Generation-X Essay, Research Paper

Davis 1 Tommy E. L. Davis

Hunter

English 102

February 8, 1999

Generation X

The generation I am apart of is called ?Generation X? and we are known as a sex crazed and drug-happy one, (that is what the generation ahead of us said.) I believe if that there ever was a generation as such it was the baby boomers; ever hear of Woodstock? They want to stereotype us and ignore to what we have to say. For some reason when we do what they did as teenagers we are bad but when they did it, it was ?experimenting.? The problem I see with my generation is that no one takes us seriously.

I had a very positive experience at a young age, because I was separated from children my own age and the family environment. I was placed in a group home at the age of twelve, right before I was set in my ways. I had a chance to sit back and reflect on the problems of the times, I was also taught how not to be like everyone else in my generation because we were thugs and hoodlums.

A prime example of the difference between our generations is the concept of what ?culture? is; the baby boomers think that what is culture to us, is not really ?culture? and that their idea is right. The word ?culture? has been reinvented or improved upon as Raymond Williams, a British cultural historian says. He discusses the word?s different uses, but similar

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meanings as they become recognized by society. It is a given fact that classic music like Beethoven?s reflects culture, and that dramatic art like Shakespeare?s plays, or paintings by Picasso are high ?culture?. I know that these well-known artist are a part of culture, but is that because they are traditional and not because of the content of their art. If it is the content what makes them more talented than today?s stars such as Madonna, or Snoop Doggie Dog? Is culture like wine? Does it need to be aged before it is thought of as true culture, or is it because the next generation just appreciates it more?

The book Reading Culture calls us the ?scapegoat generation? because we are blamed for all that is going wrong in the American society. I like the quote from the president and used by the baby boomers? generation ahead of us, ?Do as I say, not as I do,? as the motto in teaching us. They thought they could tell us to be good citizens and when we found out how bad they were they could just respond ?Oh well I was young and stupid.? That may be, but we are now the so-called young and stupid ones and it?s our time to learn things on our own. Yes, the young generation of today exhibits extremely high levels of violence, drugs, weapons, and bitterness. All that is true, but when everyone asks why, the answer is always the same: ?It is the television, or it is the music these kids listen to today? well that could be true, but we did not make this society. It is what was taught to us. There used to be a commercial on television about drugs. In which a dad walks into his son?s room with a box of weed and asks his son, ?Where did you learn to

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do this?? The son?s reply was, ?You, I learned it by watching you.? That is how I feel when the generation gap question arises. As I stated earlier, I had the opportunity to change my ways as a young child, but a lot of kids do not get that chance. Rather then helping children get out of trouble, society only stereotypes these problem children and traps them in a world of increasing anger and brutal punishment.

Whether the problems of today?s generation are due to the past generation or how we address social issues today remains uncertain. The problem does, however need to be addressed and solved. Until we can work together as a society, we are on the edge of failure. There will always be the sense that the older generation does not understand what we go through, but that will always be there as long as there are parents and children who want to test their limits. So it does not matter who started it, we just need to fix the problem before the next generation has the same problem.