Navigating Youth Culture: Societal Influences, Trends, and Challenges - Free Essay

Introduction

Youth culture is a phenomenon in which adolescents, children, and young adults conduct their lives. It covers the underlying styles, behaviors, beliefs, and interests that they share, which are distinct from those of their parents, and other adults in the society (Impact of media use). The concept of youth culture is contemporary, as marked by the latest interests in youth's social and cultural influences in the community. The influence of the youth has been remarkable in the domain of sociology since the end of the Second World War. The influence has been marked by the distinct fashion style, music, style, and texts.

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Some of the areas notable of youth culture include the wearing of clothes to indicate freedom, and the distinct hairstyle meant to represent the lack of conformity to the values of the society at large. Other notable practices include bold language, refusal of various establishments, change in academic performance, multiple types of media, and the change in the quality of products preferred. Multiple youths have also had distinct attitudes about the practices expected by the community, as well as the way other people are treated. Every concept on the umbrella of youth culture covers hobbies, subcultures, and sports, representing the sociological concept of the idea.

Youth Culture as a Topic of Interest

Youth culture is a topic of interest because of the distinction between the ancient and contemporary practices among the youth that are significant across different societies. Youth culture also covers various subtopics that should be of interest to various individuals, including influential people in society. For instance, the structure of the educational system and how it has been influenced by youth culture is a matter of interest in the contemporary era. Structural reorganization of various areas within the society, as well as the influence of different genders as they comprise the society, is also covered by youth culture. Most of the topics covered under youth culture are researchable and dynamic with the advancement of generations.

Relevance to Social Science

Some of the areas related to the sociology part of youth culture include the sexual issues regarding individuals under the age of 18. Some problems have been presented, and they should be solved sociologically. Another key concern is the inclusion of sex and relationships in the educational curriculum in various parts of the world. Bullying, the effects of bullying, as well as an understanding of why teenagers show cruelty and their ability to deal with it, is a part of the sociology of youth culture. Other areas include dating in colleges, sports culture, the influence of media and music, and the millennial and expectations from the upcoming generations. Every topic in the domain of youth culture represents the internal differentiations that exist among the youth, contrary to the early conceptions of young cultural expressions that consisted of common values, goals, and behaviors.

Statistics Related to Youth Culture

The youth have distinct characterizations that make them distinct from other age groups in society. For instance, television has an influence on adolescent learning, violence, nutrition, sexuality, education, and alcohol and substance abuse. The youth are exposed to 12,000 violent acts every year (Impact of media use, 2003). This causes depression and self-harm among the age group (Bowes et al., 2015). The youth are the most prone victims to adverse negative behaviors and actions when exposed to a different life that they never experienced. Therefore, youth culture remains a significant topic in the aspect of sociology.

References

Bowes, L., Carnegie, R., Pearson, R., Mars, B., Biddle, L., Maughan, B., Lewis, G., Fernyhough, C., & Heron, J. (2015). Risk of depression and self-harm in teenagers identifying with goth subculture: A longitudinal cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(9), 793-800. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(15)00164-9

Impact of media use on children and youth. (2003). Paediatrics & Child Health, 8(5), 301-306. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/8.5.301