DOCUMENT RESUME ED 465 946 CG 031 852 TITLE RETROspective: A Parent's Guide to Youth Culture. Building Bridges between Generations. INSTITUTION Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. REPORT NO DHHS-SMA-01-3417 PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 31p. AVAILABLE FROM National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, P.O. Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20847-2345. Tel: 800-729-6686 (Toll Free). For full text: http://www.health.org. PUB TYPE Guides - Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adolescent Attitudes; Adolescent Behavior; *Adolescents; *Cultural Context; *Drug Use; Generation Gap; Mass Media Role; *North American Culture; *Parent Child Relationship; Parent Materials IDENTIFIERS *Media Literacy; *Youth Culture ABSTRACT Recognizing expressions of youth culture is a major step toward understanding teens. This understanding can help parents keep lines of communication open between them and their teens. Making it clear that you do not want your child to use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs is a proven factor in reducing youth drug use. RETROspective is designed to immerse the reader in expressions of youth culture by presenting a guided tour through American youth culture from the 1950s to the present. In addition to illustrating expressions of the culture, RETROspective explains what youth culture is and how it is reflected everywhere, its influence on youth's attitudes and behaviors, the role of media and music in the culture, and the importance of media literacy in a media driven society. Lastly, RETROspective includes "Building Bridges," a feature that offers suggestions for starting conversations with youth about various topics, including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and media influences. (GCP) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. RETRO spective A Parent's Guide to Youth Culture: Building Bridges between Generations U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as C\I received from the person or organization LO originating it. CO Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. 9 O° Points of view or opinions stated in this 0 document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy.. 0 BEET COPY AVAILAIBUZ Voun curifues ughatesagil aboun page 2 NtiOgenMEDs9 Ts9 and DoonDeugs Reens nvouzgh Utz decades. page 6 SeK9 Ovugiz9and HochD'u'r Mon. page 6 Ham'De dachs" and M" noR jusa ceveaus agiuMOVG. page C3 Vow can fthER page cnon'dng rineReadofd ou& pagele InEedriaIIIIRevacy peadMg beileueen RFre U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DNnes. -$41kpla_oce Abuse and M- tal Health Services Administration page 'dB Center f'or,.Substance Abu a kirkvAtiti on wiAM(014-41:607 BEST COPY AVA 3 stand YOPLIthCultures An Introduction to "Building Bridges," a feature parents and caregivers to RETROspective that offers suggestions for continue to discuss alcohol, tely starting conversations with tobacco, and illicit drugs with is 10 o'clock. Do you know youth about various topics, their children early and often. where your child is?" This including alcohol, tobacco, illicit popular slogan was designed to drugs, and media influences. By revisiting the popular culture encourage parents to get of the past and providing a involved in their children's Being a parent is one of the glimpse into the world your lives. Now that we've entered most challenging jobs there is. teen lives in today, a new millennium, a more Parents must feel confident and RETROspective can help you appropriate question could be, comfortable talking to their start a meaningful conversation "It's the 21st century. Do you teens, whether it is about sex, with your teen, and help you know what's influencing your drugs, or other important issues. maintain the open, two-way child?" The choices teens make and communication that is essential the values they adopt can in building strong family con- Recognizing expressions of determine whether they be- nections. youth culture is a major step come happy, productive adults. toward understanding your Ironically, the older a teen Cultural teen. This understanding can becomes, the less likely it is Expressions help you keep lines of commu- that parents will talk to him nication open between you and about these topics. Sometimes hen we witness our ado- your teen. Making it clear that parents may feel intimidated or lescents' "strange" clothing and you do not want your child to unsure of their roles as their behavior (such as tattooing and use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit teens grow more independent piercing), and hear "meaning- drugs is a proven factor in and subscribe to a youth culture less" and provocative (to us) reducing youth drug use. that may be unfamiliar to language and song lyrics, we RETROspective is designed to adults. However, teens still may hope that they are just immerse you in expressions of want and need their parents' passing fads. However, what youth culture by giving you a support and guidance during