Baby Boomers. Generation X. These labels have identified—and stereotyped and generalized—different generations. But what are today's young people really like? The following Web sites explore the different facets of today's youth culture.
A Snapshot of Today's Youth
Illiteracy, AIDS, and land mines are just a few of the problems that young people around the world face. Find out about the state of the world's children at UNICEF's site (www.unicef.org), which offers information, reports, and programs. Click "Teachers Talking about Learning" to get and share ideas about how to foster child-friendly learning environments.
Learn what Americans really think about the next generation from Public Agenda (www.publicagenda.org/specials/kids/kids.htm). "Kids These Days 1999," the second in a series of surveys running until 2002, finds that fewer than half of adults—and only one-third of teens—say that the next generation will make the United States a better place. Despite their pessimism, survey respondents believe that helping kids get a good start in life is an important issue facing the country.
Schools and colleges in the United States set a national enrollment record last fall. Public and private schools surpassed previous years' levels for the fourth consecutive year, and college enrollment will exceed the previous level for the second year in a row. Read about how this influx of students will affect schools and teachers in the United States in a special report by the U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov/pubs/bbecho99).
Advocacy and Assistance
The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) (www.childrensdefense.org) is dedicated to ensuring that children have a voice by supporting and lobbying for health care, quality early-childhood care and education, and safe and moral communities. CDF educates others about the needs of children and encourages preventive investment before they get sick or into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown. Visit the "Links" section of the CDF site for a comprehensive list of government and nonprofit organizations that advocate for children.
Once children receive a good start, they need guidance to safely navigate adolescence. The Center for Adolescent Studies (http://education.indiana.edu/cas/cashmpg.html) focuses on meeting the social and emotional growth and development needs of adolescents by supporting adults who work with youth, investigating current social issues, and providing tools for teens to learn and practice new and healthy behaviors. Click "Teacher Talk" for lesson plans for secondary students.
Finding Themselves
Kids of every generation have their own lingo. If you don't know what a Trapper Keeper is or what "Wax on, Wax off" refers to, visit the list that Beloit College compiled to help its professors relate to incoming freshman. The list shows what is—and what isn't—part of today's youth culture (www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/mindsetlist.html).
Although they may seem unintelligible at times, today's young people are committed to making the world a better place. According to a recent study, three-quarters of 15- to 29-year-olds have volunteered or worked for a community organization at some point in their lives, including 37 percent who have volunteered in the past year. Read more about the Young People's Involvement Survey at the Web site for Do Something (www.dosomething.org), a national nonprofit organization that inspires young people to believe that change is possible. It trains, funds, and mobilizes them to be leaders who measurably strengthen their communities. Among its programs, Do Something awards grants to community leaders between the ages of 10 and 29 and offers a free service-learning curriculum.
Younger kids can find tips about how to get involved in community service projects on Nickelodeon's site (www.nick.com/inits/bh_dev/index.html).
Those of us who have lived through our teenage years remember it as a time to figure out who we were. Sometimes that meant trying on different, if not outlandish, personas. A Goth Primer (www.sfgoth.com/primer) can help you understand your kids a bit better if they suddenly start wearing black and avoiding the sun. Visit the "FAQ for Parents" for reassurance.
Healthy, Happy, and Productive Futures
Physical, mental, social, and emotional health are important for young people and adults. Created by medical experts at the Nemours Foundation, KidsHealth.org (www.kidshealth.org) offers information on infections, behavior and emotions, food and fitness, and growing up healthy. The site includes information aimed at parents, kids, and teens. Under the section for kids, click "Dealing with Feelings" for advice on dealing with moving and coping with anger or sadness.
Young people need to prepare to be happy and productive adults in the workplace. Learn about the school-to-work movement (www.stw.ed.gov), which strives to prepare youth for the high-wage, high-skill careers of today's and tomorrow's global economy. At this site aimed at adults, you'll find good resources, examples of successful programs, grant alerts, and more.
Look at how the Australian government is reaching out to young people to prepare them for the world of work (www.thesource.gov.au/skillswork/default.htm).
Girls who play sports are more confident, have higher self-esteem, are less likely to get involved with drugs, are less likely to get pregnant, and are more likely to graduate from high school than those who do not play sports. Read about research that shows how beneficial participating in sports can be for girls at the Women's Sports Foundation site (www.WomensSportsFoundation.org).
