Today's youth face a complex set of pressures and a sharp decline in adult guidance. The negative view of youth in our society has resulted in policies and social norms that seek to control, punish, and censor the behaviors of youth. Thomas L. Good and Sharon L. Nichols, postdoctoral research fellows at Arizona State University and professor of educational psychology at the University of Arizona, describe the realities of youth today.
The disparaging characteristics of today's youth may depend on who is evaluating the youth in question. People may be more inclined to criticize the youth who display certain traits than those who don't. Furthermore, people tend to think of themselves as superior in general, regardless of the specific qualities of their generation. The illusory superiority of the past can cause them to disparage the youth of today. This can lead to a misperception that the youth of today are inferior in some areas while excelling in others.
The perception of youth as "regressive" is also biased by the evaluator's status and ability to assess the trait. Those who excel in a particular trait tend to notice differences between present and past youth. This may result in an inaccurate impression that today's youth are lacking in a specific trait. But this is a fallacy. The negative traits of our youth are rooted in our collective misperception of our youth.
These negative traits have been a problem for our youth for many decades. While some youth have displayed positive characteristics, others have exhibited a negative outlook. Nevertheless, our young people have been subject to numerous false and irrational negative stereotypes. These beliefs can have long-term consequences and must be addressed. We must avoid enabling negative thinking and stereotypes among our youth. There are ways to address these problems.
The negative traits of our youth are distorted in our collective memory. The illusory negative stereotypes of our youth are often based on inaccurate information about young people and the characteristics they possess. This may not be a symptom of a greater social problem but a symptom of a greater illusory superiority. Our youth's stereotypes are a reflection of our own beliefs.
The perception of youth is based on individual perceptions. Hence, we should not be judging our youth based on their attributes. If we are judging our youth, we should take the whole person into account. If we think of ourselves as superior to others, we will likely be more tolerant of our youth. However, the negative trait of our youth may also be personal. It is important to note that the youth we criticize are not necessarily the same people who were criticized.