we are actually seeing and guided tour through American this pivotal period. Ac- hearing are the expres- youth culture from the 1950s to cording to the Substance sions of youth culture. the present. In addition to Abuse and Mental Health illustrating expressions of the Services Administration's Cultural expres- culture, RETROspective ex- 1999 National Household : sions are con- plains what youth culture is Survey of Drug Abuse, almost stantly changing, and and how it is reflected every- 11 percent of youth ages 12 to attempts to describe them where, its influence on youth's 17 currently use illicit drugs. are usually dated before the ink attitudes and behaviors, the New drugs like ecstasy, dries. The following examples role of media and music in the ketamine, and Rohypnol in no way represent a compre- culture, and the importance of commonly known as "club hensive list, but we present media literacy in a media- drugs"are always emerging, them to give adults a "snap- driven society.Lastly, and parents need to stay shot" of some of today's cultural RETROspective includes informed. It is important for expressions of youth. 2D gab 4 Take a trip down memory lane with Clothes Expensive is "in," but the range is vastfrom tattered to the RETRO neatly pressed, from soiled to starched white. Included are timeline. Do you baggy pants, flannel shirts, ripped jeans, athletic shoes, remember the impact these combat boots, bell-bottoms, designer labels, T-shirts with events had on you or your slogans, and exposed underwear. Sometimes clothes reflect a specific interest or life philosophy, such as the Goth look of environment? Ask your teen chains, black clothes, nail polish, and lipstick for males what she thinks of the more and females. recent events. Body Decorations These include earrings for males, as well as tattoos, multiple ear piercings, and other body piercings accommodat- 1954Supreme Court rules ing varying types and sizes of jewelry for both sexes. on Brown v. Board of Hairstyles These include spiked, shaved, brightly and unusually colored, Education, banning dreadlocks, and extensions. segregation in public Music Rap is a combination of words, rhythms, and musical riffs that schools. began among urban black and Latino teens over two decades ago. Some of its messages relate to hip-hop, a prominent December 1955Rosa facet of today's youth culture. Rap and hip-hop are popular Parks is arrested after not across geographic and racial boundaries and are even used to giving up her seat to a white advertise consumer goods to adult, suburban dwellers. Heavy metal began in the psychedelic 1960s and is character- person on a bus in ized by amplification, electronic energy, and a hard beat. Montgomery, Alabama. Electronica music includes techno, jungle, trip-hop, and electro. Followers of ska (sometimes called the grandfather of 1956Elvis Presley appears reggae) enjoy its jazz-influenced rhythms. on The Ed Sullivan Show, but Music Technology Computer-based MP3s, CDs, minidiscs. is only shown from the waist Dancing Baby Boomers may recall astonishing their parents by danc- up due to his seductive ing without touching their partners; now, not even a partner is dance moves. required. Raves, all-night dances held in large venues like warehouses, include a DJ who mixes and synthesizes rapid- 1956Howl, by Allen beat music. This has been described by one (positive) critic Ginsberg, is seized by the as "spasms of noise that sound like assault-weapons fire punctuated by the booms of collapsing buildings." police, but courts later decide that it is not obscene Movies Horror, slasher, disaster, action adventure, teen heroes and heroines. DVD technology. and release the book. The controversy creates Games and Game Technology Arcade, video, and computer games. Children who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s had a very widespread publicity for the different game experience than their parents, who may re- Beat movement. member Pac-Man. Today's games range from complex versions of benign games like baseball to violent (and often May 4, 1957Alan Freed complex) fantasy games and adventures. hosts the first prime-time Sports Pro wrestling, basketball, skateboarding, inline skating, BMX television special featuring biking, surfing, mountainboarding, snowboarding, rock and roll music. wakeboarding, street-luge, and snowskating. Some youth engage in "extreme" sports, that is, sports that take partici- July 12, 1957The U.S. pants to the farthest, most extreme edge of danger. Surgeon General reports a TechnologyComputers The availability and use of computers exploded direct relationship between in the 1990s. Computers have become the learning tools, game boards, and entertainment centers for many youth. cigarette smoking and lung cancer. But 60 percent of TechnologyInternet Bursting onto the scene in the 1990s with rapid, colorful images both positive and negative, the Internet may males and 30 percent of represent the most significant cultural divide between Baby females keep right on Boomers and subsequent generations.