What's with the whole "teens today" stereotype?

ok, personally, i am completely fed up with the discrimenation against teens these days. i am 14, and it is unfair that i am constantly judged by my age. my friends and i walk down the street, and we get all the dirty looks from adults who obviously think we are lazy, idiotic, and over-sexed. i and the people i associate myself with are athletic, on high honor role, and are capale of being social without being sluts! people think we don't work hard enough, but we take what jobs are available to us, such as babysitting, assistant work, extra jobs at nursing homes, and several of us are starting our own businesses (i am running a bakery/catering business out of my house). but no matter what we do we are still lumped with "those good-for-nothing teenagers". would any adult on Y!A please explain to me this mentality?

ok, i realize that is it alot easier for most of us today than it was for our parents, but that makes us lucky, not spoiled, right?

Hello I am an Adult of 47 and I hear what you are saying unfortunately you are right in what you are saying and I assume it's because there are a great many of teenagers who are "trouble makers" that give you all a bad name and it is totally unfair because, there are a lot of good hardworking teenagers like you around and I think adults should realise this! I will tell you that it isn't really anything "new" as older people having been having a "go" at teenagers for generations and I think some of them are envious of your youth.

i think it's a superiority(sp) thing because there is no difference between teens today, teens yesterday, and teens in yesteryear.

now, i think about it, but then I stopped myself before I start to make comments.

(as a side comment, and lets be straight, y'all have it easy today and some might not realize it.) that's beside the point, as another side the problem I see is the parents are afraid to discipline and shame their kids and deal with the consequences of their actions.

update: I think it makes SOME parents a little messed up. Parents shouldn't spoil kids or be their BFF's.

just know I get your point, that "kids these days" "teens today" has been said before. I laugh at those who say that and wonder if they look at themselves. They were kids once

This has always been the case you just haven't been a teenager for several decades. You are hearing it constantly "nowadays" because you are currently living your teenage years. But, trust me, when I was a teenager I heard the same thing and I am sure when my mother was a teenager she also heard it. Society as a who generalizes all the time no matter what the issue is. If we all could agree on everything, it would be a perfect world.

The older generation has judged people by their race, belief and color of your skin, so I wouldn't put too much weight on what they have to say about teenagers.

Overcome judgment.

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