Mutual respect for adults and teens



Artwork by Julia Mapilisan.
As we reach the peak of technological advances in the 21st century, not only are electronics outsmarting the human mind, but education standards are being raised to keep up with these changes. Today’s youth are greatly underestimated, and they are often shunned by adults because of their age. Many adults agree that because they are older, they are more knowledgeable. However, this is not always the case.

Often times it may be part of an adult’s responsibility to tell a teen what to do in order to help them. Teens should respect this authority, as adults do have more life experience. It is not wrong for an adult to help and guide a younger person, but it is wrong for the adult to boss the younger person around and treat them less for not being familiar with obstacles that may occur in their life. I was always taught to treat others the way I want to be treated, and this should apply to people of all ages.

There is a common stereotype with teens who are still attending high school; they are typically not responsible, they have little wisdom and do not have enough experience in real life situations. What many adults do not realize, though, is that many teens in today’s society do deal with real life conflicts, such as maintaining their finances and taking leadership roles, especially when living in a tough home environment. Many high school students maintain part-time jobs and take rigorous classes, all while keeping their performance at its best. They are taking on the role of an adult and learning to deal with similar challenges adults face, and often times more responsible than some adults.

The age barrier problem between teens and adults occurs when the roles are reversed. There are instances where adults may go to a teen’s workplace and treat them with the least amount of respect compared to the elder employees. The adult often does not take the teen seriously because they assume they do not know what they are doing, when they should be more encouraging as every person starts from the bottom and must work their way up. One would assume an adult would understand this, since they have probably been in that position as well. Being mean to a young worker for a mistake they make will only upset them. Adults make mistakes just as teens do. Some adults seem to use age as a way of targeting someone, and it then turns into a fight of maturity.

One of the more aggravating parts of this underestimation is the lack of consideration for a young person’s opinion. Age should not devalue an opinion. It makes no difference for an adult to agree or disagree with an opinion from another adult versus a younger person. Yes, a young adult has less experience, but that does not mean their opinion is invalid. There are high school students who may be just as educated as some middle aged adults. If an adult does not take a younger person’s opinion seriously, then there should be no need for an argument over it, but rather let them learn on their own. Proceeding to tell a teen they are wrong for what they believe in will only assist in ignorance, which most people do not appreciate.

Just as most teens respect adults, adults need to respect teens. The current young generation will be the holders of the future in a short time, and adults need to have faith in what today’s youth are capable of. Instead of putting them down, adults should guide teens in the right direction to ensure success and treat them like any other person. Many young people have great potential and already practice their skills with the knowledge they have obtained throughout their short lives, and they should not in any way be underestimated for their hard work.