Another thing that stands out is how pro-youth the author really is. Though it does seem at points that he could be anti-youth, I like how he tries to (and successfully proves) that teenagers are, in fact, valuable resources to all generations. The very end of the book sticks out because Hine states that "we should accept youth as a gift that can benefit us all... We were young once too (304)." I believe this is very true. I can't stand when old people are always complaining about young people and vice versa. Maybe if people took the time to listen to each other instead of bitching about and at one another, problems would be solved and everyone would (somewhat) be able to understand one another. I understand that times change and it may be hard for a younger person to grasp an elder's perspective (and the other way around), but it's not that hard to take time and listen to each other.
Learning in the Age of the Trigger Warning
11 years ago
I appreciate your view coming from the male perspective. I grew up with two sisters and very few male family members in general. I never realized that boys were as body conscious as girls are known for being. Females with eating disorders are a normal conversation in health classes during middle and high school. We see celebrities on the covers of fashion magazines everyday being accused of various eating disorders, but rarely males. We are taught that boys should be less concerned with how they look and girls should be the ones who want to be picture perfect. But in reality all teenagers are concerned with what their peers are thinking about them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aaron's post about the generations refusing to understand or at least accept the other. I think that is a large problem because there is not only a lack of respect for the older generation, but there is a lack of respect or understanding for the generation that is young or as hine says "beginners" (304). Hine makes the point to say that "we need to support that process, not squester and render it irrelevant" (304). It is hard to be young and to feel that you are not only not understood but are looked down upon by the older generation we are told to look up to. I feel that Hine makes a good point at the end of his novel that should be remembered by all, "young people are here and, always, ready to make history. Let's help them. We were young once too" (304).
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