lynch asks: Why are young people so hooked on the negative things?
Hi Lynch –
I don’t fully agree with you – I see young people hooked on positive things all the time – but I know what you’re talking about. In particular, I imagine that, when you say “young people,” you’re referring to teenagers and people in their early 20’s.
There is a definite thing about that age that draws humans to a certain negativity. They’ll often speak with a cynicism, listen to harsh music that says unpleasant things, and show great scorn for their parents and other authority figures. And that’s the “good” kids – while others are smoking cigarettes, drinking, or doing illegal drugs, joining gangs, etc etc etc!
Funny as it may sound, this is a necessary and actually positive stage of human development. While children thrive by trying to please their parents and teachers, a teenager needs to begin to define themself in opposition to those people. This can result in active rebellion, or in depression, very often.
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow, Lynch, and suddenly you felt that everyone in the world was either idiotic or manipulative, and the whole world were pushing you to do and feel things you didn’t want to or believe in. You’d probably get pretty angry or low. Then you turn on the radio, and someone’s singing a song about exactly that anger, that bad feeling of yours – so what do you do? Of course, you buy that song at once! You might even try to find everything that singer has ever done, because they’re the one person you’ve found who’s totally in agreement with you! You go to their concerts, wear their t-shirts. Maybe you even follow them into religious or political acts and groups.
Now here’s my big question – are you then being “negative?” Everyone around you is saying so. But in your mind, you’re probably being as positive as you can be. It’s them who are negative!
And that is what it’s like to be a teenager!
So, Lynch, while I understand your point of view, the best way to look at these teens is as the exact opposites of those little children who are so sweet and innocent and positive about everything. It’s no worse – just a different part of the wonder of growing up into adult humans. In a few years, their attitudes will most likely mellow out, and they’ll end up like you, wondering why all the young people are so negative, and not listening to good positive music like the Fifty Cent, Eminem, and Lil Wayne they grew up with!
Cheers,
Shirelle