Many adults think they know teenagers very well because they were once young. Nevertheless, there are always a lot of conflicts between adults and teenagers. This indicates that adults do not really understand teenagers. Then, what are these misconceptions?
One major misconception is that teenagers are not exposed to problems. Grown-ups usually claim themselves to be experienced. On the other hand, they consider teenagers verdant and carefree. That’s why many adults neglect comments from teenagers. In fact, teenagers nowadays also have to face huge workload and tremendous stress as adults. There are no big differences in the hardship both parties have to cope with. Then, how can adults say that teenagers are not experienced and so naive?
Another misconception is that youngsters should always be under control of adults. “We were once young. We know what is good for you,” adults said. Under the above statement, adolescents are asked to follow every instruction set by the grown-ups. However, the world has changed. Traditional rules are no longer suitable now. What teenagers face are totally different from those experienced by the past generation. Under two separated situations, the advice of grown-ups can be obsolete. Then why should teenagers still follow and be restricted by the old rules?
So, what can be done to reduce the problems raised by the misunderstandings? Adults should give more space and confidence to teenagers. In today’s fast-paced world, teenagers should learn how to stand up to problems on their own. Grown-ups may give guidelines but not enforce restrictions on teenagers during their self-development. Moreover, even though adolescents are young, it doesn’t mean that they are not able to deal with problems. Adults should be more confident to teenagers instead of banning their ideas easily.
In conclusion, adults should not have too bias or assumptions on youngsters’ abilities to solve problems. Restrictions can even cause them to rebel. Trust is, indeed, what we need to bridge the generation gap.