I am sick of being treated like an immature, hoodlum teenager who walks around with a complete disregard for everyone else. I don’t like shopping since I can never get attention from clerks. I don’t like going out to eat with friends because waiters tend to treat us poorly.
People often forget that ageism, a term, which typically refers to older people being discriminated against in the work place, also applies to teenagers in their daily lives. Teenage hooligans and troublemakers do exist, but those are not grounds on which to write off their entire age group as equally bothersome.
Take Perkins, for instance. The last time I was there was in late October. I arrived with some friends, and before even seating us, the hostess demanded that we each purchase something off the menu if we were going to stay. Throughout the rest of the evening, I watched said hostess to see if she would repeat her instructions to any adults. She did not. Since then, I haven’t returned to Perkins.
How about when it comes to more serious things, like the police? Isn’t it true that as teenagers, the cops are more likely to pull us over for minor infractions when they may have left an adult go under the same circumstances? Most cops would argue that these are precautionary measures, believing that teenagers make up the age group most likely to get into an accident. This is a common misconception. According to study conducted by the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA), drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 are twice as likely as teenagers to have an accident.
The same thing goes for curfew. Originally introduced to reduce crime, curfews became popular across the U.S. with the spread of vandalism, often assumed to be the handiwork of teenagers. I have no doubt that at some point, some rebellious teen somewhere drew some graffiti under the cover of night, but I should not have to come home by a certain time simply because authorities fear that I might do the same. In fact, the NYRA conducted a separate study about the affects of curfews on crime rates. The study revealed that the repeal of strictly enforced curfews actually decreased crime rates more than the original implementation of the curfews.
Now why should my age be a determining factor in how I am viewed? Should adults treat teens with a lower level of professionalism, respect, or trust simply because they were born earlier? I don’t think so. As a teenager, I am willing to accept that there are people both young and old who are superior to me in many ways. Why can’t adults?
I would go so far as to say that this belief in equal respect for all ages should stretch to our government’s foundations. For example, our Founding Fathers believed in no taxation without representation. Well, I hold a job. I pay taxes. And I can’t remember the last time a government official highlighted teen interests in their political platform.
Yes, with age comes wisdom. Yes, there are teenagers who are up to no good. And yes, teenagers still have a lot to learn. But all that does not make it acceptable for anyone of any age to be ageist towards teenagers.
