3. Hine: The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager

Thomas Hine prefaces his book The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, by telling a story of how as a teenager he had already started writing this book; the thoughts he had as a high school senior were validated in some ways by many studies he read later in life. In the introduction, Hine states what this book is about: "it's about people in their teens throughout American history - what adults expected of them, how they fit into the world they found, and how they helped shape it as well" (3). Hine says the book isn't supposed to be nostalgic and reminiscent of his teen years, that the only reason he mentioned his 16-year-old self was as a reminder that teenagers are real and that everyone was one at some point.

The first chapter is "The Teenage Mystique" and about contemporary teenagers in general and what they face in terms of laws and rules and how it differs from those in the baby boomers' generation nearly 40 years ago. Adults are both envious of teenagers and afraid of them; "the very qualities that adults find exciting and attractive about teenagers are entangled with those we find terrifying" (Hine 11). Age is seen as the only way to define and classify people; using age as the only factor is the way lawmakers and society give rights equally.

Hine says, "Europeans observed that Americans grew quickly in every way, taking on responsibilities and vices much sooner than their European counterparts" (5). If this is true, how come most European countries have a lower drinking age than America if Americans have to take on more responsibilities earlier? I also didn't understand why, if "adults envy teens for their energy, their freshness, their passion, and they seek to imitate them" (21), teenagers are given such a hard time.

Hine's mentioning of his teenage self relates to the second assumption this class is grounded in - that teenagers are not some alien life form. Hine says he introduced his teenage persona because "his role is to keep reminding me that while this is largely a history of roles and expectations, the teenagers I'm discussing aren't some exotic species - they're real people" (3).

Hine mentions that he doesn't have any teenagers, but "had plenty of offer of help from people who are. 'You can have mine to study' they say, adding that they'll take the kid back in three or four years" (3). I've heard my mom and other people joke about that, but I don't think it's funny. I think it's just another way parents/adults are mean and like to put down their kids. They knew going into it that eventually their children would be teenagers, so they should just deal with it if their kid isn't perfect.

Teenagers who want so desperately to be treated as adults, are given all these rules and laws that try to prevent them from having sex, or smoking and drinking. Teenagers know these things are associated with being an adult, so of course they do them to rebel or to be older. Parents try to stop their kids from having sex, even though they are in their prime and hormones are surging within them. No matter what, teenagers will have sex if they want to, and parents need to accept this and talk to their teens so they do it responsibly.