Bridging The Generation Gap Between Youth And Adults
For years I have been asked the question: How can you work with "that population?" And my answer is usually "what population?"
How really different are youth from adults? Ever since we reached that milestone of independence, it appears the word youth or young adult tends to become a word of the past, a taboo, or something of foreign content. But I question you, is it?
Lets flip the script for a moment:
- How were you during your pre-teen to college years?
- What were your views on adults and/or peers?
- What personal events took place that changed your perception of others?
- How did adults and peers interact with you?
- Did you run with the crowd or were you a loner?
So many times, we as adults, run into the same exchange with "drama" whether we're at work, school, home or in the community but we tend to view our life circumstances different than that of our youth. Why is that? Let's take into consideration we were never young but had manifested ourselves from the womb to adulthood bypassing all childhood experiences and memories. Lets look at the verbiage for a moment.
Youth Language Adult Language
| "you don't get it" | misunderstood | |
| broke | poor | |
| homeless | displaced | |
| sad | depressed | |
| unwanted | low self-esteem | |
| failing | retained |
So as you can see, we (youth and adults) are saying the same thing but maybe it's the language that's different.
Let's take it a step further. Think back on a personal experience you may have had or are currently in. It may be the loss of a job, inability to take a test, multiple relationships, speeding, unable to pay bills, loss of a loved one, treated unfairly, insecurity, trust issues, arriving to a destination late (school/work), stopping somewhere on the way home unexpectedly without calling a loved one, inability to balance life, etc...
I think all of us can relate in some form or fashion to one of these issues. So maybe youth and adults are not so different after all. Maybe we as adults (parents, teachers, caregivers, social service providers, coaches, mentors, etc) need to open our eyes and mind to acknowledge our similarities while respecting our differences. Remember, our youth are our future.
© 2008 Mahogany Vida Enterprises, LLC
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Categories: Service to Others, Education, Family, Social Well-Being, Emotional Well-Being
Tags: youth issues effective communication adult issues
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