Youth Message

Are You Aware of the Message Your Image Sends to Our Youth?
Most people I know have heard the rant, “These kids in high school now are so much worse than we were, we never were that bad when we were that young”, and it has been repeated generation after generation. I think the reason why kids keep getting worse is simple, the people they learn from keep getting worse. The young adults that influence these children are unaware that they impact their maturing behavioral mechanisms. I have observed this issue for three years as well as had many personal experiences. I have learned that self awareness is depleting in the society and the culture that I live in and as a result generations of growing American children are suffering because of irresponsible role models.  
I believe this subject is culturally relevant because today in our society, youth is self-destructing. My peers and I all see it and I’m sure generations upon generations see it too. Not only do we see it but go on rants about how they just keep getting worse and don’t realize that they keep getting worse because we openly showcase bad behavior to our youth through primary and secondary agents of socialization. That means our youth learns these behaviors through school, family, peers, and the media. In our culture today, the media glorifies sex appeal, reckless celebrity lifestyles, and news about terrible decision making by influential politicians. The internet also allows children to be exposed to pornography, violence, and drugs. Our society as a whole should put forth effort to keep the things that only adults should be exposed to, exclusive.
Since college has started I’ve noticed that most people have little to no self awareness. What I mean by this is that some people my age may be doing what is required of them to get through school but it stops at that. Along with doing the bare minimum in their studies, my peers choose to partake in excessive alcoholic drinking, drug abuse, and intoxicated...