Adolescent Subculture

Adolescent SubculturePosted At: 5:10pm by Rev. William M. Cwirla
http://blog.higherthings.org/wcwirla/article/4283.html

I have long maintained, most recently in an interview with Michael "internet Monk" Spencer, that adolescence as a state of being should not be coddled or encouraged. Rather, we adults need to run the race side by side with these young emerging adults and invite them to run in the adult world. John Stonestreet over at Breakpoint agrees. He notes that prior to 1941 or so, there really was no such thing as a "teenager." The whole concept of adolescence as a subculture appears to be the product of the post-world war nucleated family, the alienated father, and mass marketing that target teenagers.
Even worse, adolescence has become the pinnacle of human existence, rather than an apprenticeship that must be endured on the way to something greater. How many adults do you know who are stuck at senior prom? "Forever Eighteen."
Stonestreet cites six characteristic of a culture gone adolescent. These make me think:
1. Demand of instant gratification leading to lack of commitment (marriage, church, whatever)
2. Absence of long-term thinking (What do you want to do when you grow up, if ever?)
3. Motivated by feeling rather than truth. (It feels right to me.)
4. Wanting grown up things without being grown up. (Sex, shacking up, BMWs)
5. Expecting bailouts rather than accepting consequences. (Hmmm. Sound familiar?)
6. Focusing on appearance rather than depth. (Can you say boob job?)
Stonestreet's antidote? Challenge young adults. Educate them in worldview and apologetics. Teach them as Christians what we are for, not just what we are against. Confront them with the major cultural issues rather than isolate them. I couldn't agree more. Judging by the packed sessions at the HT Sola conferences that dealt with atheism, abortion, and hot button cultural issues, our youth are agreeing. Raise the bar high and they will rise to the challenge. Lower the bar, and they will sink.
The last thing we need is another generation of Forever Eighteens.
Read it all for yourself: Our Adolescent Culture
Major HT: Sandra Ostapowich.