwhelm too many youths. Greater
opportunities mean more decisions. More decisions mean greater risk and increased stress. It is
no wonder that today’s teens are plagued with insecurities.
Essay - A short literary composition on a single subject, usually presenting
the personal view of the author.